Out-schemed or over-matched?

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

Carroll from Lynchburg, VA
Was Sunday's game an aberration or did Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles expose the Packers for future opponents?
I'm not big on scheme victories because they last only a week. What I saw that concerns me is the Bucs' superior speed. They were the faster team and the Packers' future opponents will take note.

Rick from Byron, IL
A little bit of humble pie was due but that was a whole lot of pie for sure. I'm confident the Packers will bounce right back but I don't like what I'm still seeing in several areas, especially the physicality of the team. What do you see?
I didn't like it, either, especially after the Josh Jackson pass interference. I said to myself, "They're going to score on a walk in." Two plays later, they did. I could feel the quit. Even Troy Aikman commented on it.

Ken from North Port, FL
Sometimes you need a bad day to humble yourself and refocus.
I agree. Rodgers was bad and his offensive line was worse. That's an unlikely combination.

Jason from Morrisville, NY
When the Packers lose, they lose bigly. Is the pencil whipping season over?
Were the Packers out-schemed or overmatched? The Bucs attacked the line of scrimmage. They dared Rodgers to beat them. That's a daring tactic that invites big plays. What did the Bucs see to cause them to use that strategy?

Mike from Seattle, WA
As Rodgers goes, the Packers go!
It's unfair he has to be the reason for every victory.

Greg from Cuenca, Ecuador
Vic, what did the Bucs figure out?
They believed they could get to Rodgers. Future opponents will see it on tape and try the same, but planning isn't doing. You have to execute the strategy. How many opponents can do what the Bucs did?

Ramiro from Jurupa Valley, CA
Vic, what do you think the Panthers will and should do with Mike Davis and Christian McCaffrey for the rest of the season and beyond? I agree with you, I like the way Davis plays.
Davis is power, McCaffrey is finesse. They can become a great 1-2 punch. I think the Panthers should be careful not to write Davis out of the script. He's given them a toughness McCaffrey didn't.

Thomas from Indiana
I've seen you reminisce on the old days of journalism with football, about the real connections players, coaches and journalists would create and how different today is. Have you watched Aaron's interviews on the Pat McAfee show and, if so, do you have thoughts on their weekly segment and their growing relationship?
I haven't seen the show. My first thought is it's another example of the jockocracy. Cosell warned us about it.

Garett from Medford, WI
Vic, assuming there is December football, in your opinion, should the Packers establish Dillon for late-season physical pounding, or do you think Jones is dynamic enough for the Packers to finesse their way to cold weather and playoff success?
He has to establish himself. It begins in practice.

Fred from Florida
Vic, I like your comments on Derrick Henry. It seems as if defenses fear power running and deep passing the most, yet, most modern offenses are based on dink and dunk or running backs in space. Why is that?
It's a philosophy based on taking what they give you. Great teams take what they want.

Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
I know receivers are, in your words, a dime a dozen, but how would you approach a draft that had a Calvin Johnson or a Harold Carmichael in it?
If Tony Boselli was available in the same draft, I'd pick Boselli.

Tracy from Sioux Falls, SD
My son and I were reviewing the Packers' career-ending neck injuries. Which do you think was the most impactful?
Not even Nick Collins could've fixed what was wrong with the 2011 defense, but Jermichael Finley would've put the 2014 offense over the top. He would've caught the pass Andrew Quarless dropped in Seattle. Game over, Packers win, beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Ben from Avon, IN
With Le'Veon Bell reportedly signing with the Chiefs and all of the other lucrative contracts signed over the offseason by Chiefs players, how do the Chiefs not become crippled by the cap?
It's a one-year, minimum wage type of deal. It's a rent-a-player contract. The real money stays on the Jets' cap, which is what happens when you make the kind of mistake the Jets did in signing Bell. The Chiefs have added a weapon. Bell will try to use the Chiefs to resurrect his career and sting another team in free agency.

Jamie from Thunder Bay, Ontario
If you were a young reporter looking to cover big games, which team would you want to work for?
The Panthers have captured my fancy this season. It's just a feeling I get watching them, that they are headed for good times. I like their ownership and their leadership. Matt Rhule was a great hire by David Tepper. The Panthers had an outstanding draft; it gave them a foundation for the future on defense. I love the Panthers' energy and grit. They are the up and coming young team in an old and declining division, and I would enjoy covering their growth and ascent. Be that as it may, the Bears put a whipping on the Panthers yesterday. The Bears' pass rush swarmed Teddy Bridgewater. The Bears are going to be a tough out for the Packers.