LaFleur-Rodgers at root of Packers' success

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

Andrew from Concord, NC
Do you feel like one of the keys to LaFleur's success is he sticks to the good old-fashioned running game and has returned to the importance of the trench game?
I think there's merit in that statement, but I think the biggest reason for Coach LaFleur's success is his ability to appease Rodgers, end the soap opera and eliminate distractions. One of the reasons the Packers have been able to run the ball successfully -- be that as it may, they're only up to No. 15 -- is Rodgers has bought into running the ball and I think that's largely a result of his relationship with his coach. It appears to me LaFleur has turned the offense over to Rodgers. Rodgers owns it and he's accountable for it. It was a smart play by LaFleur.

Chris from Bozeman, MT
Vic, why are you why you are?
I think where I was born and raised is the biggest part of my personality. I'm a big believer in spirit of place.

Kenny from Anderson, IN
I'm hoping the Packers take the Lions seriously. This will likely be the Lions' Super Bowl. They will come to play.
I don't agree. The Lions have checked out. The cars will be packed and waiting for the Lions' getaway.

Jim from Maple Grove, MN
Vic, which intrigues you more for Week 17? Is it the playoff seeding at stake in the NFC, or the battle for the sixth seed in the AFC?
The 49ers-Seahawks game is the only game on the schedule that excites me.

Justin from Athens, GA
What do you think about the NCAA football playoff and its impact on the importance and relevancy of the original six bowl games?
I don't completely understand your question but I think I comprehend the spirit of your question. Here's my answer: The TV ratings for the playoff games have been horrible, but the TV ratings for the old New Year's Day bowl games were pretty strong. Why haven't the playoffs improved the product?

Geoff from Beaver Dam, WI
Regarding Washington, you said "who will they hire?" Who would be willing to board a sinking ship?
How much is Daniel Snyder willing to pay for Mike Tomlin?

Elizabeth from Sylvania, OH
I don’t like the chortling. The second half of the Vikings game was fun to watch. What a wild season this has been. Do you think the Seahawks will beat the 49ers?
Yes. The Packers are a charmed team.

Josh from Napoleon, OH
Vic, the Vikings have the No. 6 seed locked up. Would you rest your starters in Week 17 knowing you can't get any higher than the sixth seed?
Yes, I would, but there's a potential problem for Mike Zimmer in doing that: If the Saints are No. 3, the Vikings are going to get flaming arrows shot into their boat in New Orleans, and three straight losses to end the season could cost Mike Zimmer his job. I think Coach Zimmer needs to win a football game at any cost.

Simon from Santa Clara, CA
So the Packers got to play the Vikings without Dalvin Cook, or his backup, on Monday night when Cousins has never won a game, Kendricks goes out in the second quarter and Barr checks out the play before the game-clinching touchdown? Winning teams take advantage of good fortune, but the Packers have had a lot of good fortune this season.
This is it, folks. This is the season to get that second Super Bowl title in the Aaron Rodgers era. Push all your chips toward the center of the table because it's never going to get any better than this.

Craig from Cedarburg, WI
Any concern about Rodgers’ performance in Minnesota?
One pass bothers me, the pass for Adams in the front-left corner of the end zone. It was thrown wildly to the inside, which was a 100-yard interception return waiting to happen. That's not the Aaron Rodgers I covered.

Nick from Owego, NY
College football playoff picks?
Ohio State over LSU in the title game.

Darrell from Leander, TX
"This could be a sack fest tonight." Vic, your headaches are as accurate as always.
I've had trouble sleeping this week. I don't know what it is. It's probably just the excitement of Christmas.

Jason from West Alliss, WI
Vic, can the Packers win it all as a power running team?
The Packers are not a power running team. They use the run as a diversion, to achieve balance and help keep the rush off Rodgers. Coach LaFleur has done a very good job of creating balance in the Packers' offense, but the Packers remain a team that wins with the pass.

James from Richmond, VA
Who, in your opinion, is the best journeyman quarterback in NFL history?
There are a lot of candidates: George Blanda, Earl Morrall, Kurt Warner, Kerry Collins, Jeff Hostetler, Rich Gannon, Norm Van Brocklin, Y.A Tittle, Fran Tarkenton and a whole lot more. I'm going to go with Jim Plunkett because he won two Super Bowls and I'm partial to him.

Gil from Lexington, NC
Vic, I just read Mike McCarthy has interviewed with the Panthers. Just wanted to get your thoughts on his chances.
Coach McCarthy is a good fit for any team because his specialty is developing and managing quarterbacks. Every team needs success at that position.

Brian from Stafford, VA
Given all the high-tech clothing, does Green Bay really have that much of an advantage playing at home this time of year?
If the Packers are No. 2 and the Saints are No. 3, after the Saints clobber the Vikings they'll have to go to Green Bay in the divisional round, and if the temperature is in the teens or below, the Saints will be easy pickings for the Packers. The Saints haven't played anything remotely resembling a cold-weather game and their quarterback is not the kind of big-arm passer cold and windy conditions favor.

John from Topeka, KS
In city league volleyball, the ref turns to the coin toss winner and asks "serve, side or receive?" The NFL only allows one other option. If you were forced to simplify the current rule, could you?
Grunt once if you want to defer? How about just send the two coaches out for the coin toss so we can get it right?

Rob from Clermont, FL
Vic, I have always loved and adopted as my own philosophy our memories make us rich. Today, I believe something just a tad different. If your memories are greater than your dreams, you’re already dead. How do you feel about that statement? Do you still have some big dreams?
No. I'm retired. This is a time for reflection.

Kevin from Silverdale, WA
A newspaper in Minnesota listed the top five Minnesota sports moments of the decade and one of the winners was "Barr injures Rodgers." I really can't believe they would publish something like that.
Cleveland did the same thing with Turkey Jones turning Bradshaw upside down and driving his head into the ground. It's what losers do. They can't experience the thrill of winning, so they derive joy from the defeat of those that beat them the most.

​Jamie from Thunder Bay, ON
Coach Noll said Jack Lambert was the “defender of what is right” following the Cliff Harris incident. Can you share another story where Lambert deserved this label?
In the game following the Turkey Jones incident, which resulted in Bradshaw missing most of the rest of the season, the Steelers were facing a must-win game against the Bengals with a rookie quarterback named Mike Kruczek. The plan was to run Franco Harris, which the Steelers did 41 times. Early in the game, a Bengals linebacker decided to rough up Franco a little bit and hit him very late out of bounds along the Steelers sideline. Lambert sprinted from the far end of the Steelers sideline and threw the linebacker to the ground. There was no flag. The Steelers won, 23-6. They would shut out their next three opponents and total five shutouts in a nine-game stretch in which the Steelers allowed a mere 28 points. It's the greatest run of defense I have ever seen.