Beginning next week, "Ask Vic" will publish M-W-F through the regular season.

Dave from Chippewa Falls, WI
Is it just me or is it harder the last few years to get a read on NFL teams going into the season? Maybe it's just that I am completely unsure about my team from Green Bay this year.
A new coach always introduces an element of suspense. My view is with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback the Packers will be the same formidable offense they have been for a very long time. Defensively, the talent level has been significantly improved the last two years and that should translate into significantly improved results. I share your uncertainty in some ways -- why have they made so many bottom-of-the-roster moves through the preseason? -- but my feel for the Packers is they'll be a playoff contender this season.

Jared from Rigby, ID
Vic, I am not as optimistic on the Packers running backs as it seems others who frequent packers.com are. What are your thoughts? Can Aaron Jones be the dynamic back we hope for? Can Jamal Williams be the bruiser? Can either of them be both?
I think the Packers' hopes at that position are pinned to Jones. I also think this is a position the Packers will address early in next year's draft, regardless of Jones' performance this season. The depth isn't there. The Packers need more competition at this position.

Elizabeth from Sylvania, OH
Aaron Rodgers is 35, a 15-year NFL veteran, two-time league MVP, Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP. Don't you think he knows by now how to properly prepare for a season?
Yes, I do. Be that as it may, this is a team with a new coach, a new playbook and young receivers. I can understand why fans might be feeling a sense of anxiety as the clock ticks toward the season opener and the play-time meter sits at zero. A lot of that anxiety would be extinguished tonight with a good-looking performance against the Chiefs.

Dan from Waupun, WI
Since season ticket holders paid for tickets to watch Luck be the QB, should they be able to receive full reimbursement? Do you think Irsay will do the right thing for the fans? If a missed penalty set off a legal battle, why not this?
What you're suggesting is beyond ridiculous. Imagine the precedent it would set. No, fans don't deserve a refund due to injury to a player, but they also deserve the truth and to be treated respectfully. When they're deceived, and I believe Colts fans were deceived, they deserve the right to boo.

Chris from Bozeman, MT
Really liked your last answer segment. You picked questions that exposed a victim mentality possessed by the Packers. Love that team, but the losing hasn’t forged the steel, it’s made it more sensitive.
Let's wait until the regular season before we begin passing judgement. I would've liked to have seen a little more edge during training camp, but what the Packers do on the field in the first two games of the season will be the true test of their preparedness. Yeah, September might be the new preseason, but when you open against your two division rivals, you better be ready to play or your season could be wrecked early.

Rodney from Jacksonville, FL
Speaking for all my fellow Jaguars fans, oh, how joyful it is to know the pits of hell the Colts organization will embark on for the next several years. My suggestion to the fan base: It can get worse than you think so be grateful for every win. Perhaps Indianapolis will finally be exposed for the small market team it is without a franchise QB.
It seems like yesterday they were giddy for having stolen that great franchise from Baltimore.

Mark from Regina, Saskatchewan
Long-time reader (from the Jaguars days of crows and aliens). So happy I stumbled upon that you're still doing this! How is retirement, Vic?
I had two sandies on Tuesday.

Blaine from Fennimore, WI
Don't forget Nick Collins in the Hall of Hurt category. I always felt he was special before he had his career ended.
Tim Lewis, too. The Packers have had their share of Hall of Hurt guys. Jermichael Finley is another one. I covered a young center, Michael Cheever, in Jacksonville. I think he was on his way to becoming one of the best centers in the league when a back injury ended his career. A knee injury ended Tony Brackens'. Tony Boselli would be in the Hall of Fame today if a shoulder injury hadn't cut his career short. I can even go way back, to a Steelers running back named Laverne Smith, whose career was ended by a broken leg in a preseason game in Baltimore. Smith had Dorsett-like speed. The Hall of Hurt is the saddest place in football.

Jon from Wright City, MO
Vic, what will a successful season look like for the Packers this year? I personally think anything better than 6-9-1 is successful. What do you think?
I think the money spent in free agency tells us the Packers won't be satisfied by anything less than making it into the playoffs. They are in the final years of Rodgers' career and they don't want to waste any of those years on rebuilding. The time is now.

Craig from Cedarburg, WI
We’ve seen other players retire early, but seeing a top QB, in his prime, retire feels different. Do you see high-profile players retiring prematurely becoming a trend?
The following was my answer on 1-14-19 to a question about Luck's performance in the playoff loss to the Chiefs: "It looked like he was throwing bricks. He had a great comeback season, but his arm isn't what it was a few years ago. His skills might be eroding." Would you feel better if Luck had hung on as his skills continued to erode? Watching him play against the Chiefs in the postseason, I couldn't help but think of Bill Belichick's "eroding skills" comment when he cut Bernie Kosar. I thought Luck looked terrible in that Chiefs game. His arm looked dead. His feet were stone. Retire prematurely? I think Luck knew he was at the end.

Mike from Bridgeport, CT
Thursday night, my eyes told me Josh Allen belongs and looked like a star in the making. A potential game-wrecker. They also told me the Jaguars can give some 3-4 looks. Can you confirm I was seeing the shell of a 3-4 defense at times vs. the Dolphins? Call it whatever, I guess. Just get the quarterback down and get him down soft.
What you saw was Dom Capers using Allen as Capers used Brackens in 1999. You'll see a 4-3 look with a lot of 3-4 principles.

Patrick from Indianapolis, IN
If you were an opposing coordinator, how would you attack the Packers' defense and offense respectively? Have you seen enough of the Packers (or do you know enough about what Pettine and LaFleur want to do schematically) to be able to answer that?
No.

Justin from Titonka, IA
How has preseason football changed throughout your lifetime?
For the first several years I covered the NFL, the preseason was six games long and the starters played a little more with each passing game. The intent was to peak performance for the start of the regular season. How stupid was that? Everything is so much better now: bigger, stronger, faster, smarter.

​Alexander from Brooklyn, NY
I heard the Colts will not go after the unearned portion of Andrew Luck's signing bonus. Why would they do that?
Maybe they know they were going to have to cut him and they're glad he cut himself.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Cliff from Washington, DC
Vic, I dislike how our new head coach handles himself in press conferences. He has something negative to say about every player he's asked about. In my biased opinion, great bosses (and leaders) do not give corrective feedback about their staff publicly.
Press conferences have become shows. Their original intent was to inform; now, it's to entertain, and coaches are being judged on their performance. All of this is the result of press conferences being televised and streamed live. Viewers are getting more than answers, they're getting tone. I think it's unfair for coaches to be expected to be experts in voice inflection and presentation. They should not be judged on their TV face, so to speak. When I began covering the NFL, Chuck Noll's press conferences were for print media only. Following his session with the print guys, Chuck would do one-on-ones with the radio and TV media. Everybody got what they wanted and it was a way to avoid getting caught on camera. Chuck could get into some back and forth with a print guy without having to worry about TV capturing it. It kept our press sessions with Chuck real and personable, and to this day I'm thankful for the good writing that approach allowed me. The farther I move away from those days, the more I appreciate them.

Jordan from LaCrosse, WI
It seems to me it’s important for a head coach to be gruffly avuncular. My gut surmises LaFleur’s absence of this quality suggests a grave portent. Would you concur?
You want tone and presentation. I want the facts, just the facts. Here's an example: The Steelers had a young defensive end named John Goodman. Coach Noll had decided it was time for Goodman to replace an aging L.C. Greenwood, so Noll put Goodman into the game. A quarter later, Goodman was taken out of the game, replaced by Greenwood. After the game, Chuck was asked why he took Goodman out. "Because he was being blocked," Chuck said. That works for me! I don't want the smooth-talking press conference baloney, I want the facts. It doesn't get any more factual than "he was being blocked."

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Vic, having spent almost a year of my life in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, I hope I can speak for Canadians on this issue. As usual, the American media has shown its utter ignorance and lack of class by belittling Winnipeg at every chance. The field the Bombers play on is first rate. Better, in fact, than most NFL surfaces. The size of the playing field was, of course, going to create some issues. These were hardly unforeseen. The blame for the poor product on the field is a universal problem with meaningless games. The responsibility for putting starters on the field, for at least a drive or two, should be the call of the home team, in this case, the Raiders. Somehow the reporters will turn this into Aaron Rodgers being the villain. Predictably, this story could have been written a month ago.
You lost me with the "starters on the field" stuff, but I share your disdain for whatever pain or embarrassment Winnipeg has suffered as a result of this 80-yard game. Canadian football doesn't deserve to have its reputation soiled the way it was on Thursday night. The CFL has put a first-rate pro football product on the field for a long time and Canadian football fans deserve better than what the NFL gave it last Thursday. I'm not sure what to think about the field conditions. Jon Gruden said they were fine; the Packers said they weren't. I think the NFL owes Winnipeg a public apology by accepting blame for whatever field conditions were overlooked.

Rich from York, PA
Who do you like for the Steelers' primary backup QB, Josh Dobbs or Mason Rudolph?
I think Rudolph is a better passer than Dobbs, but I think the Steelers need to find a way to keep both men on their roster. I think Rudolph has starter potential and Dobbs' running ability offers playbook variety. In my opinion, the 53rd player on a roster is never the equal of a quarterback with upside. Always keep the quarterback.

Rosco from Oshkosh, WI
Do you think the whole Rodgers/LaFleur feeling-each-other-out thing and not playing Rodgers in a preseason game is a bit of misdirection, or perhaps it's gamesmanship in preparation for the Bears?
It's what I feared would become of this training camp/preseason: too much soap opera, not enough documentary. At the start of training camp, I joked about the Packers needing an Oklahoma drill. Now, it wouldn't be a joke. A Texans player was held out of a combined practice after the Packers complained he was too physically aggressive, the quarterback has yet to play a down in the preseason, and 33 starters were benched for what is supposed to be the most important game of the preseason following complaints about the field conditions. I admit to being a football primitive, and I know that makes me an outlier in today's game, but I still believe football is an edge game and, from where I sit in steamy South Carolina, the Packers desperately need to find some edge before they ride down Lakeshore Drive into what could be a waiting ambush. In my Cro-Magnon opinion, somebody needs to go off.

Dan from Waupun, WI
Do you miss Pittsburgh?
I don't miss it because it's with me everywhere I go.

Richard from Clearwater, MN
What are the worst field conditions you've ever seen a game played in?
It would be the 1975 AFC title game. The head groundskeeper at Three Rivers Stadium got a brainstorm for keeping the field warm overnight. He built a tent over the field with the field's tarp, and then used sideline heaters to pump hot air under the tarp. I remember attending the AFC party in the Allegheny Club the night before the game and seeing the tarp ballooning high above the field. What we didn't know was the trapped heat had created a "rain forest" under the tarp. Later that night, as the Steelers and Raiders slept, the tarp broke and all that moisture froze. The sidelines of the rock-hard artificial turf became a skating rink. When I arrived at the stadium the following morning, the grounds crew was pouring road salt onto the field and chopping at the ice with mattocks. What followed was the most vicious football game I ever covered. I wonder if that game would've been played according to today's sensibilities?

Dan from Richmond, TX
Is scouting a QB an art or is it science?
It's crystal ball stuff. I never saw a top prospect I disliked more than Jamarcus Russell. First pick of the draft? I was in disbelief. I was absolutely sure he was a stiff. Tom Brady? After watching him beat Alabama in the bowl game, I couldn't understand why he wasn't a top prospect. On the flip side, I loved Chad Henne coming out of Michigan, and his career never equaled my expectations. With quarterbacks, it's a crap shoot. How else do you explain Blake Bortles being a No. 3 overall pick but Brady falling to the sixth round? How do you explain teams with need at quarterback passing on Aaron Rodgers? There is nothing artistic or scientific about scouting quarterbacks. A major chunk of it is based purely on chance. Ron Wolf saw a star; the Falcons saw a guy they wanted to trade.

​Shawn from Kissimmee, FL
What do your eyes tell you about the Packers' backup QBs? My eyes tell me Boyle can play. I also think it's OK to let Kizer go.
Tim Boyle is winning the job and I'm OK with it. Be that as it may, I think it's time for the Packers to draft a quarterback and begin developing him, much as the Steelers are doing with Rudolph and Dobbs. I'm not saying the Packers need to draft Rodgers' successor, but I think they need to draft someone of enough stature to give the position some edge, if you know what I mean.

Mark from Bettendorf, IA
What a joke. The NFL should be embarrassed. No?
The preseason needs to be addressed. Of course, I say that at this time every year and nothing is done. The players don't want to play it, the fans don't want to see it and TV doesn't want to show it. Yes, it's an embarrassment.

Pete from LaCrosse, WI
Just heard James Lofton mention the "blade of grass" illegal formation rule during the Packers game telecast. Didn't hear an explanation. Any insight?
It refers to wide receivers being off the line of scrimmage. A slot receiver, for example, only needs to be a "blade of grass" behind the receiver on that side of the field who is on the line of scrimmage. As long as a "blade of grass" separates the two, the formation is legal.

Tim from Jacksonville, FL
Watching the Jags/Dolphins game and it looks like the aliens came to Miami before the game even started. So when are the Dolphins moving to London?
For those who weren't "Ask Vic" readers in my Jaguars days, I often referred to aliens abducting fans at halftime. "It looks like the aliens were here again at halftime." Tim, in Miami's case, it's about market size. Just grow, baby.

Scott from Alaska
Without Aaron Rodgers, would the Packers be a top 31 team?
The answer to that question is of no consequence. The important question is what are the Packers with Rodgers at quarterback? The first two games of the season will answer that question.

Samuel from Jacksonville, FL
Does Luck make the Colts' ring of honor?
Why not? Everyone else has.

Dru from Lehi, UT
Does this Packers team seem soft? They whine about the field conditions, about the fans not being loud enough, and about joint practices. If their coach and leader aren't tough, the team won't be either.
Is pro football still a tough game for tough guys?

Todd from Wauwatosa, WI
Andrew Luck, Hall of Fame or Hall of Very Good?
Hall of Hurt, where he'll join Greg Cook, Bo Jackson, Sterling Sharpe, Ryan Shazier and several others whose careers were wrecked by injury.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Mike from Bridgeport, CT
Can you tell us about Noll's fourth-and-four play call in Super Bowl X? Why was it the worst you've ever seen and how did the strategy work?
The ball was at the Cowboys 40, or thereabouts. There was about two minutes to play in the game and Bradshaw had been knocked out of the game on his touchdown pass to Swann. Coach Noll didn't want to risk having a  kick  or punt blocked.  Kicker  Roy  Gerela  had just missed a  PAT attempt  and  punter Bobby Walden was in a bad way; it would be the final game of his career. Coach Noll's decision was to run Bleier into the middle of the line for a one-yard gain, take four seconds off the clock and put the game into the hands of his defense. A few plays later, the Steelers intercepted Staubach and the game was over. The crazy part is there was very little postgame discussion about that play call. The media didn't pounce on it. If it happened today, it would be the No. 1 controversy of the Super Bowl. Give the ball back to Staubach near midfield? Why didn't Noll run play action? Shouldn't the Steelers have at least thrown a deep pass? I have to admit, one yard and four seconds is kind of nuts, but how do you argue with the simple, unassailable logic of turning the game over to the "Steel Curtain?"

Dick from Watertown, SD
I remember Cedric Benson as a favorite from his first interview on. Anything more you can add to help us remember the man?
The first time I saw him in practice, his talent was undeniable. He made all of the other Packers running backs look ordinary. Injuries and discontent in Chicago dogged his career, but he rebounded for three 1,000-yard seasons in Cincinnati. He had the look I like most in a running back: low, thick and powerful.

Scott from Little Rock, AR
No question, just a thanks. I love Coach Noll's quote on stubbornness. I'm 46 and still struggle with it most days. I'm trying to be new!
Every time I break away, it drags me back in.

Elizabeth from Sylvania, OH
There hasn't been much said, good or bad, about the Lions. What is your impression? If you had to rank the NFC North right now, what would your ranking be?
Bears, Vikings, Packers, Lions. To those Packers fans I might ruffle with that order, please remember the Lions beat the Packers twice last season. The NFC North might be the most balanced division in the NFL. If the order flipped, it wouldn't surprise me.

Chris from Bozeman, MT
Love how you replied to Justin from Janesville’s question minimizing the significance of team rankings right after you said you’d dedicate Wednesdays to team rankings. How have you not pursued politics?
That's why I call them my all-important power rankings. The fans begged me to do them. I didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.

Gladdys from Rolling Meadows, IL
"Prior to last week's Week Two games, Bruce Arians said he could already cut to 60. I think teams could've cut to 60 after OTAs." Vic, if that's the case, why not make the cuts early and give the remaining players more coaching and reps?
Who are they gonna rep against? Coach, you'll wear them out. Beyond that, the "extras" are trying out for futures contracts.

Simon from Santa Clara, CA
If you're gonna post opinions but not answer any questions, it's not really "Ask Vic." Maybe you should change it to "Vic Says."
The Big 10 has 14 teams. The Southeastern Conference has a team in Texas. The National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League have teams in two countries. It's brand.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Vic, the 3-4 defense in Green Bay ... has not been very successful, to say the least. Did Dom Capers have any input into the players selected for his defense or was he stuck having to plug in the Ted Thompson clones he was dealt?
My understanding is Clay Matthews was drafted per Coach Capers' request. It's common for an incoming coordinator, especially for one of esteem, to be granted a  centerpiece player. The Steelers drafted Eric Green per Joe Walton's request when Coach Noll hired Walton to be the team's offensive coordinator. Other than for Matthews, I know of no other requests by Capers, though I have to believe he was involved in the drafting process.

Eric from Clayton, MO
Did Jerry write to you for advice on what to say about Zeke?
Jerry who?

Pete from Chapel Hill, NC
Are offensive linemen harder than average to evaluate and predict? On the one hand, there is Jason Spriggs and the Tony Mandarich debacle. Then there are fourth-rounders Bakhtiari and Lang and seventh-rounder Scott Wells.
In my opinion, toughness is the No. 1 attribute an offensive lineman must possess. They're all big, but they're not all tough. Bakhtiari, Lang and Wells are.

David from Madison, WI
What would an NFL with too much parity look like?
The NFL has been pursuing parity for all of the years I've written about it. This is parity. I can't think of a team in the league that doesn't believe it can be a playoff contender this season. Is that too much parity? I don't think so. I think it's good.

Dave from Savage, MN
Would you have looked forward to covering a game in Winnipeg?
Yes. I've covered NFL games in Champaign, Ill., Knoxville, Tenn., and Barcelona. Winnipeg would've been a nice addition.

Don from Mascoutah (wherever that is)
Coach LaFleur apparently wants the Lambeau crowd to be louder on third downs. What do you think about just putting a dome over the field? (Sorry, I can’t ask that seriously.)
So what are you asking? I'm not big on coaches coaching the fans. Frankly, I think it's insulting. I think Coach LaFleur should concentrate on coaching his team. Packers fans know when to cheer.

Adam from Madison, WI
I just skimmed ESPN's list of training camp MVPs. There were 16 wide receivers named.
Fever in the morning, fever all through the night.

Leo from Dallas, TX
Did the preseason "Ask Vic" columns prepare you for the regular season columns?
No, I save my best adjectives and adverbs for the regular season.

Michiel from Belgium
Considering you call Rodgers the best quarterback you ever covered and Brady is the GOAT, what is it in your opinion that makes Brady the best to ever play the game? One could say Rodgers is (or at least was) the most talented. Is it the Brady-Belichick-Patriots combination?
This debate rankles Packers fans and I don't understand why. I read all the stuff about a weak division and top 10 defenses, etc., and I can't help but think how ridiculous it would look to rank a guy with one Super Bowl win above a guy who has six. You can't defend that kind of illogic. I recently came across a stat that might give the weak division, top 10 defenses people a new perspective: In games in which Brady attempted 50 or more passes, he's 19-9. Drew Brees is 4-15, Peyton Manning 4-13 and Dan Marino 5-11, to provide statistical comparison. Hey, when you can't play defense or run the ball and have to throw the ball 50 times, you're supposed to lose, but the Patriots win. Why? Because they have Tom Brady.

​Taylor from Hull, IA
The new head coach chewed out a player at an open-to-the-media practice, and seemingly questioned the methods of his special teams coach. Obviously, the Packers are being new and this head coach differs on his leadership style from McCarthy. Which style do you think players respond best to, or does winning/losing only really answer the question?
In his first training camp as head coach, Bill Cowher stopped practice, huddled his team at a far corner of the practice fields and ripped them for their lackluster effort. Each coach has a style and a personality that's unique to him. Just win, baby.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Douglas from Binghamton, NY
If you could draft one quarterback to play for a coach/organization/team at any point in time, who would it be?
I'm surprised you needed to ask. Tom Brady/Bill Belichick/Patriots is the perfect marriage of quarterback, coach and team the game has ever known.

Nate from Plymouth, MN
Have you ever experienced back tightness?
At first, your question made me laugh, but then it made me think. I've undergone two low back surgeries and one neck fusion, so I know all about back tightness. I can't remember the last time I didn't have a day without back tightness.

David from Seattle, WA
McCarthy fully lost the team in ‘17. There had been a build up, but in ‘17 McCarthy banged on the podium and said Hundley was his man and he had been working with Hundley for three years! Is Hundley even in the league? The Packers were 4-2 at the time, won a road game in Dallas and could have easily competed for the division. You say football teams and the NFL are about wins. Also, you say a player's stats (especially QB and head coach) are defined by wins. I’m confused. If a team truly believes in winning, wouldn’t at least one team have gone against the grain and signed Kaepernick vs. the second string crap they’ve put out on the field in the last few years? Obviously, Hundley wasn’t the answer in ‘17, but would Kaepernick have been worse? I know my point is too solid about the (baloney) politics of the NFL and your column, so it probably will never be published, but I'll keep trying.
OK.

John from Sioux Falls, SD
The more I watch QB play this preseason, the more I think your idea to have a couple of cheap runners/passers man the position, instead of spending time and money trying to develop the rare pocket passer unicorn has real merit. The abundance of good read-option athletes colleges are churning out would seem to provide an endless supply of inexpensive guys who could allow a team to have a deep roster, win and still keep the cap healthy. Plus, if you’re No. 1 goes down, the drop off is less (dramatic) and your season isn’t immediately over. Seems like this is what Baltimore is doing now. Agree?
The Ravens are the trial balloon. They got Lamar Jackson affordably at the bottom of round one and now they've added Trace McSorley, a sixth-round pick, which leads me to believe they're making a commitment to that type of quarterback, which is to say guys who play their best football outside the pocket. Here's the big question: What will the Ravens do should Jackson become a star and he needs a new contract? If you give him the big money, the way he plays becomes especially problematic. That's the fly in the ointment of my idea. You have to be willing to move on to the next run-around guy or the concept fails.

Damian from Superior, WI
You touched on whether the Lombardi Trophy would be so named if Vince hadn't died, but what would have happened if they had lost either or both Super Bowls?
Super Bowl II? No problem. If he had lost Super Bowl I, however, I think there's a chance the trophy might've gone nameless until Pete Rozelle retired. What's wrong with calling it the Super Bowl Trophy? Major League Baseball refers to the World Series trophy as the Commissioner's Trophy. Certainly, baseball has enough dead guys to put one of their names on the trophy.

Jeff from Brooklyn, WI
It says you will answer questions Mondays and Thursdays though the offseason. What's the plan once the season starts?
I'll go back to three times a week (M-W-F), and I think I'll make the Wednesday column an expanded power-rankings-only edition; I'll answer no questions, but I'll expand the column to include opinions I have on current issues.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Vic, I think we need your perspective on this issue. It seems the Packers get an inordinate amount of pressure to draft and/or keep fan favorites on their roster. Perhaps it's a Midwest thing, perhaps a small town thing, God forbid it being a racial thing. It seems every year we find a small town lad to latch onto for no athletic or performance reason. Like no other franchise, we feel a need to draft/keep Packers types at positions that require anything but Packers types. We are now in the midst of a full decade of being the smallest, least athletic and, most importantly, the softest team in the NFL. What's sad is the few super talented players we have, especially on defense, make it possible for some of our Packers types to make plays we all swoon over. Is this the case in most NFL cities or is this another Packers thing?
Packers fans are accepting and welcoming of any player from any place, as long as he's winsome, and winsome is not an especially good trait for a football player, especially on defense. "Winsome" Joe Greene? I think Reggie White is the closest thing to a winsome star defensive player the game has ever known. He was a perfect fit for the Packers. Spirit of place is an interesting concept.

Dan from Sebastopol, CA
How would teams evaluate rookies and undrafted free agents in game situations with only two preseason games? It seems every team has an unknown player who makes great improvement during the course of four preseason games to make a team.
Yeah, I remember Vic So'oto. Prior to last week's Week Two games, Bruce Arians said he could already cut to 60. I think teams could've cut to 60 after OTAs.

Kyle from New Jersey
Vic, I need someone to speak rationally and give me perspective after that second Packers preseason game. Was hoping that would be you.
Don't attach meaning to something that's meaningless.

Justin from Janesville, WI
How would fans react if No. 8 beat No. 1 in the opening round of the playoffs?
What's the big deal? The Packers lost at home in December to a two-win Arizona team quarterbacked by a rookie the Cardinals have already replaced. The Steelers lost in Oakland to a two-win Raiders team one week before the Steelers beat the Patriots. The Jaguars finished 5-11 one year after taking a lead into the fourth quarter of the AFC title game. Unpredictability is the NFL. Up becomes down and then down becomes up. What if No. 6 beats No. 1? Is that any less of an upset?

Jared from Rigby, ID
Vic, have you covered any offensive linemen you feel could have been very successful blocking in the '60's?
If Carlton Haselrig had played for Vince Lombardi, and if Haselrig could've disciplined his lifestyle, he'd be in the Hall of Fame.

Ian from Texas
Your reply to the question on the Packers defense was interesting: Perhaps they needed to trade up. In order to avoid the inevitable hit on roster quality from winning seasons and drafting low, do you feel the best option is to accept and take your medicine, trade up to try and get playmakers, or play in free agency more.
If you trade up, you lose depth. If you stay put, you lack playmakers. A mix of trade up and move back is the best way to go, but it's difficult to find trade partners who'll allow you to move accordingly. The Patriots have done a good job of moving up and back; it's worked for them. Of course, they have Tom Brady.

Christopher from Plover, WI
Should Colin Kaepernick have a job?
Two years ago, I would've said yes. Now, I think he's been out of the game so long I can't blame teams for not signing him.

Mike from Whitefish, MT
Vic, you've never made a secret of your love for the Steelers and your reverence for Coach Noll. I respect that. However, is there anything he ever did with which you disagreed or disliked?
I can remember three: 1) His decision the week of the 1976 AFC title game to hide the fact Franco and Rocky wouldn't play against the Raiders. He was trying to hide it from the Raiders but, in the process, he surprised even his own team. I think he should've ruled Franco and Rocky out at the start of the week and have given his team time to digest the news and react accordingly. 2) His fourth-and-four play call in Super Bowl X remains the worst play call I've ever seen, but his strategy worked. 3) He refused to take a safety with seconds left on the clock in a game against Kansas City, opting to punt out of his own end zone. Everyone expected the punter to just step out of the back of the end zone. I remember writing, "Even the drunk in the upper deck knew the Steelers should take the safety." Chuck said he just couldn't force himself to score points for the other team. "Being stubborn is a virtue when you're right; it's only a character flaw when you're wrong," Chuck once said. For him, stubbornness was a virtue.

Dave from Savage, MN
I don't watch them nowadays, but when I think of pregame shows, I always think of Jack Whitaker introducing the day's games on CBS, pushing buttons on a monitor to bring up clips of games and interviews. He is an all-timer for me. Do you have any stories?
I don't have any stories, but I had come to regard Whitaker, Jim Murray and Dan Jenkins as the leaders of what I consider to be the romance era of sports journalism. I suspect the reason I've never fully warmed to the Masters golf tournament is due to its mistreatment of Whitaker.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Chad from Kansas City, MO
Vic, three weeks until it counts. Do you have a new TV, new couch, new perspective?
New TV, new couch, same old perspective.

Dallas from St. Ignace, NB
Apparently, during Aaron Rodgers' tenure as the starter in Green Bay, the Packers have only had a top 10 defense twice (2009, 2010). Do you think this has any significant bearing on the fact Green Bay only has one Lombardi during that time?
Sure it does, although I think the 2014 defense can be exempt from that answer; it was playing at a high level when the cheese went bad in Seattle. Statistically, offense was the problem in that game. The Packers' failure to fix their defense was the main problem in the other years after the defense got old in 2011 and needed to be rebuilt. What could the Packers have done differently? That question is open to debate. The best defensive players went early in the '12 draft, and then there was a big drop off the rest of the way. In '13, Xavier Rhodes was selected one pick ahead of Datone Jones, and then there was another cliff on defense. Look at the '14 draft and tell me who you would've picked over Ha Ha. The '15 draft was bad leaguewide; one of the worst in recent years. Kenny Clark was an outstanding pick in '16. At that point, change was in the wind. All of this is why I say the Packers were the victims of their success. Drafting low year after year was a killer. I guess they needed to move up to where the talent was.

Nate from Pueblo, CO
With all the good reports about the Green Bay WRs, do you think we’re witnessing exactly what you mean when you say WRs are a dime a dozen?
I can't remember a training camp that didn't include good reports about wide receivers.

Sam from Springfield, IL
What was it about Daniel Jones' play you liked?
He stood tall in the pocket, found the open receiver and delivered the ball accurately and on time. Of course, it was a preseason game.

Richard from Clearwater, MN
If you are making final roster decisions, what positions would you try to have maximum depth?
I think most GMs would say the offensive line would be their top depth concern.

Jerry from Savannah, GA
Vic, what do you mean when you state Lamar Hunt was an AFL owner with an NFL personality?
Hunt wasn't a renegade. He wasn't a member of the Al Davis crowd. Hunt knew the end game was merger, whereas Davis wanted to keep fighting.

Scott from Sauk City, WI
"Nothing good happens in the preseason." Truer words have never been spoken. But on the flip side, I also agree with your assertion September football is mostly an extension of the preseason. So, what's best for the long-term health of both the league and its players?
Two preseason games and an expanded playoffs. I like 16 teams and no byes.

Ben from Columbus, OH
Datone Jones is really making noise in Jags camp so far. It has to be the Capers connection in what he saw with the Packers. Do you think Jones will succeed with the Jags and why didn't he work out with the Packers?
At Datone Jones' Senior Bowl, Tony Pauline suggested Jones to me as a Packers prospect. In my mind, Jones looked too long and too loose to play in a two-gap system. I also remember Mike Trgovac, at his press conference following the selection of Jones, questioning whether Jones could play the "Okie end" position. I think I knew at that moment Jones was a bad pick. In my mind, he was a 4-3 left defensive end. That's where Coach Capers is playing Jones in Jacksonville. Time will tell.

Jared from Rigby, ID
Vic, in reference to good problems to have and bad problems to have, what good problems do the Packers have, if any?
They have an abundance of pass rushers and young defensive backs.

Dave from Savage, MN
Better name, Jug Earp or Buckets Goldenberg? Your favorite football name?
Fair Hooker? Seriously, Ditka is my idea of the perfect football name. If you're his parents and you know on the day he's born what he'll become, you don't even give him a first name. All his life he will only ever be known as Ditka.

Ben from Chicago, IL
Vic, what happened with the Martellus Bennett arbitration appeal? What is your assessment of what happened that year with Bennett?
The Packers fell into the trap for fools, also known as free agency.

Garrett from Knoxville, TN
Vic, my wife and I attended the Packers vs. Saints game at Lambeau Field in October 2017. We were surprised when the usher in our section was yelling at fans to sit down and be quiet, even during pivotal parts of the game! He went as far as to give out a warning card to a few Saints fans in our row that refused to sit down. With all this talk about creating a better homefield advantage, does anyone at 1265 Lombardi Ave. know this is taking place?
You're asking the wrong guy. I'm not a fan of stand and howl.

Ben from Charlottesville, VA
Vic, I feel like with how well Jake Kumerow performs and having Rodgers gush about him should add up to a starting spot. I'm not taking anything away from MVS (the guy can fly), but it seems the Packers are slotting him in as a starter simply because he was a draft pick. Do teams tend to favor draft picks over undrafted players, even if the latter outperforms the draft pick?
To a point, yes. Draft picks are investments and require patience, but performance always wins out.

Cindy from Los Angeles, CA
Vic, does the NFL need Antonio Brown, or does Antonio Brown need the NFL?
Brown might be the greatest playmaker I have ever seen. What he did on Christmas night two years ago is the thing of legend. Brown's sideline catch in the game-winning drive against the Packers in 2017 boggles the mind, and he made those kinds of plays week in and week out. Tough? He took Vontaze Burfict's most wicked cheap shots and never backed down. I am in awe of his great career. Be that as it may, dime a dozen. Next!

Robert from St. Paul, MN
The Packers never had a joint practice under Mike McCarthy. Any idea why? What are the schools of thought on them?
Some coaches see them as an unnecessary distraction, an event that requires a lot of attention to logistics. Chuck Noll didn't like them at first. He had to be sold on them. I'm not sure he ever came around to liking them, but he agreed to do them, probably because it was a trend and he wanted to make sure he remained current. I'll never forget the combined practice with the Redskins at the Carlisle (Pa.) high school stadium. There were 20,000 people jammed into the ballpark, the Redskins were sending the event back to Washington on TV and the Redskins were wearing game uniforms. Off the bus steps the Steelers in their practice uniforms, which did not include numbers. The TV guys nearly choked. "The Washington Redskins vs. Joe's Bar," wide receiver Weegie Thompson said. Coach McCarthy was big on routine. He had a schedule that would allow him to cover all the bases before the season began.  Maybe he didn't want to leave that schedule. Personnel people value the opportunity to evaluate players in a competitive and controlled environment. Unlike preseason games, combined practices offer an opportunity for teams to set the matchups and control the reps. I like combined practices. I think it's more important to set a tone of competition than it is to cover all the bases.

Grant from Wauwatosa, WI
Nothing good happens in the preseason? In the 1996 preseason, Desmond Howard was on the bubble until an electrifying kick return in the fourth preseason game solidified his spot on the roster. The rest, they say, is history.
Let me know when the next good thing happens.

Matt from Georgetown, TX
What do preseason games offer GMs and coaches they can't learn from practice sessions? Or, put another way, who is preseason for?
It's for the owners. It's four more opportunities to make money. In my opinion, the best chance of reducing the preseason to two games is to negotiate an expanded playoffs deal with TV that will replace the money lost in the missing two preseason games.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, how do you define a successful outing for a team during a preseason game?
The team made a lot of money and nobody suffered a significant injury. Enjoy the big game tonight, folks.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Jeffeory from Bloomington, IL
I'm thinking back to when you predicted the Steelers would get a fifth for Antonio Brown. You were very close, as they got a third and a fifth. Remember when the Steelers wanted, and Packers fans wanted to give two firsts in a trade? Mercifully, the Packers stayed out of the Brown saga. Could you imagine losing two firsts for a player with frozen feet who filed a grievance and is threatening to hold out a full season because he can't wear a helmet deemed unsafe?
In the last two years, the Steelers have skinned the Raiders for two thirds and a fifth for two malcontent wide receivers, one of whom has been suspended for substance abuse violations, and another whose acquisition has become a source of embarrassment for the Raiders. With the pick the Steelers got for Martavis Bryant, the Steelers selected Mason Rudolph, who might become Ben Roethlisberger's replacement. With the picks the Steelers got for Brown, the Steelers selected wide receiver Diontae Johnson (projected to be Brown's replacement) and tight end Zach Gentry, a Jesse James clone. Wide receiver fever is a killer.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, your thoughts on the FedEx Cup Playoffs?
The PGA has done a nice job of creating a weekly event to hold the interest of golf fans between majors. I don't fully understand the scoring system for the FedEx Cup, but I understand it's based on merit and that gives the event worth. I like it.

Brad from Jacksonville, FL
It really impresses me Tomlin and the Steelers kept Antonio Brown performing at such a high level and on the field. I can only imagine the behind the scenes hoops they jumped through.
Not many coaches could've held that team together; Tomlin did, and it's because he's a leader. Vic to Bradshaw: Mike Tomlin does a lot more than you know.

Nate from Pueblo, CO
I believe leaders have their own leadership styles and followers have their own following styles. This is why some players love Rodgers, others not so much. What do you think?
Not everyone has to be a leader. Do your job; that's good enough. Aaron Rodgers is his own man. That's his natural personality. Terry Bradshaw was the same. He stayed to himself and did his job. Rodgers is the best quarterback I ever covered. He's also one of the toughest players I ever covered. He was good to me in postgame interviews and I have fond memories of covering him. I would hate to see his legacy tarnished by these mini-controversies. I would also hate to see that happen to Packers fans. A lot of them were left with a bad taste for Brett Favre. I don't want to see that happen in the final years of Rodgers' career.

Dave from Savage, MN
Can we get a "winners and losers," a "five takeaways" and a "seven first impressions" from you on the first preseason game?
How about a "top 10 meaningless plays?" I think you're looking for Bleacher Report. When I see something of note, I'll write it.

Luke from Eagle, CO
Do you respect Rodgers' leadership style? Why or why not?
In the years I covered the Packers, I sensed a special reverence for Rodgers by his teammates. He wasn't just one of the guys, he was "the guy," and that's how it should be at the quarterback position.

Pete from Columbia Heights, MN
Is it normal for NFL coaches or players to take a whiff of smelling salts prior to a game, as Adam Gase did (Thursday) night?
Gase over Mike McCarthy? Really? I think the Jets need to take a whiff of smelling salts.

Ryan from Plymouth, MN
Did you watch any of the preseason games? If so, what did your eyes tell you?
I watched several of them. The Packers have talent in the secondary. The Steelers would be wise to keep three quarterbacks, again. The Jaguars need an Oklahoma drill, if you know what I mean. Also, Daniel Jones looked awfully good.

Bob from Australia
Vic, please help me understand your perspective regarding the Saints. On the surface of it, you seem to be hoping for their demise based on not anything the team has done but on the actions of some of its supporters. There must be more to your rancor than that. What am I missing?
Coach, Gayle Benson was leading the parade in the beginning. She was the lead whiner and even issued a prepared statement that stopped short of accusing the league of fixing the game. Also, after the way in which the Saints lost on the final play in Minnesota in the previous year's postseason, neither the Saints nor their fans have the right to complain about incompetent officiating.

Jeff from Miami, FL
Why do some coaches thrive as a position coach or coordinator but not find success at the head coach position?
Assistant coaches coach, head coaches lead.

Michael from Ithaca, NY
How do I wish to die? With six Lombardis and three of them after playing the salary cap game the Patriots have. The cap game the Patriots are playing works with a Hall of Fame QB who has not lost a step. Do you see Green Bay doing the same with Rodgers?
It's not the "game" the Patriots play, it's Tom Brady. The Steelers have played the same cap game with Big Ben and he's a Hall of Fame QB. They restructure his contract every year and push money out; they've won two Super Bowls with him and both were won before they began playing the cap game. The Saints have played the same cap game with Drew Brees and he's a Hall of Fame QB; they've won one Super Bowl with him and that was before they began playing the cap game to the extreme they're playing it now. Rodgers' most recent contract is playing the cap game. The Packers pushed out a huge chunk of that deal, and I suspect they'll begin restructuring him no later than in 2021, when his salary spikes from $1.1 million to $14.7 million. At that point, the Packers can convert Rodgers' salary to signing bonus, push it out and create cap room in 2021. That's the "game" you want to play and just about every team is playing it with their quarterback. It's not the "game," it's "The Man."

Rich from Apple Valley, MN
Thoughts on the horn being played at Lambeau on third down? To me it's a lame attempt at getting fans out of the seat. I love being a Packers fan, but it's embarrassing our solution to a third-down home advantage is weak and too similar to our rivals out here. When and why did we lose our homefield advantage from the 90's?
I don't think the Packers have lost their homefield advantage. They were  5-2-1 at home last year, which isn't bad for a 6-9-1 team. They were 3-0 at home in '17 when Rodgers got hurt in Minnesota. They were 6-2 at home in '16, 5-3 in '15, 8-0 in '14, 3-0 in '13 when Rodgers was injured against the Bears, 7-1 in '12, 8-0 in '11 and 7-1 in '10. . The horn is just a means for enriching the stadium experience. You don't win with horns or gimmicks. You win with players. South Carolina has a little saying about their stadium: If it ain't swayin', we ain't playin'.

Justin from Titonka, IA
Do you think Antonio Brown is suffering from CTE?
I don't want to make light of this because I'm considering the possibility Brown's behavior, dating back to last season, is a cry for help.

Jerry from Savannah, GA
Vic, why does Aaron Rodgers feel like he needs to publicly comment on every little thing, even to the detriment of his relationship with his coaches? Do you think fans are starting to turn on him a little bit?
That's my concern. He is a special player who has given Packers fans a special era in Packers history. His legacy must not be tainted.

Justin from Eustis, FL
I know you touched on it a bit in a previous post, but what do you watch for pre-snap and after the ball has snapped?
I did the pre-snap thing. Post-snap? I take a quick look at the blocking and then watch the ball. TV has post-snap covered. They'll make sure you don't miss anything. If you're at the game, watch the blocking on one play and then watch the coverage on the next play. You can't see everything. If you're at the game, just have fun.

Patrick from Ashland, WI
Can a team bring pro-rated bonus money back to earlier years and pay if off as the salary cap is increased?
What you're describing is known as pre-paying on the cap, and it's best accomplished by converting chunks of future salaries to roster bonus, which must be declared in full in the year it's paid. So, if you're a young team with players you believe will be future stars, and if you're having trouble getting to the salary cap floor, you might consider converting future salaries to roster bonus and bringing money forward. It'll give you a lot of cap room to sign free agents in the future, when those young players are reaching their primes. There is, however, a risk: What if they don't turn out to be future stars, or they get hurt? Pre-paying requires a crystal ball. A flat cap is the best cap.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
How much work would coach Vic give Aaron Rodgers in the preseason?
Two games. I was interested to see Rodgers standing next to LaFleur on the sideline. Rodgers was engrossed in the play-calling. It's almost as though he wants to coach.

Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
I was doing some reading on some of the owners in the fledgling AFL of the sixties. Is there one owner in your opinion (in either the AFL/NFL then) that had a greater impact on the shaping of the modern NFL than the others?
Lamar Hunt was an AFL owner with an NFL personality. He was the AFL's Pete Rozelle. Those two men made the merger happen.

​Kyle from Los Angeles, CA
What was the most memorable preseason game you covered?
It was a Jaguars-Giants game at Giants Stadium in 1997, and it's memorable because Mark Brunell sustained a knee injury that threatened to end his season. Brunell was coming off a Cinderella season in '96 and, frankly, I don't think he was ever the same following that knee injury in Giants Stadium. Nothing good happens in the preseason.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Adam from Chicago, IL
I guess that's all she wrote for Spriggs. The draft really is a crystal ball business. What are your thoughts on his time in Green Bay?
I remember Tony Pauline telling me Spriggs' production didn't equal his physical appearance and potential. The Packers looked into their crystal ball and saw another kind of player, but what they got was the player on tape. It happens. In this case, it's especially troubling because they traded up for him.

Billy from Farmingdale, NY
Jaire Alexander over Jalen Ramsey? Alexander had a good rookie year, but Ramsey is an All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl in all but his rookie season. Ramsey took Antonio Brown out of a game for two picks. Alexander allowed Adam Theilen and Stefon Diggs to go for 12 catches, 130 yards, two TDs and eight catches, 128 yards and one TD respectively; in the second matchup he allowed Theilen eight catches for 125 yards and a TD, and Diggs eight grabs for 77 yards and a score. I can count on one hand the amount of times Ramsey allowed such production. While I'm sure this isn't all on Alexander, it's asinine to consider him better than Ramsey at this point. Does he have potential? Sure, but until he proves on the field he's better than Ramsey, he's not. To be the best you gotta beat the best. Right now, Ramsey is the best and the benchmark for being elite. The off-the-field antics for Ramsey aren't enough for Jaire to close the gap to what he's shown on the field. Obviously, time will tell but I think this is a dishonest take.
OK.

Ben from Indianapolis, IN
Vic, how are voidable years legal? This whole voidable year stuff feels cheap and credit card worthy.
We discussed this a few weeks ago. I said I thought voidables were a violation of the spirit of the cap, but the CBA provides for them and, therefore, are permissible for a team to use. The players love voidables because it helps them get the money.

Bob from Valley Springs, SD
Do you have any Jordy Nelson stories from your time with the Packers? He seems to be a quiet, unassuming guy who doesn't fit the wide receiver prototype.
That's probably why I don't have any stories about him to tell you. He was a player who did his job.

Brett from Peoria, IL
Can you explain how Tom Brady’s new contract works? I’ve read it will help the Patriots manage their cap, but I don’t quite understand how that’s being accomplished.
The Patriots gave Brady a two-year contract extension  that gives Brady a whole lot of money and the Patriots two dummy years to help spread out that money and the money left from his previous contract. The result is about $5.5 million in additional cap space for the Patriots this year. In reality, the extension doesn't exist because Brady's contract voids at the end of this season. It's a ploy, it's a trick, but it's available for every team to use. It comes at a cost: dead money. The Patriots were winding down Brady's dead money in anticipation of his retirement; this dummy deal winds it back up. If Brady has a good season and the Patriots want to retain him as their quarterback, they'll probably do the same thing next year, and the dead money will increase. How do you wish to die?

Mitch from Winston, GA
You have mentioned the amount of time a draft pick has to "get good or get gone." Do coaches and personnel managers take the same approach with chronically injured players?
In the salary cap era, a lot of players have made the club in the tub.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
What are your thoughts on the combined practice with the Texans and the Lonnie Johnson thing?
I like combined practices. They give teams additional opportunity to evaluate personnel, and in controlled circumstances. They also bring some spice to the monotony of training camp. As for Johnson, there's no place for that kind of show-off stuff, but I think the Packers doth protest too much. It came off as a little whiny, especially after Johnson was held out of the second practice. Benched because he might hurt somebody? That doesn't feel good. Also, I was surprised to read Aaron Rodgers' comments about his disdain for combined practices, especially following LaFleur's comments about how much he likes them and values the experience. Maybe LaFleur could give Rodgers the day off and sneak in an Oklahoma drill. It's good for the soul.

Jim from Brooklyn, NY
Football is a microcosm of life in many ways. Here's one way: "When they say it's not about the money, that's when it really is about the money." Another version is when a significant other says, "I don't like to make a big deal about my birthday," that's when you know they really want to make a big deal about their birthday.
And when they say it's the principle of the thing, it's really not the principle of the thing.

Patrick from Indianapolis, IN
So now Aaron is outright publicly criticizing Coach LaFleur's stance on joint practices, and also indicating the NFLPA should look at how Coach LaFleur structured the practice (live kickoff drills)? Is that how you interpreted this? What do you make of this?
I think the question about combined practices caught Rodgers in a mood, and my guess is he regrets what he said. It's important for leaders, especially one of the franchise's iconic players, as Rodgers is, to send the message to everyone on the team: No one is above this. No one is above competing. No one is above getting hit. Especially in this training camp, as a young rookie coach attempts to put his stamp on the Packers roster, it's of critical importance for a player of Rodgers' esteem to put his stamp of approval on the coach. Mike McCarthy didn't schedule combined practices. It appears this coach will. The comparison reminds me of the differences that separated Chuck Noll from Bill Cowher. Chuck didn't believe in whistles or horns at practice. Air horns echoed in the hills surrounding St. Vincent College in Bill's first training camp. Chuck didn't believe in pep talks; Bill was great at them. Every coach has a style and a belief system, and their success depends on the players' support. I'll always respect Rod Woodson, Carnell Lake, Gregg Lloyd and the holdovers from the Noll years in how they quickly shifted their support to Cowher.

Dave from Chippewa Falls, WI
I was just thinking about Plan B free agency. There were some good players that changed teams. What do you remember about it?
It was the first crack in the armor.

Enrique from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, any idea how people around the Jags office reacted when the players made their Super Bowl rap song in 1999? I imagine Coughlin was not pleased.
The name of the song was "Uh oh, Jaguars." When the Titans upset the Jaguars, I was struggling to think of a headline for the cover of Jaguars Inside Report, and I settled on "Uh oh, Titans." I don't think Tom Coughlin will ever forgive me.

Jared from Rigby, ID
What is your opinion on scripting the first bunch of offensive plays? What is the strength and weakness to this approach?
Coaches had, in effect, been doing it long before someone popularized the concept. You pick plays that represent your game plan and might influence and expose your opponent's tendencies, and then you practice them in an order that focuses your offense for what you hope will be a fast start in the game. There's no downside. If you get a down and distance you weren't expecting, you change the script.

Cody from Turlock, CA
Vic, I was watching a replay of the Super Bowl and noticed the Patriots sideline seemed very disciplined and focused, down to positional coaches. Do you think the head coach has an affect on the personality of their sideline? Does it matter in your opinion?
The personality of a team's sideline is the personality of the team's coach.

Gabriel from Appleton, WI
You wrote earlier about locker room interviews. How did you deal with someone tight-lipped, like Marshawn Lynch?
I avoided him.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
Za'Darius Smith says he works the sled each and every day. What does that tell you?
He plays with leverage.

Darren from Burlington, Canada
I read the column because I'm an old-fashioned mind in a young man's body, and I love your romantic writing of tough tales from a world gone by. This coddled, sensitive society ain't the one for me. Thanks.
An old mind in a young body spends a lifetime in loneliness. Try to be new.

Eric from Lansing, MI
I never knew why I would have wanted my dad to take me to a Packers game in the sixties. Now I do.
New memories begin today. It's never too late to create them.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Fred from Florida
Vic, I just read about the passing of Cliff Branch. What are your memories of him? I remember watching a TV show with Al Davis, who said Mel Blount had trouble with Branch. Was that true?
Davis was probably referring to Branch beating Blount deep in the 1974 AFC title game, which the Steelers won. Defensive Coordinator Bud Carson benched Blount for allowing Branch to get deep, and that began a bit of a feud between Bud and Mel that resulted in the Steelers selecting Dave Brown in the first round of the 1975 draft. Brown was picked to move Mel out, but it didn't happen because Blount's career blossomed in '75. Brown was left unprotected in the expansion draft and he went on to have a great career in Seattle. What I remember most about Blount and Branch is Blount picking Branch up, turning him upside down and driving his head into the turf. It was retaliation for the Raiders targeting Lynn Swann. It was also prominent in the criminal element trial, causing Coach Noll, under oath on the witness stand, to include Blount in the "criminal element." Mel countered by holding out of training camp for more money, but Noll's testimony did not drive a wedge between Noll and Blount, as Davis had hoped. Mel always spoke fondly of Coach Noll. Bud? Not so much.

Tim from Sun Prairie, WI
If Kevin King and Jaire Alexander are healthy this year, will they be the best cornerback tandem in the league?
Alexander is on his way toward becoming one of the best, maybe the best, cornerback in the league. Given a choice between Alexander and Jalen Ramsey, I'd take Alexander. King has played well when he's been healthy, which hasn't been often. If King can stay healthy — he’s out again — they could rank among the best cornerback tandems in the league.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
What was your perspective on "Family Night?"
When I covered the Packers, it reminded me of a school picnic.

John from Gladstone, MI
Twenty inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020?
It's becoming the Hall of Names.

Lonny from Aberdeen, SD
Why do I read this column? For you.
I write this column for you and for everyone who exploded my inbox with their responses following Thursday's "Ask Vic." I read every response. They give me a feel for what my readers want and expect from this column. I'll try to deliver on those expectations.

Sam from Nashville, TN
Vic, Gil Brandt is being inducted into the Hall of Fame for his extensive work on player scouting. He helped us embrace the use of predictive analytics for forecasting a player's career trajectory. Prior to the emergence of analytics, how in the world were players' future abilities predicted?
They were predicted with a crystal ball by legendary scouts such as Fido Murphy, guys who crowded their homes into their cars and traveled the country in search of football talent. Identifying the prospects has never been a problem. Fitting them to the teams has always been the issue. Some teams are going to get the good ones and some teams are going to get the busts. What's changed?

Kirsten from Madison, WI
I've been watching the Packers for 30 years and know the overall game (offsides, pass interference, etc.). But I'd really like to better understand who's doing what, when and why. It's hard to pick it all apart, though, on the fly. So, do you have any tips? What are five things to focus on to start being able to break the game down?
1) Where are the safeties? 2) Where is the true tight end? 3) How wide are the offensive line splits? 4) Are the cornerbacks playing up or off? 5) What is the offense trying to accomplish by formation and motion? Kirsten, those are five questions I try to answer while watching a game. The answers give me an indication of the teams' game plans. I've got something a little more to the point for you to watch: What are the Packers going to do with all of those pass rushers they acquired? Are they going to load up at the line of scrimmage and bring the house, so to speak? They've rebuilt their secondary with high picks and a free agent safety. Go light in the back and crowd the line of scrimmage? Try to answer that question.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, what are your thoughts on Fred Taylor’s public display of frustration about not being voted No. 1 former Jaguar?
I think it goes back to his "Fragile Fred" days. He was deeply hurt by that cut, especially in 2001 when he suffered a devastating injury in which he tore the groin muscle off the bone. He was angry at being listed as questionable each week, a ploy by Tom Coughlin to deceive opponents but which Fred felt fueled "Fragile Fred" criticism. All these years later, I think Fred is voicing his hurt and frustration. I voted for Fred as No. 1 and Tony Boselli as No. 2. My reasoning is Fred's big plays are just too many and too important in the team's history to ignore, plus, he had the longer career. Fred's career spanned two eras of Jaguars football, the franchise's early rise and its post-Coughlin reconstruction. If I was making a case for Tony as No. 1, it would be for a few years in his all-too-short career, Tony was the best player in the league at his position. I'm hoping this 25th anniversary celebration will give Fred the closure he needs. He was a great player, the most talented running back I've ever covered, and arguably the greatest player in Jaguars history.

Nathan from Plymouth, MN
You've talked before about how you think it's a little too easy to get into the Hall of Fame. I looked up how many people are members, and the count currently stands at 326. What's your gut reaction to that number? Too many? Just right? In 100 years of NFL football, do you think there have been 326 men worthy of the honor?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame didn't open its doors until 1963, which means it had a lot of induction catching up to do if it was going to attract visitors. I think it's caught up and it's time to slow down the induction train.

Matt from San Luis Obispo, CA
Vic, when you started out in the '70’s, were fans as interested in what we would call the soap opera side of football as they seem to be today? I can do without it.
The soap opera side, yes, but not as much with crime and punishment. The league and its fans were content to allow the police and the courts to enforce justice. My opinion has always been if a guy's not in jail, put on the pads. I think the league, especially in the Roger Goodell years, has become way too concerned with punishing players who've become embroiled in flaps with the law. In some cases, players were punished by the league without even having been charged with a crime. I want the league to rule on football matters, such as deflated balls and bounties, and leave the big stuff to the police.

Dan from Westboro, WI
Did you catch your fish? How did you cook it?
I caught two spot tail, four croakers and something with a blue spot near its gill. I released them all; the spot tail were just shy of the 15-inch limit. When I bought the shrimp (bait), I thought to myself, "I'm either going to have fish or shrimp for dinner tonight." As it turned out, I had shrimp and it might've been the best shrimp I've ever eaten. I have a feeling the shrimpers are having a great season.

Travis from Oshawa, Canada
It seems like Matt LaFleur's word is "urgency," whereas Bill Belichick is known for the phrase "Do your job." What word or phrase do you remember being emphasized in practice by Noll, Coughlin and McCarthy?
Coach Noll was big on leverage. He spoke often of that word. "Play with leverage," he would say. "Under and up; strike the rising blow." When I think of Tom Coughlin's practices, I think of precision. Coughlin possesses a military-like discipline. I can remember his travel itinerary including the words "secure lunches." During practice, a horn would blow, an intern would hold up a huge card with "Period 2" on it and a voice would boom, "Period 2, Period 2." Tom was fond of the words "crystal clear," and everything about his practice regimen was precise and crystal clear. Mike McCarthy's buzz word was tempo. He was vigilant about maintaining a fast tempo. He would count reps and it was a good practice if his team squeezed extra reps into the timed periods. Coach McCarthy's teams were good in the heat and in shape to begin the season, despite his starters having played little in the preseason, and I think it was the tempo of practices that were the reason for their conditioning.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Jared from Rigby, ID
Vic, I had a high school coach say the perfect defense can't beat the perfect offense. What are your thoughts?
He was probably referring to the design of the play. Executed perfectly, it can't be defeated. OK, let's get real. Offense's advantage is it initiates the action. It knows the play to be run and it's spent hours practicing that play to seeming perfection. The Packers sweep is the example. Defense can only guess at what the offense's plan is. Defense's advantage is its front can shift right up to the snap of the ball, which gives it the advantage of disguise. The offense could find itself running right into an ambush, and that brings us to the audible.

Samuel from Jacksonville, FL
I'm turning the tables on you, Vic. Ask your readers a question you want answered.
Why do you read this column?

Simon from Norwalk, CT
David Halberstam said of article writing: "If you write in 800 words, you begin to think in 800 words." Have you found your interpretation of events shaped by the structure of your writing? Newspapers to online, and now the inbox? And if so, how?
Forgive me, but I'm not sure what any of that even means. I open the laptop and I write. Some guys can pick up a golf club and kill a drive. I can open a laptop and write. Once upon a time, I could even put a Royal portable on an airplane tray table and write. Structure? Just write, baby. If you need to think about structure, you're gonna miss deadline. I worked for a PM newspaper, so I had to go in directions the AM boys wouldn't go. My ledes and story angles had to be more creative to still be fresh. My move to website reporting, in effect, made me one of the AM boys. All of a sudden, I was writing hard news, and I loved it. "Ask Vic" keeps me in contact with my PM roots.

Richard from Munster, Germany
Vic, you always say great coaches find a way to get the most out of talented players by adjusting the scheme. Was the release of Mike Daniels the result of Pettine not being able to maximize Daniels’ strengths?
Defensive coordinators prefer more length at the defensive end positions. Unless Coach Pettine could find a way of stretching Mike to be 6-4 and have long arms, he just wasn't going to be a good fit at end. You might remember, in the year Aaron Donald was drafted, I said he wasn't a good fit for a 3-4, that if he wasn't used as a penetrate-and-disrupt (three technique) defensive tackle, his talents wouldn't be fully realized. On the flip side, I think Datone Jones was over-drafted based solely on his length. To answer your question directly, I don't think the Packers wanted to change their scheme to suit Mike. I think they would've changed it to suit Donald.

Chris from Fitchburg, WI
What was the mood in the locker room the week before a big game when you covered the Steelers?
Joe Greene liked to use the media to set the tone for the locker room. He welcomed reporters because it gave him a chance to put the game in perspective and focus the team on the task at hand. I always felt that qualified Joe as the "heart and soul" of the Steelers. Jack Lambert didn't like that "heart and soul" stuff, but that's because Jack was a no-nonsense guy who never needed anyone to sharpen his focus. Joe wasn't speaking to Jack, he was speaking to all of the players who didn't possess Jack's intensity. I think every locker room needs a Joe Greene.

Ethan from Ontario, Canada
This is complete (baloney). Testifying under oath? Over a no-call in a football game? If that’s what we’re doing, then why don’t we grab the "Fail Mary" refs, Dez Bryant and, while we’re at it, pull Paul Tagliabue out of retirement and put him in front of the judge for the tuck rule! I thought you were being a little harsh on the Saints, but I take it back.
While we're at it, let's arrest the 2017 Saints for that final play meltdown in Minnesota. That was criminal. And how about those pass interference penalties in the win over the Steelers that got the Saints homefield advantage? I'm changing my pick for disappointment team of the year. I'm picking the Saints.

Eric from Keene, NH
If you were still covering the Packers, what would you look for in September?
I'll be looking for signs of defensive dominance. With what the Packers have spent on that side of the ball, defense must lead the way.

Rich from Grand Rapids, MI
Peter King cited a source that claims Green Bay faced the fewest defenders in the box per play last year under McCarthy, 5.89. Sure, that includes a lot of third-and-longs, but it is an interesting tidbit for those still interested in why runs were not called more frequently, and who is to blame.
Failure to win on first down? Falling behind early in games and having to pass? Did opponents lack respect for the Packers' running game? Exaggerated fear of Aaron Rodgers and the passing game? Not enough running plays called? Too many running plays changed to passing plays? Yeah, it's an interesting stat and real food for thought. I'll say this: If you're playing against fewer than six in the box and you're not running the ball, you're a soft and cheesy offense.

Doug from Burlington, WI
I have read Matt LaFleur runs multiple plays out of a single-formation look he gives the defense. What is the likelihood he would have a three-TE lineup and have multiple run/pass play options?
Less volume, more creativity?

Matt from Georgetown, TX
Vic, do you consider Aaron Rodgers a big-game quarterback?
Yes.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
Do you still work your sources?
Sure I do. One of my most trusted sources and a friend for 25 years called recently, and he was forthcoming with a lot of information. He asked me why I was cold on Saquon Barkley coming out of college. I said I didn't like all of those lost-yardage plays his final year, and I wasn't sure if it was because Barkley had too much hesitation in his running style or if it was because of that read-option offense Penn State runs. I don't like that offense because it allows the defense to put the ball in the hands of the less-talented runner. My friend, who I consider to be one of the best scouts I've ever known, shocked me with his opinion of Barkley. "I think he's more talented than Bo Jackson," he said.

Justin from Delray Beach, FL
Do you ever go fishing?
Are you psychic? I bought my first-ever fishing license on Tuesday and I'm about to cast into Scott Creek in pursuit of dinner. Spot tail is on the menu.

Richard from St. Augustine, FL
With regard to the '96 Jaguars and other teams you have covered, does attitude play into success? The reason I ask is because the '96 Jags were a rag-tag bunch that needed another draft or two to fill some holes, but they seemed to will their way week after week.
Attitude matters, especially as it pertains to getting hot late in the year. That's what happened with the 1996 Jaguars. They believed they were a team of destiny. They had the league's hot new quarterback, a perfectionist coach who drilled his offense into peak performance, a disruptive rookie pass rusher, a favorable finishing schedule and the luck of a missed kick and a rare occasion when 9-7 got a team into the postseason. In my mind, it's all about playing your best football late in the season; that's what makes for a hot team. The '99 team was vastly superior to the '96 team, but the '99 team was playing its worst defensive football of the season when the playoffs began, and it lost Tony Boselli in the final regular season game. It was the Titans, not the Jaguars, who were the hot team late in the season.

Chad from Kansas City, MO
We have heard through the years your favorite on-field moments, but what is your favorite off-the-field moment? Did any players' community service blow you away or make you proud?
It was in August of 1988, as the Steelers were preparing to play a preseason game in New Orleans. En route to the airport, the team bused the players to a neighborhood church to pay their last respects to their owner, Art Rooney. I watched the team file past the casket and I was touched by the expressions of affection I observed. The Steelers were Art's team and these were his men. The love between them was obvious. At the time, linebacker Mike Merriweather was a holdout, which he would remain through the season, but Mike was present to pay his last respects. Pro football is about the money, but it's not without love. It's a manly quality I love about pro football.

Dan from Milwaukee, WI
How frequent or rare was it for a player to make it through an entire season completely unscathed? No visits to the trainer.
I think Cliff Stoudt is the only player I ever covered who earned his NFL pension without having played a down, but I guarantee he spent time in the trainer's room. Nobody leaves football unscathed.

Matt from Jersey City, NJ
My gut reaction to Mike Daniels being cut was: Brian Gutekunst is a very good GM.
Yeah, a good GM has to make difficult decisions. He must have the courage to commit to his evaluation. Be that as it may, it would've been advantageous to have traded Mike out of the division, preferably out of the conference. Couldn't Brian trade Mike for a seventh-round pick on the condition Mike would lead the league in sacks? Know what I mean?

Rik from Vancouver, WA
What are your thoughts on training camp entrances?
Deion Sanders and ESPN caused this.

​Zach from Virginia Beach, VA
Vic, Michael Thomas just got $61 million guaranteed. Do you think the Saints overpaid?
Old and capped out. I think the Saints could be marching out for a very long time.