Big plays difficult to understand

"Ask Vic" will publish on M-W-F through the football season.

Dustin from Seymour, WI
You shared how Packers fans were feeling about (or justifying) Sunday’s loss. What would you take away from that game?
It was a long flight, it was warm on gameday, and when my body clock gets out of sorts my morning coffee doesn't even taste right. A couple of nights' good sleep, cooler temperatures and some Metamucil should fix the Packers right up. I expect them to win winsomely this Sunday.

John from Sioux Falls, SD
Watching the Packers defense, a thought occurred to me. Somehow Green Bay has managed to transform two of the more creative blitz-happy defensive coordinators in recent history (Capers and Pettine) into guys who play soft zones and hope to bend but not break. After all those high picks and free-agent signings, are we still not good enough to play to their normally aggressive styles?
Halfway through this season, the Packers' pass offense is the team's only good offense/defense ranking. Not much has changed. It's still all on Rodgers. It's in the Packers' DNA.

Stuart from Minneapolis, MN
Just wanted to say kudos for calling the Ravens' win over the Patriots. What did you think of the game?
The Ravens dominated. The Patriots have looked really bad in their last two games.

Kevin from Destin, FL
Before the announcement I found myself thinking the Jaguars have to go back to Foles. Money aside, look at what sitting behind Alex Smith did for Mahomes. On top of that, you have Foles' playoff reputation from the past two seasons. What do you think of the decision?
The Jaguars have to showcase Foles to have any chance of interesting a team in trading for him and picking up his $20 million in guaranteed money. No team is going to trade for him without seeing him play following his collarbone injury. That's how I'm reading this move.

Ryan from Plymouth, MN
After the Packers/Bears game in Week 1, I remember you described the Green Bay secondary as "exceptional." After turning in several poor performances in the following weeks, I was wondering how your opinion of the Packers defensive backfield has changed. Is it a problem that may sink this team, or can they get back on track for the second half of the season?
Only the pass rush is as good as it was in Week 1. Everything else about the Packers defense has declined since the opener. The Packers pass defense is giving up big plays and that shouldn't be happening with the pressure the Packers are putting on the quarterback and with the high picks and free-agent money the Packers have spent on their back end. I continue to believe the defense will be a strength of the team late in the season, but we're turning into the second half of the year and the arrow is beginning to point south. Not even Jaire Alexander is playing at an expected level. The Packers rush the quarterback but don't stop the pass and that's a strange combination. I don't get it.

Eric from Seattle, WA
Do you think the Steelers got the Packers' guy when they traded up to get Bush? It seems like he was a logical choice for the Packers at 12.
The thought has occurred to me.

Tom from Rochester, NY
Everyone is giving the Packers a pass for Sunday. I think this is the week we find out what kind of coach LaFleur will be. He spent all offseason and training camp talking about making the job fun for the players. I see a team that was punched in the gut and now needs to find a way for the fun to transfer to "do your job." Is that a fair assessment?
I think that's overly dramatic. One game doesn't define a coach; not even one season defines a coach. A coach is defined by his career because it's likely to include good times and bad and how he coaches in the bad seasons will probably say more about him than the years when everything seemed to go as planned. Chuck Noll's 1986 team started the year 1-6 and finished 6-10. It was as good a coaching job as any of Coach Noll's four Super Bowl years because in that 6-10 season he proved his coaching mattered; the longer he coached them, the better they got. We spend too much time judging coaches. Their impact on their teams is cumulative. Let's wait until the season ends before we begin analyzing Coach LaFleur's impact on his team.

Taylor from Amarillo, TX
Your comment about very little venom after the Packers loss is interesting and has me wondering why. Do you think it's a product of the tough early schedule and picking up some extra wins in what could have been a very difficult start?
No. Packers fans know what it is.

Ben from Polk City, IA
What are the other goals of this column, if the first is to help readers achieve perspective?
Inform, entertain and anger.

John from Mattituck, NY
Vic, Packers fans are OK with the loss because it’s their guy. The wolves can’t howl so quickly after they’ve been fed.
Bingo!

Gregory from Milwaukee, WI
What can you tell us about the late, great Jim Murray?
Read his column about losing his sight.

Bill from Folkston, GA
Vic, I was wondering, in your opinion does something need to be done about officiating in NFL games?
Something has to be done about pass interference. The league has created a monster and it's frustrating all of us. Case in point: The Colts were facing a fourth-down play late in the game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Brian Hoyer threw a desperation bomb that sailed 10 yards over the receiver's head. Defensive pass interference was called when the receiver and defender tripped over each other as they looked skyward for the ball. The ball wasn't catchable but the penalty resulted in a 35-yard gain for the Colts that would've won the game had Adam Vinatieri not choked with the game on the line. This PI crap has got to cease. The first thing the league should do is limit defensive pass interference to 15 yards. This is the least favorite season of my life and it's because of all the penalties.

Marcus from Kenosha, WI
During his postgame interview, Rodgers repeatedly referred to "decisions made within the last 48 hours" costing them the game. What do you think he was alluding to? Too much partying by the young guys? Not enough game planning? Adjusting the game plan at the last minute? Curious on your thoughts and speculation.
I'm guessing it was a curfew violation. Oh, boy, that's terrible. I remember covering a game in San Diego and the night before the game Jack Lambert roller skated into the hotel bar long after curfew. He rolled up next to a couple of attractive young locals, one of whom asked Lambert what his sign was. "Feces," he said. The next day, the Steelers kicked the feces out of the Chargers.

Isaac from Abiquiu, NM
Anything to be learned from this one or is it just something to move on from?
We learned the same plays that whipped the Chiefs failed against the Chargers. Why? Because the players didn't play as well against the Chargers as they did against the Chiefs.

Offense, defense rankings

• Packers -- 17th in total offense (22nd rushing, 12th passing) and 26th in total defense (24th against the run, 21st against the pass).
• Jaguars -- 12th in total offense (10th rushing, 14th passing) and 16th in total defense (22nd against the run, 11th against the pass).
• Steelers -- 28th in total offense (26th rushing, 27th passing) and 11th in total defense (16th against the run, 10th against the pass).

​Here are the Week 10 "Ask Vic" all-important power rankings:
1. 49ers -- Three in a row at home.
2. Saints -- Soft schedule ahead.
3. Ravens -- Best in the AFC.
4. Seahawks -- They find ways to win.
5. Rams -- Interesting game in Pittsburgh.
6. Eagles -- Patriots' next loss?
7. Patriots -- Thump!
8. Packers -- No excuses.
9. Bills -- Gritty.
10. Texans -- Lotta style but not many points.
11. Chiefs -- Is that a heartbeat?
12. Vikings -- They find ways to lose.
13. Cowboys -- Critical stretch of schedule.
14. Panthers -- Staying alive.
15. Steelers -- In the hunt.
16. Chargers -- Raiders, Chiefs and then Broncos.
17. Raiders -- Gruden has their attention.
18. Colts -- Stop with the Vinatieri love fest.
19. Jaguars -- Playing for the coach's job.
20. Titans -- Not a great job by Vrabel.
21. Lions -- Not in the hunt, again.
22. Bears -- The bottom could fall out.
23. Broncos -- Fangio has them playing hard.
24. Browns -- In disarray.
25. Cardinals -- Helmets make them look like bobbleheads.
26. Bucs -- Almost good.
27. Giants -- Soft up front.
28. Falcons -- At New Orleans. Ouch!
29. Washington -- What if Haskins isn't "The Man?"
30. Bengals -- Sell the team to Burfict.
31. Dolphins -- Playing their best football.
32. Jets -- Fly them into the sea.