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"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Sean-Luc from the United States Is defense dead? For most teams, defense is the side of the ball that must be overcome. The Jaguars are the exception. For the Jaguars, offense is the side of the ball that needs to be overcome. In the salary cap era, it's one or the other; there's not enough cap room to be complete. Which would you choose? Most teams choose offense. Randall from Sun Prairie, WI Rams and Vikings. Two of the best defenses in the league. 38-31. Kind of says it all, doesn't it? Nothing in September says it all. I've seen a lot of bad football through three weeks and one game into this season. A linebacker covering a wide receiver deep? That's not a Mike Zimmer defensive scheme. I think we need to resist forming strong opinions at this point in the season. This weekend, the preseason ends. Play will improve in pink October, and then the bell will ring in November and we'll begin finding out who the good teams are. Matt from Verona, WI What do you think will happen this weekend? I expect the Packers and Bears to win, and the screws will begin to tighten on the Vikings. Zimmer's defense isn't playing hard. He's got a problem. Ric from Longmont, CO It appears Aaron Donald knows how to legally sack the quarterback, doesn’t it? Maybe the intent of the new rule isn't to punish pass rushers, but to identify them. Jason from Jacksonville, FL West Coast prime-time games are magical the way the sun sets in the middle of the game. Good for you! There is so much more to a football game than the football game. There's the beauty of watching the sun bounce off the St. Johns Rivers outside the south end zone of EverBank Field, the foreboding of snow clouds drifting in over the top rim of Lambeau Field, the magnificence of two rivers forming a third outside Heinz Field. The game is secondary to the human experience: father and son making memories, frozen toes, the sounds you'll never forget, the colors that dazzle your eyes. Controversies come and go, but the game survives because it's much bigger than the final score. Football is a spectacle. Craig from Cedarburg, WI The Titans won a slugfest against Jacksonville last week. You called them a team on the rise before the season. How are they finding success with Mariota minimized? The Titans have muscle. Lewan, Conklin and Henry are dominant physical specimens. Mariota is expected to add finesse, but I've been stunned by the physical quality he brings to the quarterback position. He runs with purpose and resolve. I like the Titans' roster and I think they can go the distance if Mariota develops as a passer; the Titans need to make more plays in the passing game. Maggie from Kenosha, WI With the rule changes protecting the quarterback to an extent we haven't seen before, what do you predict professional football will look like in 20 years? Once the league changes the culture that would use the helmet to deliver a blow, and I believe that will happen, I think we'll see the helmet and facemask reduce in size. Roger from Auburn, CA Vic, is Fitzpatrick just Matt Flynn with exceptional wide receivers? I think a lot of quarterbacks in the league would fit into that category. Brent from Dubuque, IA As it stands, what defensive position group in Green Bay has the best chance to pressure the QB more in the upcoming games? The Clay Matthews position group is the answer. Matthews is the Packers' designated pass rusher. He's paid DPR money. It has to be him or the Packers' pass rush will be spotty. Amis from Norwich, UK I’ve got to give you credit, Vic. You see the way the wind is blowing and instead of raging against it, you see how you can sail with it. You’re not a moaner. In fact, the only thing you seem to have no tolerance for is moaners themselves. All that being said, what’s the maddest you’ve ever been about something sports related? Coach Noll said, "We don't always like the cards we're dealt, but we never complain about them." George Atkinson's cowardly and unprovoked karate chop to the back of Lynn Swann's neck as he ran downfield caused me the angriest moments of my sports-watching career. I never wanted to experience those feelings again, and it's the reason I'm vigilant about maintaining emotional balance while covering and watching something as frivolous as a sporting event. Scott from Saint Charles, IL Vic, Aaron Rodgers' yards per attempt each year from 2015 onward have been the four lowest marks of his entire career as a starter. He can still hit the home run with the best of them, but that stat does reinforce my observation the Packers' downfield passing game is just not as explosive or as consistent as it was through 2014. Why do you think that is? He doesn't have Eddie Lacy forcing defenses to get that eighth defender up into the box. It's not just about running the ball, it's about running the ball with power. That's what causes defenses to react with the eighth defender. The power back makes it a muscle game. It's about getting enough mass at the line of scrimmage to stop the power back, or you're going to get snowplowed all day. The Packers need to find a back who can do what Lacy did. Jeff from Ogden, UT How can the Packers commit that many high draft picks to defense over the past few years and still be that bad? The picks weren't that high. They were bottom-of-the-round picks, until this year. Jalen Ramsey and Khalil Mack might be the best cornerback and pass rusher respectively in the league, and they were the fifth picks of their drafts. Mark from West Allis, WI I nominate "The league likes it when the quarterback is on top" for ensrinement in the "Ask Vic" Hall of Fame. I hope my colleagues will agree and grant this Vicism a rightful place in the wing of forgotten one-liners. I don't know what you mean. Dan from St. Louis, MO Guilty as charged for howling at both the Barr hit on Rodgers and the calls against Matthews. Do you think Packers fans are particularly whiny, or are we just fans being fans? Losing and tying makes whiners of us all. Eric from Colorado Springs, CO What was the fan response to the 1978 rules changes? How did you feel about those rules when you saw them? I had advance warning on their impact. It was a lazy July day before the start of training camp. I was in the Steelers offices, along with a few other reporters, and Coach Noll seized the opportunity to take us into his film room and show us a film the league produced and sent out to its coaches. The film featured Dolphins coach Don Shula demonstrating the new chuck rule and the rule that would allow offensive linemen to use their hands in blocking. Can you understand why I am so grateful and indebted to Coach Noll. How many coaches in today's game would take the time to educate a young sportswriter? When the season began, I took note of the new rules being applied, but I don't remember a rash of penalties that called attention to the new rules. Their application was largely seamless. What I remember most is Coach Noll turning off the projector and telling us, "These rules will change the game." I can never repay the debt. David from Madison, WI Talk about a dramatic coaching story! Want another one? Here's one I especially love. A successful high school coach in Western Pa. was being courted by the rival school across the river. They were offering him big money to make the move. The coach went to his school's superintendent and told him about the offer. The superintendent told the coach to write down on a piece of paper a dollar figure he'd have to pay to keep the coach. The coach wrote down a number and handed the piece of paper to the superintendent. Without looking at the piece of paper, the superintendent wrinkled it up and put it in his pocket. "You got it," he said. It's a wonderful story of respect and trust. I love the old guys. Justin from Boston, MA How do you keep up with the news surrounding all the teams around the league? Do you read a ton of ESPN and nfl.com? Do you watch highlights of all the games? Do you disappear all day on Sunday to watch all the full games? You seem to have a pulse on every team! I read, I watch, I talk. I know where to go to get the information I need quickly. I also have a network of people who feed me information. It's the result of a bond I call the fraternity of football. All of this allows me to pen this column with the confidence I am not infecting my readers with misinformation. It gives me joy to stay in touch with my fraternity brothers. We all belong to the fraternity of football. Sean from Glen Ellyn, IL I think since the quarterbacks are now untouchable, we're going to see more three-man rushes. Why bother rushing the QB when the league has more or less removed that from the game? Flood the passing lanes with defenders and find out what quarterbacks have the arm strength and accuracy to fit the ball into tight windows? I can hear Coach Noll saying, "How do you wish to die?" "Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Here's the "Ask Vic" Week 4 power rankings: 1. Rams -- Big spenders. 2. Chiefs -- At least for now. 3. Saints -- Signature win. 4. Panthers -- Tease team. 5. Titans -- I like tough guys. 6. Jaguars -- Only because I like you. 7. Bears -- Look who's No. 1 in the NFC North. 8. Redskins -- Dominant win over Packers. 9. Eagles -- Something's missing. 10. Bengals -- Dalton is on his game. 11. Ravens -- Can make a statement in Pittsburgh. 12. Patriots -- Has the fall begun? 13. Vikings -- Zimmer has some work to do. 14. Packers -- Defense still the issue. 15. Steelers -- Big Ben giveth and he taketh away. 16. Browns -- The Baker Mayfield era begins. 17. Bucs -- Fitzmagic is fun. 18. Dolphins -- I ain't buyin' it. 19. Falcons -- Underachieving. 20. Broncos -- Worst 2-1 team in the league. 21. Colts -- Playing hard, playing tough. 22. Bills -- Fluke win. 23. Lions -- Prove you can do it again. 24. Cowboys -- All brand, no bite. 25. Chargers -- They should be better than this. 26. Jets -- Long season ahead. 27. 49ers -- The hype has ended. 28. Seahawks -- Just another team now. 29. Texans -- The wolves are howling. 30. Giants -- Barkley making his mark. 31. Raiders -- Gruden should've stayed in the booth. 32. Cardinals -- Really, really terrible. Joe from Bloomington, IN What does Steelers GM Vic do with Bell? The big problem now is I doubt the Steelers want him back; I wouldn't want him back. Unless he can play cornerback they don't need him, and they certainly don't need the distraction he'd cause. They'll get a third-round compensatory pick for him, so that's what I would consider to be Le'Veon Bell's trade value. Is a team willing to give the Steelers a three to "rent" Bell for what's left of this season? I doubt it. Any team interested in trading for Bell would first of all have to strike a deal with Bell that would guarantee his presence or void the trade. That's probably doable, but Bell is probably out of shape and such a deal would be a huge leap of faith. In my opinion, the Steelers' best chance of moving Bell is to a team that wants him on a big, multi-year contract. Such a team could execute what's called a "sign and trade" agreement with the Steelers. I think the Steelers should just lift the tender and move on with James Conner. It would help unify a team that needs this drama to end. Ben from El Paso, TX Do you think the NFL benefits from the rules and officiating controversy because it draws attention away from collusion and concussions? It probably does, but that's not the purpose for this explosion in penalties. The league would seem to be intent on cleaning up the game. Hey, why have rules if you don't enforce them? When a holding call nullified what would've been an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown late in Monday night's game, I thought to myself this better be good. It was. The guy had his arms wrapped around the coverage man; he wouldn't let him leave the line of scrimmage. How many times is a penalty called and the TV replay doesn't justify the flag? Not often. I don't like all of these penalties as much as the fans don't like them, but maybe the game needs sanitizing. Mike Tomlin said the rash of penalties is damaging the game's entertainment value, and I would agree, so I would say this to Tomlin and all of the league's coaches: Teach your players not to commit penalties. Brad from Eau Claire, WI Not a question, a sad goodbye. I agree with Alex from Milwaukee. Good officiating was once defined as completing a game without being aware of who the officials were. Too many flags, not just on roughing, but on too many kick returns. Players no longer determine the game; there is no continuity. Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays offer other choices. I have enjoyed your historical perspectives, but goodbye. Fare thee well. Oh, my, so dramatic. I hope you feel privileged, Brad. I've got an inbox full of these "I'm done" letters and I've chosen to publish yours to represent all of the drama queens who say they're done but will be sitting in front of the TV this Sunday when the Packers host the Bills. I'm calling baloney on all of you, except I'm not saying baloney. Jamie from Brooklyn, NY There is a conspiracy theory going around that Rodgers has a torn ACL and is playing on it to prevent the loss of the entire season. I can't believe I'm even asking this. I covered a guy who I think did that. Yeah, Mark Brunell in 1997. It was suspected he had a torn ACL when he went into surgery. The reconstruction kit was in the room. When the surgery was over, we were told the ACL wasn't torn and Brunell would return to action in a few weeks, which he did on a Monday night against the Steelers in one of the most dramatic games in Jaguars history. Some years later, I got an email from one of the attendants in the operating room who told me the ACL was, in fact, torn. I believe him. Aaron Rodgers' knee? I don't know. They said he has a torn ligament. Neil from Cheddar, UK NFC North not quite as good as everyone thought it was? Why, because the Bears are leading it? The NFC North is a good division. It has arguably the best quarterback in the game and the best pass rusher, too. Following the Lions' rousing win over the Patriots, maybe the Lions are also capable of joining the chase. In fact, I think the point could be made the NFC North is better than ever. John from Sun Prairie, WI Do you think a lack of playing time during preseason could explain some of the roughing-the-passer penalties on starters? They didn't play much with the referees and are now finding out how close they're calling it. How can you practice new technique in game conditions if you don't play in the game? I'm laying this one on the coaches. Lori from Brookfield, WI Vic, there were five roughing-the-passer calls in the Steelers/Bucs game. What is at the root of the infractions? Two Steelers roughing penalties were classic Clay Matthews burp jobs. The root of the calls is the new weight-on-the-QB rule. Is it possible to tackle the quarterback while falling on him? We're going to find out in what's left of this season because I have to believe the league will keep enforcing this rule. Maybe the rule will be revisited and altered during the offseason, but I have a feeling teams will begin complying with the rule and the controversy will go away. These men are good enough athletes to figure this out. Jack from Jacksonville, FL Fitzpatrick or Winston? It would be unfair to Jameis Winston to make him the starter. The howl of the wolves would make it unfairly difficult for him to function. Fitzmagic needs to burn out before Winston is returned to the starting job. It'll happen. I'm reminded of Terry Bradshaw reclaiming his starting job from Joe Gilliam in 1974. Bill from Sioux Falls, SD Vic, for the good folks crying about roughing calls, watch clips from the Dallas-Seattle game. As the defender hit the QB, he rolled. By the time they hit turf, the QB was on top of the defender. A thing of beauty. Refs didn't look twice. The league likes it when the quarterback is on top. Phil from Madison, WI It's time to move on from the drama of the first few weeks and focus on how this team can improve. It appears consistency in the secondary is lacking, particularly at safety. Is there reason to believe signing a guy like Eric Reid or trading for Earl Thomas would improve the back end of the defense? I'll tell you what would really help the back end of the defense: A pass rush from the front end of the defense. Stephen from Jacksonville, FL As good as Blake Bortles can play in one week, he can play equally horrible the next. Many of the folks around him say he works hard, plays hard and has many of the talents necessary to be a solid NFL quarterback. His mechanics are not as solid as most would like and he still sometimes makes questionable decisions with the football, but I can’t believe these two areas are the only causes of the bad Blake Bortles. What other flaws do you see in his abilities and what’s one thing Bortles can do to become a better quarterback for this season? He's not a natural passer of the football. That's what I see. I like his toughness and I think he has strong leadership qualities. I think he needs to be Joe Kapp. Make the little plays at big times in the game, and be that tough, underrated quarterback who just finds ways to win. Mike from Mesa, AZ Vic, your opinions replace the play on the field for old-school fans like me, in that they are hard-hitting and speak the new truth of play in the NFL! Isn't it time Packers GM Brian Gutekunst expands his horizons and gives the Steeler's GM a call to make a trade for Le'Veon Bell? Bell is radioactive. I wouldn't touch him with a lead pole. Steve from New Britain, CT Vic, would it be fair to say because Mark Murphy is partly responsible for advocating the new sack rule, and since the NFL can't rein in how the referees are misinterpreting it on the field, Murphy's solution has come home to roost? Why shouldn't Packers fans point fingers at Murphy for a fiasco that's clearly ruining the game? Even Aaron Rodgers agreed most sack penalties have been mistakes. This new sack rule is tailormade for the Packers. It's perfect for a team that needs to protect the most expensive and valuable quarterback in the game. Hey, the Packers aren't sack masters. They're not "Blitzburgh." The Packers don't win or lose with the sack, they win or lose with Rodgers and, by the way, he's playing on an injured knee that greatly limits his ability to defend himself. If ever he needed a rule that protects quarterbacks, it's now. Murphy should be applauded for his role on the competition committee for driving this rule change. Matt from Delafield, WI Tiger is being new and he got his first win in five years. What is your take on the Tiger Woods you saw last weekend? He's all the way back and he's ready to go after Jack Nicklaus' record for career wins in majors. Milan from New York Wow! Dick Shiner! Now you'll tell me you remember Fran Rogel! He was my high school's coach. He's also the subject of one of my all-time favorite coach stories. Rogel was an intimidating guy and his coaching tactics were controversial. As the story goes, Rogel got wind of a special board meeting to vote on firing him. That night, Rogel shows up at the meeting. He opens the door, looks at the assembled board members and says, "I heard you're hear to vote on firing me, so let's vote." Rogel then walks around the room, stopping at each board member and asking, "How do you vote? Do you want to fire me?" Each time, the answer came back no. Rogel said, "Then it's decided. I'm still the coach." Jesse from Alaska, SD So what will the new rules make of the Steelers/Bengals rivalry? I can’t imagine the refs being told by the league to let it slide. The league should bill it as a throwback game. The league should allow the Steelers and Bengals to play according to 1974 rules, and promote the game that way. The ratings would be off the charts. "Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Zahir from London, UK At least Minnesota lost. Imagine how good the Jags would be if they had Rodgers. It's almost not possible to have a great defense and a break-the-bank quarterback, too. The cap won't allow it, and that's why a salary cap team can't be as good as a pre-cap team; salary cap teams can't be complete. A salary cap team can't have Starr, Hornung, Taylor, Gregg, Ringo, Nitschke, Davis, Adderley, Robinson, Wood, etc. on it. Half of those guys would have to go. Today, it would be Swann or Stallworth, not both. Lambert or Ham, not both. Greene or Greenwood, not both. Bradshaw or Blount, not both. The trick in the salary cap era is to find a way to mask your weakness. Every team has one. Joachim from Kassel, Germany I have now reluctantly accepted we all live in a league of the passer, by the passer and for the passer. How far down this road can you see the NFL going, Vic? I think 6,000 yards passing in a season is right around the corner. Alex from Milwaukee, WI Another one bites the dust, Vic. Is this game football anymore? Fans make investments in their chosen team. When the return on my investment is something I do not even recognize, I am done. I am a football purist. Obviously, I am not done, but I can not take more of this. Will the NFL walk this back? No, it won't. How do you put this rabbit back in the hat? This is the way it is and this is the way it will continue to be. Are you done or not? You have a decision to make, because I can't take more of this whining. My inbox is full of it. Every time the Packers don't win, the fans blame it on the league for changing the game. As I recall, the Packers weren't very good on defense before the rule change. Couldn't sack has been replaced by can't sack. What's different? Again, one play wasn't the difference in the game. Alex Smith and Adrian Peterson had combined for 300 yards of offense in the first half on Sunday. Dillon from Indianapolis, IN How does a pass rusher comply with the NFL's new rules? I have to admit, I have no idea what the officials are looking for to be considered a clean hit due to the inconsistency I see in the explanations. The coaches know. The NFL spent the offseason teaching coaches how to instruct their players to comply with the new pass-rushing rule. You may not "burp" the quarterback. Wrap, lift and drive has been replaced by wrap, lift and let him fall. It's a technique that has to be taught, mastered. David from San Francisco, CA You’ve previously written of your concern for the level of talent in the upcoming generation of quarterbacks. Have the first three weeks of this season done enough to make you believe otherwise? Yes. It's never been easier to play quarterback. In this league, rookie quarterbacks are stars in their first game. In this league, Ryan Fitzpatrick has a 151.5 passer rating. In this league, Dick Shiner would've been a $20 million quarterback. Randall from Sun Prairie, WI Rodgers is injured and he is the Packers. I can see Green Bay turning in games like this, but what the heck happened to the Vikings? They might've eaten the pizza. William from Park City, UT Blame it on Capers? The wolves are howling for the league now. Jake from Knoxville, TN How late in the season will we have to wait before we can tell if Brady has fallen off his cliff? He looked old in the last two games, especially last night. It can happen that quickly. Joe Greene was the most dominant defensive player I ever covered. All of a sudden, he couldn't get off a block. Noah from Maine, WI Vic, what do you think is causing the high amount of parity we are seeing in the NFL so far this year? The league has leveled the playing field by creating a game that protects quarterbacks and receivers, and hamstrings rushers and pass defenders. The result is every team has a Tom Brady or an Aaron Rodgers. Craig from Cedarburg, WI What was the biggest surprise of the weekend? I'm stunned by the Jaguars loss to the Titans. Coming off that rousing win over the Patriots, in which Blake Bortles played so well, and going up against a Titans team with Blaine Gabbert as its starting quarterback, I expected the Jags to blow out the Titans. Allow only nine points and lose? That's ridiculous. Ben from Indianapolis, IN We can blame the officials until our faces are blue, however, in your opinion, what do the Packers need to have a good defense? Time will fix the problem, in terms of either development or drafting. Last week, Kirk Cousins lit them up. This week, it was Alex Smith and Adrian Peterson. Smith completed passes for a whopping 11.0-yard average. He wasn't sacked! In my mind, when you don't sack a guy, you don't have the right to complain about one roughing-the-passer call. Peterson averaged 6.3 yards per carry. This was a truly bad performance. I expect a much better showing against the Bills. Jerry from Savannah, GA Vic, what’s the solution? The solution is it's time for every fan to be new. Forget about football as you've known it. Don't apply the old standards. Pad level doesn't matter anymore. The rules don't allow a player to strike the rising blow. Coming off the ball low and hard has been replaced by slide and wall. Quarterbacks aren't the trophy and he must not go down hard. Football is no longer first and foremost a running game, and a seal here and a seal here have been replaced by a checkdown here and a rub route there. We have to find the human confrontation in different ways. I don't like it, either, but I'm working at it and I encourage everyone else to do the same. Joe from Bloomington, IN Does Coach McCarthy need to change his mindset about the new rules? I think it's a mistake to say we won't change how we teach tackling. It sends the wrong message to your players and to the league. Resistance isn't the right attitude. Acceptance and compliance will win. "The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast. For the times they are a changin'." Sean from Baltimore, MD Seven of the 12 quarters so far have been downright bad. This is not a good football team. Your thoughts on the state of the Packers? They are who we thought they are. Defense and the running game went into yesterday's game ranked 24th and 25th respectively. It's all on Aaron Rodgers and the passing game, again. Can the Packers make it back to the playoffs that way? Rodgers would have to have a heckuva year, but he's done it before. In my opinion, we need to see more balance. When the defense and the running game improve, the Packers will be a better football team. Until then, they remain a one-trick pony. Joe from De Pere, WI I have never been so proud Mike McCarthy was coach of the Green Bay Packers as when I watched him run after and scream at the referee. OK. Jeremiah from Monmouth, IL Are we witnessing the devaluation of the pass rusher? We're witnessing the supply of quarterbacks being increased by a game that punishes defense. "Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Stephen from Jacksonville, FL Vic, you’re well aware the good people of Jacksonville don’t much care for that professional football team from Nashville, and a win this week would be as meaningful as beating the defending AFC-champion New England Patriots last week. A loss, however, would move the Jaguars into second place behind the team that swept them last season. What do the Jaguars have to do this week to defeat the Titans for the first time since Christmas Eve, 2016? Nothing special. It's hammer time. Jags win big. Brian from Yakima, WA Vic, I’m having trouble with the roughing the passer calls. I thought both the Kendricks and Matthews hits were legal; both were flagged. I believe in both cases the NFL publicly agreed with those calls, but the NFL came out and said the Myles Garrett flag in Week 1 was incorrect. That hit looked to me like a pile-drive style hit with full body weight on the quarterback (it was Big Ben so maybe that’s the discrepancy). Does the NFL have it wrong here? The NFL has created a rule so difficult to interpret and apply, it's likely to create difference of opinion every time it's enforced. I don't like it, either, but this is the way it is and this is the way it will continue to be. Why? Because if the NFL doesn't take steps to protect its quarterbacks, it will lose them to injury, which means the highest-paid player on the team, the stars of the game, won't be on the field. Is this so difficult for Packers fans to understand? Think back to last year and how you whined and cried about Anthony Barr's hit on Aaron Rodgers -- Rodgers led the parade -- which ruined the Packers' season. That play is part of the impetus to this new rule. Know this: If you contact the quarterback, you're at risk of being penalized. The quarterback is "The Man." He must be tackled in a very specific way that leaves little room for error. The team that embraces this new rule and teaches the proper technique for complying with this new rule will be the winner. Everyone else will be whiners. Lori from Brookfield, WI Vic, the Vikings were No. 3 and the Packers No. 8 on your first power ranking list. They tie a game and the Vikings move down one spot to No. 4 and the Packers move back three spots to No. 11. Please explain. I think the Vikings are the No. 4 team in the league and the Packers are No. 11. Matt from McNaughton, WI What are you looking for over the next two months that would make you think Green Bay's defense is complementary enough to Aaron to make a playoff run? I need to see improvement. Ben from El Paso, TX If you were Washington's owner, would you change the team's name? Yes. Loftur from Columbus, OH Jalen Ramsey seems to always have a quote ready for the media. Would you have enjoyed covering him? He would certainly have been a go-to guy for me. I always went to Fred Taylor, Tony Boselli, Keenan McCardell, Leon Searcy, Maurice Jones-Drew and Byron Leftwich when I covered the Jaguars. They were media friendly and I respected their opinions. Ramsey is certainly media friendly, but his opinions don't seem to be measured. If he tones down his rhetoric, he has a chance to become the voice of the Jaguars. I'd like to see that happen. Anthony from Milwaukee, WI Are the rules themselves going to make the QB replaceable and less expensive? As you said, the NFL is at least trying to give every team a Rodgers or a Brady. So why am I paying $30 million for a player when the difference between the elites and the rest is getting thinner and thinner? When I began covering the NFL, it was said it took five years to develop a starting quarterback. Now, we just plug them in and they're stars. That's what the league wants because what's good for that position is good for the league and for the game. Adam from Wausau, WI The feeling I get while watching these past few games is a feeling I cannot replicate elsewhere. The highs and lows of emotion can't be explained. Is there anything you can compare in your life that gets you as excited as I am to watch the Packers? Yes. A good-news call from one of my sons. A round of golf with old friends. A trip down memory lane. A kiss from the one I love. Seeing a hurricane track turned out to sea. Most of all, the wonderfully secure feeling of knowing all is well. Scott from Hamlin, NY How bad can the Steelers be this year before Tomlin's job is in jeopardy? He's at the test. Can he focus his team and dedicate it to improvement, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Defense is his specialty. It's where he can demonstrate his hands-on coaching skills. December will define the Steelers. If they play their best football in December, Tomlin will have proven his worth. I think it's going to take at least until December to improve that defense. Morgan from Kaukauna, WI Hey, let Clay know if he shoves the QB down in that situation he's clean. Joe Namath once said, "We're the trophy." Al Davis said "the quarterback must go down and the quarterback must go down hard." I can remember saying "put the long coat on the quarterback." Those days are over. The NFL is determined to change the culture that would mount quarterback heads on walls. I think defenses can get more accomplished if they focus on knocking down passes instead of sacking the quarterback. Maybe it's time defenses make the ball the trophy instead of the quarterback. Blake from Kettle Moraine, WI Is there a circumstance under which a particular amount of whining does a body good? I whine for my heart. I'm reminded of a 2005 playoff game in Indianapolis. Troy Polamalu intercepted a pass. At the end of his return, he fumbled the ball and then fell on it. The play was reviewed and the referee reversed the call to an incomplete pass. It was a terrible call that even incensed the commissioner. How did Polamalu react? He got right up off the bench and ran onto the field with energy and resolve. He remained focused to do his job. That's what needs to happen and coaches need to teach it. Whining accomplishes nothing. Do your job. Don from Jacksonville, FL What's your advice for raising sons? Speak with your eyes. Blake from Normal, IL Why is Mitch Trubisky so slow at progressing. He’s good with a scripted play set but, after that, it’s one three-and-out after another. He’s not flashy, he’s boring. I know it’s going to take time, but how much time? It's early in year two. His progress doesn't alarm me, but I saw something in the Packers game that's caused me to change my opinion of him. I saw him drop his eyes. Oh, that's bad. No great quarterback drops his eyes. Maybe it was just a one-time thing. I'll be watching for more examples of it. Joseph from Dillon, MT Thank you for your tie answer. Not only did I love it, but I am now wearing a tie that I first wore to a homecoming dance in high school. I agree completely. I have a tie with a food stain from Commander's Palace in New Orleans. I love that food stain. Memories make us rich. Ben from Albuquerque, NM What is the reasoning behind the "inside two minutes a fumbled ball can only be advanced by the player who fumbled it" rule? It seems entirely arbitrary and outdated. It's to prevent another "Holy Roller." Kirsten from Madison, WI You've mentioned several times about the Packers being a mediocre team without Aaron Rodgers. What would you need to see in order to believe they're more than that? I need to see them run the ball -- especially on short-yardage plays -- and play better defense. Robert from St. Paul, MN Vic, what are your impressions of FedEx Field? Seems like most Washington fans hate the place. It's one of those stadiums that was built near the end of the antiseptic stadium architecture era. The new wave of stadium architecture gives football stadiums a kind of warmth the game never enjoyed. FedEx Field is a tub. Bill from Sheboygan, WI Do you know of a Super Bowl champion that had a tie on its record? The 1974 Steelers played to a tie in the first-ever regular season overtime game. That team went on to win Super Bowl IX. I don't understand why Packers fans are struggling so much with this tie. Aiden from Jacksonville, FL How did the Buffalo Bills get so bad? They were in the playoffs just last year. They are completely without identity or direction at the quarterback position. At least with Tyrod Taylor they knew what they had to do to win. Until they pick and stick, they won't have a blueprint for victory. Aaron from Seattle, WA It looks like the view is nearly unanimous that the calls on Rodgers and Cousins were bad calls. Mike Periera, Dean Blandino, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Brett Favre, to name a few, have come out against the call. McCarthy even went so far as to say they are not changing the way the Packers train their players to tackle. It looks to me like the NFL is just being stubborn. Do you think all of these people are wrong? OK, it was a bad call. Feel better? Ask Vic will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Here's the "Ask Vic" Week 3 power rankings: 1. Jaguars -- Bortles joins the surge. 2. Rams -- Two lopsided wins. 3. Patriots -- Wilted in the heat, again. 4. Vikings -- How's life? They can't kick. 5. Eagles -- The Foles thing is over. 6. Bucs -- Saints and Eagles down, Steelers next. 7. Falcons -- Love their roster. 8. Bengals -- Best in the AFC North. 9. Panthers -- Newton doesn't get it done. 10. Chiefs -- Great offense, bad defense. 11. Packers -- Didn't finish. 12. Dolphins -- Impressive start. 13. Broncos -- Ravens will test them. 14. Bears -- On the rise. 15. Titans -- Early showdown in Jax. 16. Cowboys -- Just OK. 17. Ravens -- No longer defensive powerhouse. 18. Saints -- Had to rally to beat Browns. 19. Redskins -- Rodgers will scalp them. 20. Steelers -- Remember when Big Ben was a game manager? 21. Colts -- Luck makes them better. 22. Jets -- Worth watching. 23. 49ers -- Chiefs will test them. 24. Chargers -- Battle of LA! 25. Seahawks -- Look out below! 26. Browns -- Showing some grit. 27. Texans -- O'Brien's seat getting warm. 28. Giants -- Eli, Eli lamma sabachthani? 29. Bills -- Terrible. 30. Raiders -- The autumn wind doesn't want to be a raider. 31. Cardinals -- Perfectly awful. 32. Lions -- Belichick tree produces another dud. 33. Steelers defense -- Chiefs just scored again. Don from Mascoutah, IL Vic, I can’t believe it. Has Tomlin lost his locker room, or has the front office failed him? How much time does a coach have to turn it around? The Steelers have had three coaches since 1969. Mike Tomlin's two predecessors each retired, which means Bill Austin (a Lombardi assistant) was the last Steelers coach on the hot seat. The answer to your question would seem to be "ample time." Has Tomlin lost the locker room? For sure, there's discord, and Tomlin will be judged by his ability to eliminate the distractions and create focus. Comments about Le'Veon Bell need to end. Coach Noll would've said, "Le'Veon who?" just as he said "Franco who?" Do you remember me suggesting in this column last spring Tomlin respond to Bell questions with "Le'Veon who?" He never did. He allowed this to fester and become the distraction it has. As for Antonio Brown, I think he deserves a one-game suspension for his insubordination. That's how you get the locker room back. Matt from Delafield, WI The arrow is pointing straight up in Jacksonville. Which way is the arrow pointing in Pittsburgh? Green Bay? It's pointing down in Pittsburgh and it's pointing up in Green Bay, but the arrow in Green Bay is attached to one man's arm. Pete from Minneapolis, MN What do you think of Pat Mahomes? He's poised and accurate. He plays young and I like that a lot. What I don't know about Mahomes is his ability to throw outside the numbers. The Steelers didn't make him do it. They were so awful on defense they allowed Mahomes to find receivers so open in the middle of the field they were able to catch the ball on the run. The only time in the game the Steelers posed any resistance, after they fell behind 21-0, Mahomes looked ordinary. I want to see him against a real defense. Isaac from Nashville, TN Vic, I respect your point about how important football remains to American culture, but everybody I talk to these days (regardless of politics) seems to be right on the edge of giving it up. They dislike everything about the NFL, and they're actively looking for a reason to walk away. You're preaching to the choir, Isaac. When this player-safety movement began, I cautioned everyone by writing the popularity of professional football wasn't built on safe. I have no doubt the NFL understands as much. They must believe this is something that has to happen for the game to survive. I acknowledge that possibility, but I believe the league is moving too quickly in effecting change. The roughing-the-passer rules have become so frustrating I believe it would be better to allow quarterbacks to spike the ball to avoid a sack. Dustin from Orlando, FL Is Antonio Brown worth two first-rounders? Probably not, but I think you can get a one for him. The Steelers won't do that during the season. It's not how they operate. They don't want to send the message to their fans they've quit on the season, and they don't want to send the message to their players they can demand a trade and be accommodated. A linebacker named Mike Merriweather is the example. He held out and the Steelers didn't trade him until after the season was over. The Steelers might accommodate Brown in the same fashion. Sean from DeSoto, TX I've accepted the Matthews call and acknowledge the fact Kendricks had a similar call earlier (that I also didn't agree with). I've accepted those as a wash. What I'm more interested in hearing are your thoughts on the Mike Daniels play in which Cousins was making a throwing motion as he got him in his grasp and let him go, only to have Cousins pull the ball back. Cousin's then ran forward and turned what should have been a sack into a 1-yard gain. What are defenders supposed to do? They're darned if they do and darned if they don't. They're supposed to do what they're taught and, frankly, I don't think they're being coached well enough to deal with these new rules. Players play and coaches coach, and coaches are responsible for the way players play. Today's NFL defensive players (you know, the bigger, stronger, faster ones) are athletic enough to be capable of adapting to these new rules. Stop complaining and start complying. Learn it, do it! Craig from Cedarburg, WI Are the Steelers imploding? The real problem with the Steelers is a defense that's turned to rot, and that began last season. Why is everyone so surprised now? That defense couldn't stop anybody in the final month of last season. It lost its best player and has yet to replace him. Forget about Bell and Brown. James Conner has replaced Bell nicely and the Steelers have enough talent at wide receiver to move the ball well enough to win games, but they can't win with that defense. What's happened to the Steelers is exactly what happened to the Packers. Too many years of drafting at the bottom of the order has caught up to them. They need to step back in the standings, move up in the draft and find some guys who can run and cover. Kris from Stockbridge, WI Vic, it is the loss that got away. I'm OK with that. After two games, do you think Minnesota has found "The Man?" Kirk Cousins is a significant upgrade from Case Keenum. The Vikings wouldn't have been able to rally for the tie last season as they did last Sunday. I give the Vikings credit for acknowledging that fact and doing what they did. It was a bold move. They needed an upgrade at quarterback. Average quarterbacks don't beat Aaron Rodgers. Is Cousins "The Man?" I'm not ready to say he is, but I won't say he isn't. Eric from Appleton, WI The average passer rating in Week 2 was 102.6. It shattered the previous record by nearly 10 points. What will become of this league if the average quarterback plays like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady? It's never been easier to play quarterback. Offense sells and every fan wants his team to have a Rodgers or a Brady. Why not let them have one? Andrew from Peoria, IL Vic, what do you think of the NFL doubling down on the Matthews and Kendricks hits as how not to tackle a QB? The league is saying this is the way it is and this is the way it will continue to be. Stop complaining and start complying. Nick from Water Mill, NY Vic, any news from back home on your neighborhood? When do you think you can get back there? I remember last year, after the Florida Keys were ripped apart, community members hired a private pilot/plane to fly over and record video and photos to give an indication of what happened in their respective areas. Some even hired drone operators. I know it was a big help in planning for their return. I hope it's not too bad for you. Have a good day. I returned to my home on Sunday morning. When I left my house, I noticed there was a sea gull feather on my front porch. When I returned, it was still there. I am the victim of premature evacuation. Tyler from Hull, IA Vic, what is your take on ties? I love ties. I have ties hanging in my closet older than my sons. I don't ever throw ties away because they come back in fashion. Someone once remarked my tie looked like a shower curtain. A couple of years later, shower-curtain ties were all the rage. My advice is to just hang the tie in the closet and let it be. You'll be glad you did. Tim from Sun Prairie, WI I know you like power running backs. So what will your enduring memory of Eddie Lacy be? Eddie is a warm and sensitive man stuck in a body built for a game I don't think fits his personality. In that sense, he reminds me of Barry Foster. Paul from Cumming, GA Before the season, Jags cornerback Jalen Ramsey gave his opinion on a number of NFL QBs. Any chance we might get a similar rundown from Vic? Not necessarily rankings, just a brief take on the players. Tom Brady -- The best ever. Aaron Rodgers -- The best I've ever covered. Ben Roethlisberger -- Grossly underrated and under-appreciated. Drew Brees -- Best in his size. Eli Manning -- Two games define him. Cam Newton -- Something's missing. Matt Ryan -- Great soft thrower. Carson Wentz -- Best of the new guys. Andy Dalton -- Best of the game managers. Blake Bortles -- Time will tell. Deshaun Watson -- Smooth. Andrew Luck -- Making comeback, but not the same. Marcus Mariota -- Needs to stay healthy or learn to play hurt. Jared Goff -- I need to see more of him. Russell Wilson -- Limited but resourceful. Philip Rivers -- Love his grit. Dak Prescott -- Big and tough. Matthew Stafford -- Good QB on a bad team. Jimmy Garoppolo -- Too soon to know. Blake from Kettle Moraine, WI Would a wise man say there is anything that would one day warrant giving up following the NFL? You're whining. You're blaming the league for your disappointment. If the Packers had won on Sunday, you'd be walking around with a smile on your face and all would be right with the world. Ask Vic will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Jimmy from Jacksonville, FL It is settled: Blake Bortles is the Jaguars' franchise QB. He'll be inconsistent but, after his performance against the Patriots, there's no turning back. Thoughts? I've never seen him play better. He was calm, decisive and delivered the ball on time and accurately. The Jaguars can win big games with that kind of quarterback. Doug Marrone also gets credit here. He just showed the rest of the league how to attack the Patriots: Go after their linebackers. How many times did Bortles throw that drag route over the middle. The Patriots never figured it out. Bortles was still throwing that route to move the sticks late in the game. Marrone armed Bortles with a beautifully conceived game plan: drags and fades. The risky deep-middle stuff that gets Bortles into trouble was kept to a minimum. Through two weeks, I think Marrone is the leader for coach of the year. Joachim from Kassel, Germany Still digesting the Packers game and I have to believe the Vikings are slightly more annoyed than us. I know I felt mostly relief yesterday, given how it played out at the end. What's your take, Vic? Some sloppy play and some sloppy officiating? I think the Packers got a gift. I'm sure it doesn't seem that way to Packers fans, but in my mind the Vikings kicker turned what should've been a Packers loss into a tie. Mike from Bridgeport, CT Just win, baby! What a day to be a Jaguars fan! I think you're going to like Wednesday, too. Joe from St. Paul, MN Is roughing the passer the new catch rule? It just seems like they've added so many conditions and sub-conditions that refs are seeing ghosts now. Here's the new rule: The quarterback must be taken to the ground softly, unless it's Ben Roethlisberger. He can be driven into the ground on his right shoulder, and then you can bounce on him as though you're the bear and he's John Candy in the movie "The Great Outdoors." Peter from Cserkeszőlő, Hungary If these hits on QBs are illegal (by Kendricks and Matthews), the NFL is not worth watching anymore. I'll miss you. Tyler from Pierre (state undeclared) I was obviously happy with the final miss, but I couldn't help saying to my friend, "That poor kid." "Alas, poor Yorick!" If I'm Daniel Carlson, I hope I get cut this morning so I can get out of Minneapolis ASAP. It would be nice if Mike Zimmer would do it on the phone before I leave the house. By the way, what's happened to the kicking leaguewide? Boswell made everything last year and is now missing extra points. Even Gostkowski missed. Justin from Waukesha, WI Help me come to balance, Vic. I'm experiencing terrible nightmares where quarterbacks wear flags instead of pads, never to be tackled again. OK, that's enough. My inbox is a whiny, whimpering, blame-the-refs fest. Vic to Packers fans: One call didn't cost the Packers the game, any more than the catch-rule call cost the Steelers that loss to the Patriots last season. The Packers defense didn't get it done at crunch time. That's where you point the finger. They didn't get it done in the fourth quarter and they didn't get it done in the overtime, either. Blaming one suspect call is a way of ignoring the truth, which is the Packers' pass defense got torched by Kirk Cousins when the game was on the line. Adam from Fond du Lac, WI Vic, this game looked like a win, felt like a loss, but ended in a tie. What do you make of the game? A tie is not a loss. A tie has merit. In my mind, yesterday's tie sets the stage for the rematch between the two teams. Ask yourself how you'd feel today if Daniel Carlson had made that kick in overtime. A loss hurts. A tie doesn't. In some ways, this was a win for the Packers, thanks to Yorick. Dave from Potomac, MD Vic, I didn’t get to see the Packers game yesterday. What can your eyes tell me the boxscore and play-by-play can’t? The Packers made all of the little plays. Aaron Rodgers was precision-like in a move-the-sticks, ball-control passing game. I also give credit to his receivers for winning their one-on-ones. The Vikings made the big plays, led by the bomb to Stefon Diggs. Neither team made the deciding play. Craig from Cedarburg, WI Is a legal QB hit something between what Clay did to draw the flag and what Mike Daniels did to let go of Cousins before it was whistled dead? If I was a coach, I would have my team practice how to not hit the quarterback. That's the new NFL. Tom from Hamden, CT I have a feeling the tie game will hurt one of these teams in making the playoffs. I don't think it will. I think the game in Minnesota on Nov. 25 will decide the NFC North title. Eric from Colorado Springs, CO Would like your take on two thoughts I couldn't shake from the Packers-Vikings game. 1. Refs decided that game. 2. The Vikings are beatable. The officiating did not decide the game. The Vikings are certainly beatable, but they'll be a better team when the two teams meet again, and so will the Packers. It's game on in the NFC North for one of the best rivalries in football. This tie is just an appetizer for the full course meal that's ahead of us. Dave from Madison, WI After two games, what’s one thing you like about the Packers defense and one thing you don’t like? I like that they're stopping the run. I don't like that Cousins threw for 425 yards and four touchdowns. Bill from Good Vilbel, Germany Vic, did I see the Patriots surrender? With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, they were running up the middle (for no yards), letting the play clock run all the way down, etc. Saving Brady to fight another day? The Patriots were gassed. Last Thursday, as I was sitting pool side on a 97-degree day in Jacksonville, I looked on my phone at the weather forecast for Sunday. I laughed. "Mail it in, boys," I said to myself. The Packers played a bad Jaguars team on a 90-degree day in 2016 and nearly lost. The Patriots were beaten by a powerful Jaguars team in 97-degree heat yesterday. It was easy to see right from the beginning. The Jaguars were a step faster and had more energy in everything they did. The Patriots looked like a team that wanted a burger and an aisle seat. By the way, I am so proud of the Jaguars for wearing their teal jerseys yesterday. Real men wear teal in the heat! Marrone is my kind of coach. Brandon from Huntington Beach, CA That game had 3:52 written all over it. I can’t believe the Packers managed to get out with a tie. They’re extremely lucky that kicker has issues. What bothers me the most is not running the ball when we had it with less than two minutes left and in the red zone. They had two timeouts they would have had to burn. What would you have done in that situation? So, they should've passed it in Seattle but they should've run it yesterday at Lambeau. As Coach Noll would've said, "What you're really asking me is why didn't we win?" I think everyone knows the answer to that question. Ask Vic will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Here's the "Ask Vic" Week 2 power rankings: 1. Eagles -- Continue to win with Foles. 2. Patriots -- Defense improved. 3. Vikings -- Took down Jimmy Garoppolo. 4. Rams -- Looked powerful against Raiders. 5. Panthers -- Is this their year? 6. Falcons -- What's missing? 7. Jaguars -- Still winning with defense. 8. Packers -- Rodgers tilts the field. 9. Steelers -- Sloppy start. 10. Chiefs -- Can they finally beat the Steelers. 11. Bengals -- Dalton in his prime. 12. Bears -- Mack makes them better. 13. Bucs -- OK, show me more. 14. Ravens -- Flacco responding to challenge. 15. Saints -- Why weren't they ready? 16. Seahawks -- Facing 0-2 start. 17. Jets -- Worth watching. 18. Redskins -- Impressive win over Cardinals. 19. Dolphins -- Tough to beat in the heat. 20. Texans -- Early showdown in Tennessee. 21. Titans -- Not up to expectations. 22. Broncos -- Fast starters. 23. Cowboys -- Listless in loss. 24. 49ers -- Too much hype? 25. Chargers -- They never seem to get it done. 26. Bills -- Stinky winky. 27. Browns -- Soaring up the rankings. 28. Giants -- Another long season. 29. Colts -- Luck is back. 30. Raiders -- Time to get out of town. 31. Cardinals -- Arrow pointing straight down. 32. Lions -- Jim Caldwell's laughing. Craig from Cedarburg, WI What game intrigues you the most in Week 2? It's a tie between Vikings-Packers and Patriots-Jaguars. For the Packers, it's a chance to re-plant their flag and take back control of the NFC North. For the Jaguars, a win will make them the No. 1 team in the AFC and could put them in the top spot of my all-important power rankings. Or would a win put the Packers in my top spot? Ethan from Ontario, Canada With the news being released Aaron Rodgers probably will play this Sunday, my question is what would GM Vic do? Play him or sit him? GM Vic doesn't have the power to make that decision. That decision has to be made by Coach Vic and Coach Vic says Rodgers should play, as long as Rodgers and the Packers' medical team are comfortable with that decision. Ethan, the Packers aren't paying Rodgers all that money to not play. This is the big game. This is why you signed Rodgers to that new contract. What are you saving him for, the prom? Dave from Chicago, IL Vic, the Packers players, other than Aaron Rodgers, are getting little respect by the pundits. A TV talking head said the Packers are a lottery team without number 12. If I'm Mike McCarthy, that quote is posted front and center in the locker room. It is largely a game of will, right? You have to be careful with that kind of bravado. It can backfire if your players don't respond. It can erode their confidence. Frankly, I don't think the Packers are a contender without Rodgers. Sometimes the talking heads are right. Oscar from Milwaukee, WI Vic, the Vikings will be preparing for the pocket version of Aaron Rodgers this week. What does the Packers offense need to do to beat the Vikings defense? The Vikings know where Rodgers will be. Mike Zimmer has no doubt prepared his defense for a blitz assault on Rodgers, who will try to get the ball out quickly. I expect the Vikings to play a lot of tight, man-to-man coverage. In my opinion, the burden falls on the Packers' receivers to win their one-on-ones and give Rodgers an open receiver before the rush reaches him. Dan from Golden, CO Is it rust or the end of Big Ben? He threw for 335 yards and one touchdown, and in the overtime period he moved the Steelers into position to kick what would've been a game-winning field goal. The three interceptions are a by-product of the four sacks. Two thoughts: 1) Offensive line play in Week 1 was terrible leaguewide. 2) Ben Roethlisberger has always thrown a lot of interceptions and been vulnerable to strip sacks, because he chooses to extend plays. That's not going to change at this late stage of his career. If the Steelers can't protect him better than they did in Cleveland, more of the same will follow. David from San Francisco, CA Did you miss your all-important power rankings on Wednesday? I had just arrived in Jacksonville and hadn't had time to organize my thoughts on all of the Week 1 games, so I postponed the power rankings until today. In a normal week, and this week has been anything but normal, my power rankings will appear on Wednesdays. Dave from Jacksonville, FL Vic, a lot of folks are saying this Sunday’s game against the Patriots is the biggest regular season and possibly Jaguars game ever played in Jacksonville, period. What do you think? Personally, I think the Morten Andersen miss was the biggest game in franchise history. It sent the Jaguars on their way! We always forsake the past for the present. There are probably Packers fans who would tell you this Sunday's game against the Vikings is bigger than the "Ice Bowl." The 1999 AFC title game (Jan. 23, 2000, a day that will live in infamy) is the biggest Jaguars game in history, home or away, period. It's ludicrous to think otherwise. The impact of that game carried over for several seasons, in several different ways. This Sunday's game is about right now. The impact will last one week. In my opinion, the Jaguars will beat the Patriots on Sunday and the Jaguars will be the toast of the AFC, for at least one week. Sean-Luc from Oceanside, CA Vic, is there any credence to the fact NFC teams have a tougher physical and mental battle throughout the season and playoffs than the AFC, due to the increased competition level across the board? Absolutely none. That's the kind of nonsensical thinking fans create to make excuses for losing. Joseph from Dillon, MT Could you tell us who you think the best coach is for each of the last six decades? Lombardi in the '60s, Noll in the '70s, Walsh in the '80s, Johnson in the '90s, Belichick in the '00s and still to be determined for this decade. Peter from Benton City (state unknown) I tip my hat to you on a great column. Even if the whole world does not care, malapropisms bother me. I covered a player, Ernie Holmes, who was a malaprop machine. Two of my favorites are: "I'm higher than the U.S. blimp," and "We're going to come after them like a herd of tanks." Holmes is one of the most colorful players I ever covered. He was a troubled, yet, wonderful man. Morgan from Kaukauna, WI Vic, what are you plans for Hurricane Florence? I'm watching it make landfall as I write this column, and it takes me back to last September, when I stood on my steps and watched Irma wash four feet of water under my house. My plan is to return home as soon as the storm passes. Joe from Sherman, IL Vic, I hope you have evacuated safely. If need be, we have a spare bedroom and a shed. I think the shed would be good for you. Thanks, Joe, but I'm in a shed in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. This shed has a pool and a jacuzzi. It's on a golf course and a couple of nights ago I sneaked out at dusk and hit some wedge shots into the green. If there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to evacuate. Ask Vic will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season. John from Cornwall, UK Firstly, keep safe this weekend. Secondly, do you think the NFC North is the most competitive division this year? I think the NFC South is the best and most balanced division. I expect the Bears to make the NFC North a better division this year but, after Sunday night's performance, I'm thinking I might've overrated them. They were afraid to give their quarterback the ball. They played scared. That's a red flag. I also found their new head coach to be underwhelming. TV couldn't capture his face. Every time they put the camera on him, all you could see was the top of his hat because his face was buried in his play-call sheet. He was feverishly writing notes, as though he was attending a lecture. How could he have any sense of what was happening to his team if his mind was so focused on one thing, his play-calling? Mike McCarthy calls his own plays but you never see him buried in his play-call sheet. Based on this past weekend's results, I get the sense the NFC North is a Packers-Vikings confrontation. Nathan from New York, NY Have the Packers upgraded at backup quarterback? Does it really matter? I don't think the Packers are a contender without Aaron Rodgers. Ryan from Billings, MT Seemed like the Packers offense got in a better rhythm when Rodgers couldn't extend plays looking for a big play. Is he defendable? If he's allowed to stand in the pocket and find open receivers, I don't think he can be stopped. The problem with not being mobile is it invites the rush. Opponents don't have to worry as much about staying in their rush lanes and maintaining discipline and containment. They can just let it rip. The Packers offensive line is facing increased pressure now. If Rodgers' knee injury has cost him mobility, the Packers' offensive line will have to be better than ever. Jim from Monroe, WI Stay safe, Vic. Hope you and yours are out of harms way. Today's column was extra time-consuming to write due to the flood (no pun intended) of hurricane well-wishes. I'm flattered. Thanks, everyone. I'm writing today's column from Jacksonville. It was home for me for 16 years. I guess I could say "Ask Vic" has returned to the place of its birth. Dan from Grand Rapids, MI I was watching multiple videos on how the sports world reacted to 9/11, and thought how wonderful it was sports used to be a source of unity for the American people. It was nice to be reminded of that in today’s charged political climate. I hope one day the anthem issue will be solved and sports can return to being a unifying experience for Americans, rather than something that is used to tear us apart. Those are all nice thoughts, Dan, but I only want sports to be one thing: a source of joy. I think we're asking sports to be too much. We're asking it to represent our way of life in the Olympics, which is a turn off to me and a big reason I don't watch the Olympics. We invite the world to be our guests and then we shake our fists at them and chant USA, USA. The Ryder Cup has become a taunt fest. NFL fans wear their team's colors as though they were street gangs. All of this, in my opinion, contributes to the angst I sense in today's sporting events. It was never that way when I was young. I wore to the game the same brown coat I wore to school. I felt no angst back then, only joy for being in such a wondrous and joyous place. All I want is the game; no statements, patriotic ceremonies, etc. Just give me the game! Jeremy from Lethbridge, Canada It’s been reported the Jets got five picks off the Lions because they knew all the formations and hand signals. If true, does that reflect poorly on Patricia, or does it suggest the Jets did some over-and-above scouting? Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weiss, Josh McDaniels; is Bill O'Brien next? Football is a very different game when Tom Brady isn't your quarterback. Ryan from Stevens Point, WI Is Bill Belichick a better coach or GM? I think he's the best ever at evaluating and utilizing talent, and that's what makes him a great coach. Ben from Alameda, CA Khalil Mack was a highlight reel in the first half of the game, but was neutralized in the second half. I saw a clever play that caused him to cover a running back on a dump-off route, but that seemed like an exception. How did they stop him in the second half when they had no answer to him in the first half? He was gassed. I wrote last week that getting him trapped on the field might be as good as getting him trapped on the sideline. Justin from Delray Beach, FL How difficult is it for a team to overcome going two for eight on a recent (2015) draft class? The '15 draft was weak leaguewide. We've discussed this drafting issue at great length. In my opinion, drafting near the bottom caught up to the Packers. I will, however, fault them for not drafting T.J. Watt. He was exactly what they needed. Imagine how popular he would've been as a home-grown product. The Packers missed on Watt. Steve from Montclair, NJ All seven of the new head coaches lost in Week 1. What does that tell you? It tells me the new coaches aren't the miracle workers they were expected to be. If you listen to the howl of the wolves, you might get devoured by them. Vincent from Seattle, WA Why aren't all 53 players allowed to be active on game day? Do they get paid as well? That's the number negotiated in the CBA. The owners are afraid more players will result in more specialization. Fan identification suffers. They have to draw the line somewhere. They all get paid. Mike from North Hudson, WI Vic, what will the Packers have to do to win this Sunday vs. The Vikings at Lambeau Field? Protect Rodgers. If they do that, the Packers will win. Pat from Seneca, SC What was the biggest surprise for you in the first weekend of the season? I guess it was the Bucs' win. Otherwise, it was a predictable start. The Browns got six turnovers at home and still couldn't win. Jeff from Waukesha, WI Vic, where were you on 9/11? I was in my second grade classroom when our principle came on and announced the news. Our teacher immediately turned on the TV in the room, flipped it to CNN and then, upon seeing the towers, turned it right back off. I'll never forget. I was filming a video with Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver. There was a TV monitor in the room and as I was asking Wayne a question, I saw his eyes get wide and he said, "Wait a minute." I turned and looked at the monitor and saw smoke billowing from one of the towers. I'll never forget. Lori from Brookfield, WI What was the greatest comeback you've seen in a football game? It was the Packers' second-half rally in Dallas in 2013, and Aaron Rodgers wasn't even the Packers' quarterback that day. Ask Vic will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Billy from Owensboro, KY Is this the beginning of stand-in-the-pocket era for Aaron Rodgers? Age and injury make pocket passers of us all. Gabor from Budapest, Hungary Vic, I still can't believe what happened (last night). Could you explain? It begins with one of the greatest performances I have ever seen. Aaron Rodgers rallied the Packers to victory on one good leg, and we're not sure just how injured the other leg really is. I think there has to be concern for that injury as Rodgers heads into further medical evaluation. To put it into perspective, Rodgers stood in the pass pocket against a fierce pass rush on a leg that'll make it difficult for him to walk up a flight of steps. I admire Rodgers for all of his great talents, the greatest of which might be his courage. From the Bears' perspective, what happened last night is a lesson in trying to play around your quarterback. They turned the game over to their defense and that was a mistake. You don't win that way against great quarterbacks. Matt Nagy armed Mitchell Trubisky with an aggressive game plan to start the game, which got the Bears a 10-0 lead, but after that I sensed no theme to what the Bears were trying to accomplish on offense. They nipped and nibbled, doing little more than running innocuous and ineffective plays that would protect the ball and expire the clock. That might've worked against DeShone Kizer, but not against Rodgers. Nagy spent the night with his head buried in his play chart. Did he even know what was happening? Zahir from London, UK The Packers pass rush looked old and slow at times yesterday. Having seen the impact Mack made and what the Packers have at that position, could you blame fans for wanting to go after him? No, I can't. Everybody wants a Khalil Mack, but at what cost? That's the only issue. Matt from Eau Claire, WI What is it about the two-minute drill that makes Aaron Rodgers take his game to the next level? I've never seen a quarterback that seems to have as much mastery of those kinds of situations. It begins with his courage and confidence. It allows him to be calm in those situations. He has the courage to keep his eyes downfield in the face of a fierce the pass rush, and the confidence to know he can deliver the football to any spot on the field. One more thing: The Packers practice the two-minute drill more than any team I've covered. I think it's the trademark of their practices. They are built to want the ball with two minutes to play and a chance to win. Jerry from Savannah, GA Vic, the Browns should have won. How did you know? I won't go so far as to say they should've won, unless you mean the Steelers handed the game to them with six turnovers. The Browns did very little on offense until late in the game. Defensively, they made plays, but they also gave up 472 yards. I picked them to win because they were certainly due to win and because they played their starters in the preseason a little more than most teams, for the obvious reason they're not as set in their cast of starters as most teams are. It was a terrible game. Neither team deserved to win and neither team did win. Even the kickers were terrible. The Steelers kicker missed a walk-off try from a comfortable range in overtime, and then the Browns kicker had his try blocked on the last play of the game. It was a game of true preseason quality. Brad from Jacksonville, FL Vic, Jacksonville is not gonna win as many games as last year when you give up more yards than you make and you have so many penalties. Bortles looked mechanically improved in the first half, then it just fell apart when it mattered. They completely shut down the playbook in the second half without Fournette. The scariest part to me was that it looked like the play-calling dictated playing soft at the end. Did they not learn anything against New England? What are your thoughts? The Jaguars have a mold for winning. They get a lead and they protect that lead with a very good defense. It's working for them. Can they win a championship that way? In my opinion, Bortles has to become a bigger factor. Maybe he will. K.J. from Minneapolis, MN Do you believe in the collarbone now, Vic? It wasn't just the collarbone. The collarbone was a metaphor for a player who's getting older and injured more often. Would you like to take a look at my inbox immediately following Rodgers' injury? Here's one: "Well, this is premature, but one quarter in and what looks to be a scary injury to Rodgers. You were right, should have waited on the contract. This is me being irrational, but it's somewhat cathartic to ask. Season over?" Adam from Chicago, IL Is it just me or did James Conner look like a young Bell? Conner is the anti-Bell. Conner is a pounder. He doesn't bounce, he bangs. He also has very good hands. I thought he would've been a great fit in Green Bay. With Le'Veon Bell behaving as a teenage girl, tweeting from afar as a jilted lover would, Conner is just what the Steelers need, which is to say a young back appreciative of the opportunity to play. If he hadn't committed that game-changing fumble late in yesterday's game in Cleveland, he would've been the star of the game. Jerry from North Carolina It's looking like Le'Veon Bell just held out himself out of a job this season. He doesn't want the job, he wants the money, and I think he lost more than a week's worth of salary yesterday. I think he might've also lost some money in his next contract. How important is he if Conner could do all of the things Bell can do? Dan from Grand Rapids, MI Vic, what do you think about the state of college football? Two weekends in the books and only one nationally televised game that was close, Clemson vs. Texas A&M (Michigan vs. Notre Dame was in all actuality not a 7-point game). I’m sort of sick of watching top teams only have 3-4 challenges each year and 8-9 cupcakes. By and large, college football is a bad product, but I think college football fans like it that way. I think college football fans like blowouts. It lets them chortle. College football fans are chortlers. Randy from Medicine Hat, AB Cris Collinsworth raved about Aaron looking off the secondary on the touchdown toss to Allison. He basically won the game with his eyes. Rodgers is the best at it. I have to laugh when I think of something Terry Bradshaw said to me a long time ago, in the final year of his career. We were talking about looking off the safety and Bradshaw pointed at me and said sternly, "I never, ever looked off the safety." I didn't know what to make of it at first, but then I came to understand Bradshaw was telling me he didn't have to look off the safety because he had the arm strength to get the ball to its target before the safety arrived. That's the difference between Rodgers and Bradshaw. Rodgers is a technician. Bradshaw was all arm. Joe from Bloomington, IN Le'Veon Bell was a no-show. Better to hold out until Week 10 or sign now and play to protect his body? That's over $8 million Bell will have lost. I think his agent needs to rethink his strategy. Workload? Oh, I don't think that'll be a problem now. Tom from Vista, CA Just do it, or has Kaepernik already done it? Is protesting in the work place appropriate in the NFL? I don't know what the answer is to all of these picayunish political questions. What I know to be true is this: Freedom is always the answer. If you're not on the side of freedom, you're on the losing team. Andrew from Concord, NC Vic, regular follower and occasional asker of bad questions (never succeeded in getting published). You mentioned Chuck Bednarik serving heroically in WWII, and I can’t help but wonder if that isn’t a hint about why football is changing so much. That generation knew so much suffering and so did their parents. They must have thought that’s just how life is, so people should suck it up and get on with it without complaining. Expectations are so different now and who could complain. But maybe that’s why we don’t like the old gladiators of the gridiron approach. It doesn’t reflect our expectations, so we don’t think we need that kind of hero any more. Sorry for the length of this post, but do you think that has any explanatory value? If it does, what does that mean for the football of the next generation? Arrow up or down? A soft life is a good life. I thank my father and his generation for making my life softer. As for football, it's always been a reflection of our culture. Its arrow is our culture's arrow. I trust each is pointing north. Richard from Clearwater, MN Your response regarding the free play intrigued me. Are you against all free plays or just this particular instance? To me it is savvy manipulation of the rule while not being an illegal action. I worry about savvy manipulation of the quarterback protection rules while not being an illegal action. Why make angry men angrier? This ain't a video game, coach. Those guys you hear coming at you are real. Logan from Lino Lakes, MN Vic, were the first games of yesteryear, after long training camps and solid preseason games, good football? Were they smooth and what we'd expect out of, say, Week 8? They were a whole lot better than what I saw this past weekend. The Bears-Packers game was, by far, the best of all the games, and that's because of one man, Aaron Rodgers. He is a very special football player. Ask Vic will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.
Christopher from Maryland Least likely upset of the week? Most likely upset of the week? The Bears won't beat the Packers. The Browns will beat the Steelers. Mikey from Tallahassee, FL Any comments on the Steelers linemen calling out Bell? Maybe they felt betrayed. He told them he would be there. Maybe they felt something needed to be said to help unify the team and galvanize it against the distraction Le'Veon Bell's absence has created. So what happens when Bell arrives? They'll all hug and say nice things about each other. I learned a long time ago not to get involved emotionally in contract issues or you'll be the one feeling betrayed. It's all a big game they play to use us to get what they want. Thomas from Williamsburg, VA Last year was a fluke for the Jaguars? I don't think you fluke into coming a quarter away from going to the Super Bowl. Does Bortles need to improve? Sure. But I think it's disingenuous to say last season was a fluke. You're better than that. Blake Bortles had a 54.1 fourth-quarter passer rating last year. He was at his worst at crunch time, and that's why the Jaguars tried to play around their quarterback in the fourth quarter of the AFC title game. I also saw it in the overtime period against the Jets. That has to change. The Jaguars have the roster talent to go deep into the playoffs, but not if their quarterback continues to play his worst football in the fourth quarter. Steve from Phoenix, AZ If the Bears try to use Mack as a situational pass rusher, can the Packers (Rodgers) disrupt their ability to use him as they want by going no huddle more often? I consider the no-huddle to be the Packers' base offense, and I expect to see plenty of it on Sunday night. Khalil Mack won't be in playing shape. Getting him trapped on the field might be as good as getting him trapped on the sideline. Max from Milwaukee, WI Do the Steelers count Le’Veon Bell’s game salary against the cap if he doesn’t show? No, they'll receive a credit to their cap for the games Bell misses. It's not money with which they can do much this season, but it'll carry over to next season and could help them be a player in free agency, depending on how many games Bell misses. Christopher from Stuttgart, Germany Vic, the Packers win if? The Packers win if they protect Aaron Rodgers. I don't see the Bears scoring a lot of points, but Rodgers will if he has time to throw. Eric from Clayton, MO I am currently reading John Glenn's memoir and was shocked to read about his fellow pilot, Ted Williams, nearly dying after being shot down in the war. I cannot imagine a current sports star of that caliber being sent off to war, especially as a pilot. Do you recall any great football players going off to fight in the '40's or '50's? Chuck Bednarik was a decorated B-24 waist gunner who flew on 30 combat missions over Germany in World War II. Oscar from Milwaukee, WI Vic, the Steelers are giving Le'Veon Bell good money to play running back. Why is he still holding out? Apparently, Bell and his agent believe limiting his exposure to injury in 2018 will get him a big contract in free agency next March. I don't have a problem with what he's doing. He's playing by the rules and so are the Steelers. In the end, however, I think he's going to find out he's a running back and he's going to regret the nearly $1 million a week he lost by not signing the franchise tender. Matt from Redacted, MI With a generational talent at QB, why haven’t the Packers been able to draft or patch? Where does the buck ultimately stop? I understand respecting the cap and low draft picks. I don’t understand fielding a porous defense for the better part of a decade. It seems it’s always something. Maybe it’s just in the stars. You say you understand but I don't think you do. The Packers have been a draft and develop football team. They haven't done a lot of patching, opting instead to rely on the young, drafted talent they've developed. It's kept their salary cap healthy and gave the Packers a long run of playoff seasons. Ultimately, drafting at the bottom caught up to them. Their defenses have been, in my opinion, undermanned. The Patriots are the best I have ever seen at patching. In my opinion, that's Bill Belichick's coaching genius. They find players on the scrap heap and get major contributions out of them. Dion Lewis is a recent example. So is Lawrence Guy. Remember him? The combination of Tom Brady's playing and Belichick's coaching makes the Patriots special. Of course, Brady helps make everybody around him better, including what has been an amazingly large cast of ordinary receivers. Shane from York, NE Vic, since the preseason is about evaluating talent and the first few games tend to be sloppy, what do you look for on opening weekend in the teams you've covered? Offenses tend to sputter in the early going, mostly because the offensive line play is weak. The line play last night was awful. They couldn't even come off the ball together. Lawrence from Jacksonville, FL I recently went to a book signing by former Jaguars executive Michael Huyghue, and he relayed the story of the 1996 draft when they were set to take Lawrence Phillips second overall until the day of the draft. He indicated they drafted Hardy after discussing contract parameters on the clock. Can you confirm Huyghue's account? The day before the draft, I heard the Jaguars were hot on Phillips, who was a controversial subject due to a violent episode with a Nebraska coed. I can confirm Jaguars security did exhaustive research on Phillips' background; I read the report. I got the feeling Phillips was the Jaguars' guy, until I got good information Wayne Weaver's wife was incensed Phillips was being considered. Delores Weaver is a good woman who put her heart and soul into running the Jaguars Foundation. There was no way she was going to allow Phillips to play in Jacksonville. Kevin Hardy became the pick. Kevin was a good player for the Jaguars, but I've always felt the Jaguars mismanaged that draft by paying a fortune to tackle Leon Searcy in free agency, when they could've spent that money on defense and drafted Jonathan Ogden second overall. Imagine Tony Boselli and Ogden as bookend tackles. Scott from Wasilla, AK What differentiates gimmicks from creativity? Creativity is lasting. Nathan from New York, NY Vic, what is your opinion on the officiating of last night's game? It was better than the line play. Roger from Auburn, CA It wasn't a pretty game but I sure enjoyed it. It felt like a 1970's grind it out game. Do you think it was just preseason rust or great defense? I thought it was bad football, which is what happens when your starters only play a couple of quarters of the preseason. The game lacked flow; that's preseason football. Henry from Jackson, WY Was it just me or did Ryan lack some zip on his passes last night? Matt Ryan has never been a big arm guy. I thought he looked slow and indecisive in the pocket, which is not as I would expect of Ryan in a few weeks. Craig from Cedarburg, WI It was mentioned in last night’s game the new rules change on hard counts drawing the defense offsides will be blown dead, and how that impacts Rodgers. How big an impact do you see this making? I hope it eliminates the free-play crap. It's soft and cheesy football. Line up and play like a man. Adam from Fond du Lac, WI What's with the green screen? Isn't the first down yellow line enough for viewers? I giggled when I saw it. My TV looked like a video game. Bo from Iowa Falls, IA Has your retirement made you softer? Did you actually say "baloney" this kickoff? Yeah, I said it with a smile on the opening kickoff, except I didn't say baloney, and I said it again in the second half. "This is baloney," I said with a scowl, except I didn't say baloney. |
AuthorVic Ketchman 
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