It's time to consider the future

"Ask Vic" is published M-W-F through the football season.

Ray from Clark, NJ
All in or blow it up?
Let's think on it a little bit.

Jason from Falcon, CO
Is the pass interference on King what the NFL wants? After no calls all game, either team can say they got “jobbed” and we all watch again?
The Packers got all of the calls for two years.

Ryan from Roselle, IL
I love Aaron Rodgers but I have to believe his legacy is the guy who can’t get it over the finish line.
I think that's unfair but sports is like that. I said last week it was the question that didn't have to be asked but would be answered on Sunday.

Jack from Chicago, IL
Is Green Bay cursed?
Cursed? In what way? They were healthy and at home. Just win the damn game!

Todd from Bristol, WI
This was easily the poorest officiated game this year.
That's baloney!

C.T. from Jacksonville, FL
Rodgers throwing the coach under the bus and saying his future is “uncertain” in the postgame interview. What should we take from this, Vic?
He wasn't throwing the coach under the bus but there's a weakness in his postgame remarks that's troubling because it's the truth, his future is uncertain. The Jordan Love pick was the elephant in the room all season long.

Pat from Collierville, TN
Kick or not kick? That is the question of the day.
I was stunned! I got a text message from my best sportswriter friend: "McCarthy would've gone for it." I agree.

Mike from Somerset, WI
What surprised you most about the Packers?
They couldn't run the ball; they wouldn't run the ball.

Matt from Chicago, IL
I value your opinion. Do these stats mean anything in your eyes? Aaron Rodgers 1-4 in NFC championship games, 1-7 playoff record when trailing at halftime.
I never covered a better quarterback but it is what it is.

Dillon from Melbourne, FL
What does a team with a 37-year-old quarterback, that spent its first-round pick on a quarterback who hasn't played a down, with a left tackle the team just signed to an enormous contract and is facing an ACL comeback season, and is about to lose a big chunk of its roster in free agency do now?
Perceptions change quickly. The Packers' arrow has dipped dramatically.

Richard from Germany
I think we just have to accept the fact Green Bay got out-coached today.
Todd Bowles did a great job disguising the Bucs' pass rush.

Ben from DePere, WI
Is Aaron Rodgers too big to coach?
Too big or too good?

Richard from Truckee, CA
Another entertaining football game. Now what?
Move on with your life. It's not your fault.

Bruce from Cameron, WI
Three times with first and goal, no runs, 13 points. Two times after interceptions, no runs, two three-and-outs. Don’t run the ball, you don’t win.
Under pressure, we revert to our true personality.

Guy from Racine, WI
With the salary cap going down by 10 percent, do you still see big names getting big contracts?
The stars of the game will still get their money, but the line will be more distinct and will be moved upward. I think that's what we're seeing with Aaron Jones. Ben Roethlisberger might be another example. His $15 million roster bonus will force a contract restructuring and a likely pay cut if he wants to continue playing. I'm surprised the dip in the salary cap isn't projected to be greater than it is. Teams of sound cap management will be able to deal with this drop; it'll cleanse the rest. This is good for the game. The NFL did a great job making it through this season without calamity in the present and damage to the future.

Tom from Pittsburgh, PA
What are your thoughts on the Steelers signing Dwayne Haskins?
I didn't do any homework on Haskins when he was coming out of college because I didn't see him as a draft candidate for the Steelers, Packers or Jaguars. I knew he was a big guy with a strong arm. Since he signed with the Steelers, I looked at video of Haskins. Wow! He's got a great arm and throwing motion. You see the ball on the ear and then it's gone. His best pass is the deep curl, which requires a lightning-quick release and velocity. His feet are light and tap through the throw. He's not fast but I saw several examples of functional mobility. I even saw him run an option play and make a deft and athletic pitch in traffic. His eyes are downfield and rushers struggle to bring him down. From a cap standpoint, he's a dream come true. His amortization stays in Washington and the Steelers signed him for minimum wage. Even better, they can tender him as an RFA in 2022. In my opinion, the Steelers can't get high enough to draft someone with Haskins' talent. Apparently, lifestyle is Haskins' issue. Maybe getting away from his hometown will help him clean up his life. He's only 23. If the Steelers can manage him and hone his skills, they might have their guy without having to spend a draft pick. If he's a bust, it won't have cost them anything.

Sean from Aubrey, TX
Could you please share your thoughts on the passing of Hank Aaron?
The '60's were my golden era of baseball, and I will always remember them as the Mays-Aaron-Clemente years. On the wall in front of me as I pen this column hangs a picture of Forbes Field. I saw all three men play there on multiple occasions, as day turned to night and the lights made summer last a little longer. I am left with the memories of the innocent pleasure that defines my youth.

Trevor from Wausau, WI
What are your thoughts on Dan Campbell's press conference and the Lions giving him a six-year contract to be their head coach?
They've made a commitment to Campbell they should've made to Jim Caldwell.

Maxwell from Milwaukee, WI
If you didn't have press credentials, where would you choose to sit and watch at Lambeau?
In my old office on TV. Football is a private event for me. I don't like to be disturbed. I don't cheer it, I study it. I've always been the way I am, even when I was a kid. I've always wanted to come away knowing not only what happened but why it happened. For me, that means removing myself from the frenzy -- and muting the TV when it becomes a distraction -- so I might absorb and appreciate what's being performed for my entertainment. Also, I hate the cold.