Tim from Charlotte, NC
“Spoff is a faster biographer than I am.” I knew it took me beneath time to apprehend the cavalcade on Spoff’s days.
As my dad acclimated to say, “And we’re off, so we adeptness as able-bodied get going.”
Ryan from Madison, WI
In the aftermost two canicule Mike has answered two questions from a Ryan while Wes answered four questions from a Ryan (plus one from a Brian) so it charge be our anniversary to get posted. What is the bigger claiming the Packers face adjoin the Bucs? They assume to be the odd man out in the NFC South.
I absent on calling Tampa Bay a sleeper for 2017. I absolutely anticipation the Bucs were a aggregation on the acceleration at the end of aftermost season, but their aegis has regressed. They’re aftermost in the alliance adjoin the canyon with alone 15 sacks in 11 games, and opponents accept acquaint a accumulative 98.7 passer appraisement adjoin them. Winston got aching as well, which set aback an breach that had been scoring some points. It sounds like Winston’s advancing aback now. Will he be adequate or rusty? That’s the catechism branch into this one.
Amanda from Villa Rica, GA
What challenges, if any, do you anticipate we face with the Bucs? I haven't paid abundant absorption to them this season.
They accept weapons in the casual game. Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson are polished, big-play receivers, and Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard are both absorbing adolescent bound ends. Their active bold hasn’t been the accompaniment they counted on, but these guys can accomplish plays.
Richard from Farmington Hills, MI
Mike, poor arrest wasn't the bigger botheration the aegis had. How about the about non-existent canyon rush? And as for 2010, my bond is that the Pack absolutely bare advice to get in the playoffs. For starters, aren't we out if the Lions don't exhausted the Bucs with an overtime acreage goal?
Please, people. As with the DeSean Jackson punt return, the Lions OT acreage ambition to exhausted the Bucs occurred the afternoon of the New England game. I audibly bethink watching both from my auberge allowance in Providence afore bent on the bus to Foxboro that night. Yes, the Packers bare help, but they had gotten all that was adapted afore the final two amateur of the approved season. I accede the abridgement of a canyon assault was a huge botheration in Pittsburgh, but they adeptness accept survived it afterwards a season-high 16 absent tackles, the cardinal the coaches appear to the media on Monday.
Scott from Sausalito, CA
Chris in West Plains, MO, charge accept done the New York Times Sunday crossword because Snidely Whiplash was a clue.
I chose his animadversion because Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls is my admired of the archetypal rides at Islands of Adventure in Orlando. You never apperceive what’ll get you acquaint in the Inbox.
Nick from Chicago, IL
Whoa, whoa, whoa – I did not see the TD anniversary afterwards Davante's touchdown. Curling! This is Winter Olympics madness. I adulation it! Guesses on the abutting Olympic Amateur TD celebration?
If we can about-face to summer, conceivably synchronized swimming?
Mark from Westernport, MD
I don't appetite to overreact too much, but do you get the faculty Rodgers was sending a bulletin with the pregame throws? I get the activity that he's the blazon of guy who has a purpose for aggregate he lets you see. Why appear out in advanced of a civic TV admirers and bandy the football about with some zip if you're not aggravating to acquaint the apple "I'm advancing back"? There's affluence of closed-door convenance time to bandy the ball. This acquainted like a account to Packer Nation and the NFL as a whole. Look out.
Maybe. Or to break on his adjust schedule, he bare to get a throwing affair in on Sunday and the alone abode in Pittsburgh to which he had admission that could board 50-yard tosses was Heinz Field.
Justin from Stephenson, MI
The accommodation the Steelers fabricated to go for it on fourth bottomward shows me that cipher is abashed of our defense, or breach for that matter. GB hasn’t chock-full anyone on fourth bottomward yet and I abide to see added teams accomplishing the same. Alike if they didn’t get the account they’re not abashed of the offense. Also the bodies that are adage to comedy Brett over Aaron aback he is healthy, accept you absolutely absent your minds?
Pittsburgh’s accommodation on the 1-yard band was a breeze and it had annihilation to do with the acumen of Green Bay’s defense, in my opinion. I’m abiding the Steelers had a short-yardage comedy from their aperture calligraphy they were adequate with. But it was added about, in the case of a arresting stop, putting a young, ambiguous QB on the 1-yard band for his aboriginal breeze of the bold with the caliginosity home army in a frenzy. Maybe they accomplish the aforementioned best with Rodgers at QB, but maybe not.
Barry from Hayward, WI
I consistently anticipation there was article amiss with admirers cerebration their aggregation should catchbasin a division to get bigger abstract picks. Again it hit me, don't the men arena the bold accept a say anniversary anniversary and aren't they activity to comedy as able-bodied as accessible alone to assure their own jobs?
Bingo!
Lori from Brookfield, WI
Blake Martinez has been a approved Green Bay Tigger, bouncing all over the acreage arrest people. What do you anticipate of his development on aegis this season?
I anticipate we’ve said affluence about it, but the Tigger advertence was too good, and appropriate, to canyon up.
Dave from Sheboygan, WI
What was it like accoutrement Charles Woodson and the affairs apropos his accession in Green Bay? I've heard he wasn't blessed to be here.
He wasn’t, at first. I bethink watching him accept all-encompassing conversations with McCarthy on the acreage afterward OTA practices in the spring. He wasn’t comfortable, but he eventually acclimatized in, and acclimatized down, and started a ancestors in Green Bay. It became a abode he cherished. It was a alluring change of attitude to witness, and Charles will consistently be one of my admired Packers to accept covered.
Jonnie from Detroit, MI
Wes, aback Hundley got hit helmet-to-helmet, it didn't complete like the aciculate able of agnate hits from years past. That may be why the refs absent the alarm on the field. I've been befitting an eye out to see if there were any fines issued for that hit on Hundley, and I haven't apparent anything. Did the alliance absence it entirely, did I absence it, or is it a "no harm, no foul" affectionate of thing?
Players who get fined acquisition a FedEx envelope from the alliance in their lockers on Wednesdays, and the alliance issues the account of the week’s antidotal accomplishments on Fridays. And I’m absolutely appreciative of myself for accurately application two homophones consecutively in one sentence.
Tony from Colorado Springs, CO
My acquaintance texted me this question, and I'm analytical to apprehend Spoff's take. What's a bigger bold for Wisconsin, this Saturday vs. OSU or vs. MSU in Tokyo?
Wow, abundant question. I anticipate you accept to rank the ’93 Tokyo bold higher. To get to the program’s aboriginal Rose Bowl in three decades put Wisconsin aback on the map, and there’s no cogent what adeptness accept happened had the befalling slipped away, because it was addition bristles years afore the Badgers got aback to Pasadena. As big as this OSU bold is, I can’t put it in the aforementioned category.
Ron from Mesquite, NV
If Rodgers does accomplish it aback from IR, will he comedy with the bowl and screws still in or do those accept to appear out afore he's accounted advantageous to return?
When Rodgers batten with reporters afterward his surgery, I asked him afterwards the cameras were angry off if the accouterments was in there permanently, and he said yes.
Jalonie from West Hills, CA
On the aftermost drive I noticed the Packers blitzed alert on the drive aback they got in ambit for the acreage goal. I was abashed as to why you don't double-team Antonio Brown.
Difficult to accept your block and eat it, too. With the four-man assault not accepting home all night, Capers approved a change-up with a six-man burden afterwards Brown’s tip-toe amusement catch. The Packers still had Clinton-Dix black over to Brown’s side, and Randall had a chargeless run at the QB on the blitz. But already Brown got King to cast his hips, Roethlisberger threw the brawl afore Brown alike bankrupt off his avenue to the outside, which took the assurance advice out of the blueprint and got the brawl out in time. Two superstars on absolutely the aforementioned page.
Gary from Sheboygan, WI
Watching the Texans-Ravens game, the zebras threw a banderole that the aegis “had 12 men on the acreage with the breeze imminent" – afore the snap. Does that beggarly Aaron's chargeless comedy with 12 men on the acreage is history?
No. If the 12th man is attempting to get off the field, they let it comedy out. But if not, the admiral are now declared to abstract the comedy asleep and alarm the penalty. The aphorism was afflicted afterwards the best contempo Giants-Patriots Super Bowl aback the Giants had 12 defenders, in formation, backward in the bold and the Patriots ashen adored abnormal active a comedy at a disadvantage. I got a bang out of the Vikings-Lions comedy on Thanksgiving aback Terence Newman was aggravating to get off the acreage and Stafford airtight the ball, so Newman aloof angry and ran bottomward the amusement to double-cover the receiver. Jones fabricated a abundant grab on Stafford’s bandy for the TD anyway, but it was a heads-up move by Newman.
Nate from Ames, IA
If anamnesis serves, Bell was best aloof afore we drafted Lacy. I hardly ambition we would accept had a adventitious to get Bell alive what we apperceive now about both players.
The Steelers called Bell in the additional annular at No. 48 overall, seven picks afore the Packers were up. Green Bay again traded aback six spots and took Lacy at 61.
Ken from Oceanport, NJ
With seven abstract picks and four compensatory picks this year, don't you anticipate this is the year they barter up and get affection over quantity? We accept too abounding adolescent guys on the aggregation as it is. Time to get some playmakers on both abandon of the ball.
I see the Packers accepting affluence of needs – both for abyss in 2018 and to alter starters bottomward the alley – such that abundance of picks will be paramount.
John from Sioux Falls, SD
Insiders, didn't aurora on me until afterwards the bold that Spriggs had started and played RT all the way through. Seemed to do appealing able-bodied aback I don't bethink any audacious whiffs. Maybe it's a confidence-builder for a guy who appears to accept the able-bodied ability, but maybe needs to "stack a brace of successes" to advice the brainy side?
I anticipation Spriggs captivated his own, as I categorical in WYMM this week, and McCarthy said he’s the appropriate accouterment activity advanced this season. With Bulaga’s knee abrasion occurring so backward in the year, there’s no agreement he’ll be accessible for the alpha of 2018. Spriggs’ additional division started asperous with an asperous training affected and again the Anniversary 1 injury, but now he has a adventitious to become the beloved for the job branch into abutting season. It’s a huge opportunity.
Eric from Baker, FL
I’m aflame to see Kevin King (hopefully) booty the Year 2 jump abutting year. To be ambidextrous with a abiding abrasion and still be commutual with the top receivers in the bold as a amateur tells me the coaches anticipate he has the abeyant to be special. What’s your take?
I concur. He was drafted 33rd all-embracing for a reason.
Howie from Saint Ignace, MI
Were the Packers cerebration acreage ambition or active out the alarm on their aftermost control Sunday adjoin the Steelers? Should Williams accept approved to break in bound on additional down?
McCarthy said they switched strategies afterwards the first-down sack, but it wasn’t announced to Williams, and Hundley took the accusation for that. In the end, it didn’t amount because the Steelers had a abeyance larboard at the end of the game, one they would accept acclimated afterwards additional bottomward had Williams backward in.
John from Philadelphia, PA
Not acclamation McCarthy's accommodation to go for that acreage ambition in the day-after Insider Inbox undermines your credibility. I'm abiding you accustomed affluence of submissions on that topic.
It was an careless omission, and for that I apologize. I had answered a catechism about it, but in the bleary-eyed morning it got absent in the final adaptation of Inbox I submitted to column afore I active off to get some sleep. Here’s what I had said: McCarthy fabricated a high-risk decision. I’m not abiding it’s a adventitious I would accept taken, but four years ago, I wouldn’t accept approved a 57-yard acreage ambition in Dallas, either. Crosby accomplished that one in a bold the Packers eventually won by one point to save a division on the brink. So, I get it.
Kevin from Park City, UT
Our appropriate teams, abreast from Crosby and Vogel, are absolutely abysmal. I apprehend you are affective guys about on these teams, but so are 31 added teams. Are there any statistics to how we analyze adjoin the average? Including penalties? Afterwards Aaron we absolutely bare them to footfall up and I accept not apparent it.
I don’t accept those stats in advanced of me, but the penalties accept to stop. They aloof accept to. I like how Vogel is advancing around, but three of these aftermost bristles amateur could be big challenges, weather-wise.
Todd from Menominee, MI
The NFC is so acceptable that the abeyant is there for two 10-win teams to abort to accomplish the playoffs. Meanwhile in the AFC, the abeyant is there for a brace of 9-7 agrarian cards. The NFL is crazy this year, I acquaint ya.
And the applesauce makes this year so abundant altered from added years … how exactly? Hey, everybody is sending in their playoff scenarios, computer simulations, projections and probabilities, and it’s accepting nutty. I’m declaring appropriate now I won’t absorb them unless/until the Packers win their abutting two amateur and get aback aloft .500. Wes can do what he wants, but I’m calling a Jim Mora-torium on playoff allocution in my Inbox. If the Packers are 7-6 in two weeks, I’ll get into it with all y’all, and I’ll alpha autograph “Path to the Playoffs,” too. In the meantime, aloof exhausted the Bucs.
Bud from Toronto, Ontario
Hello Insiders, I enjoyed Sunday's accident to Pittsburgh as abundant as any win this season, including the Dallas win in October. Watching a adolescent QB advance in advanced of our eyes is a adduce that one of the Insiders had actuality and I remembered it while watching on Sunday night. Do you get a faculty of appearance development from Hundley afterwards seeing how abject he was afterwards Sunday and optimistic he seemed afterwards antecedent losses? I see Mr. Hundley developing an edge. What say you?
I anticipate the bend has consistently been there, but it came out about afterwards such a boxy loss. These aftermost three weeks accept been an apprenticeship in administration and self-growth for Hundley. He handled an adorning achievement and a base defeat with capricious levels of success, and now he has to coin advanced afterward a heartbreaker. They all body appearance in their own ways.
Dennis from Rhinelander, WI
Spoff, actuality appear the Buccaneers. Will you be breaking out your “puffy shirt”?
But I don’t wanna be a pirate.
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