Freedom, freedom

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

Danny from Fernandina Beach, FL
I think Tom Coughlin was the scapegoat in Jacksonville. Do you?
Tom is a great coach. What he did with the expansion Jaguars will be prominently mentioned if and when Tom is elected to the Hall of Fame. I don't think he should've been fired. I think he should've been stripped of his personnel authority and retained as coach. It's not that Tom doesn't know talent -- he's a sensational evaluator of talent -- it's that he lacks the patience required of personnel directors and that causes him to focus almost solely on the present. He drafted too much for need and then wrecked the salary cap to get what he failed to acquire in the draft. The Giants knew that about Tom and gave him no voice in personnel matters. The result was he won two Super Bowls. So, here's a man with a track record for being a great coach but a reckless manager of personnel and the salary cap, and what do the Jaguars do? They bring him back to be their general manager. I treated it with a respectful reaction, but I had reservations. If they had hired him to be their coach and given him a top general manager, I believe the outcome would've been very different.

Jim from Maple Grove, MN
Vic, what do you make of Mike Tomlin's postgame comments? If he hadn't said he won, I wouldn't have thought he won.
Tomlin is a demanding coach. He constantly challenges his team. I thought he should've attempted a field goal from the 1-yard line early in the game -- hey, how many points were the Ravens going to score? -- but I knew Tomlin would go for it because that's his coaching style. You get what you emphasize, which is the coachspeak way of saying you get what you demand. Tomlin's style is very different from Coach Noll's. Coach Noll was glib: "Sidney has many problems and they are great." Tomlin is sudden and dramatic: "We will unleash hell in December." As Coach Noll said: "Whatever it takes."

John from Brookfield, WI
What are the salary cap implications of trading Rodgers? How does it change over time?
His salary spikes from $1.55 million this year to $14.7 million in 2021, which explodes his cap hit by roughly the same difference. Traded, however, he's a nearly $5 million cap savings over his dead money charge, and the savings would increase to $11.8 million if Rodgers is traded prior to the third day of the league year, when a $6.8 million roster bonus is due; his new team would pay the roster bonus. At that point, the Packers would be free to re-shape their roster and salary cap. In '22, his salary explodes to $25 million, which would make him an even bigger cap savings over his dead money hit. The more logical out is '22, but it's doable as early as '21.

Dale from Lodi, WI
Will this year's Super Bowl winner be recorded in the history books with an asterisk next to their name?
Why, to remind us of what we'll never forget? It's been a compromised season, but it's also been the best thing we've had to get us through a very dark time.

Adam from Denver, CO
Should Rodgers not have thrown that pass to Lazard?
At that point in the game, I would've rather seen the Packers run the ball, shorten the game and protect their players from injury. The killer instinct thing can cut both ways. The Chiefs went killer instinct in a game they were dominating and found themselves having to hang on for the win.

Eric from Green Bay, WI
In your power rankings you have Seattle ahead of Green Bay. I can respect that, however, I don't see Seattle being able to hurt Green Bay in the ways they would need to, specifically running the ball. Our CBs could at least challenge Metcalf and Lockett. Seattle doesn't have the defense to challenge our offense. I don't fear Seattle in the playoffs one bit. Thoughts?
I agree with your analysis. The reason I have the Seahawks ranked above the Packers is out of respect for the division in which the Seahawks play.

Chad from Baraboo, WI
Vic, if the Packers win it all, they will do so as a scheme offense. We are in a unique spot with a generational QB talent at the helm of an offense that seems tailor-made for his skills. Knowing your disdain for scheme vs. smash mouth football, I am surprised to hear you reference the Packers in conversation for the Super Bowl, especially with the glaring holes in our run defense. Are you anticipating the Packers are yet to peak as a team, or is it solely based on Rodgers' unique skills in a year in which his fire seems to be re-lit?
You can win with scheme if you can execute scheme, and Rodgers can create and execute scheme better than any quarterback in the game. He's playing the best football of his life.

David from Maplewood, NJ
Just to be clear, you are advocating if the Packers win the Super Bowl they should trade Rodgers immediately following?
No, it's just the opposite. One more shot. This is it. If this doesn't work, it's time to consider Einstein's theory of insanity.

Mike from Jackson, MI
Do you think Rashan Gary or Darnell Savage could be the Packers' Bob Sanders come January?
That's the hope.

Patrick from Fort Collins, CO
Any trees the Packers can shake to get a Bob Sanders for the defense? Or is help not on the way?
It doesn't have to be a player. It can be a new scheme. For the 1974 playoffs, George Perles turned Joe Greene sideways over center in a defense that would become known as the "Stunt 4-3." It was impenetrable and the Steelers swept to the Super Bowl title. Of course, that was Joe Greene who was the key player in the new scheme.

Craig from Sheboygan, WI
I appreciate you giving me perspective with regards to the Love pick, however, I watched one game the Ravens were playing and I didn't see Queen look like a difference-maker at all. In fact, he looked too skinny and soft. Just my amateur viewpoint.
Put on the tape of Wednesday's game -- or is that the one you're referencing? The Steelers were held to 68 yards rushing and Queen was the Ravens' second-leading tackler. A run-stuffer would certainly be a difference-maker for the Packers.

Brett from Pasadena, CA
Vic, what are you looking for out of the Packers to move them up in the all-important power rankings?
Beat the Titans.

Jonathan from Champlin, MN
What do you think about Cris Collinsworth’s comments about being "blown away" by the female fans he encountered in Pittsburgh? Is he deserving of the criticism?
Of course not. We're bored so we use whatever we can to create a controversy that'll entertain us. When I was in Jacksonville, a female reader requested a female-only "Ask Vic" day. I liked the idea so every so often I would post a "Ladies' Day Ask Vic." It was popular. The male readers respectfully complimented the women on their questions. Hey, the NFL was conducting "Football 101" classes for women, so what was wrong with a "Ladies' Day Ask Vic," right? The first time I tried it in Green Bay, a female reader reacted angrily. She fired off a letter to Mark Murphy demanding my dismissal. Well, I'm retired; no Mark Murphy to run to now. I got an LLC and a laptop that's "Ask Vic's" only asset. Nothing beats retirement and an LLC. I can hear Richie Havens singing "Freedom."