Packers are the pick

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

Jon from Omaha, NE
I'm very grateful for the win, however, I don't know if we win if Donald is healthy. That defense was really good without the best player in the league.
I applaud Coach LaFleur for not falling for Coach McVay's disinformation. It would've been a waste of an extra blocker to double-team Donald, and it would've meant someone at or near the point of attack would've gone unblocked.

Jan from Grobbendonk, Belgium
Finally, the Packer nation gets to experience what it feels like to be able to rely on your run game to pick up (short yardage). I can't really remember any moment in the last 10 years we could trust on that happening, excluding maybe two seasons with a fully healthy Eddy Lacy. I was not really convinced about your opinion this Rodgers-led offense would be unstoppable. Now that I've seen this against a good Rams front, I start to believe. Your thoughts?
The running game is what's made this Packers team great, and it begins with the offensive line. Elgton Jenkins is the best pick of the Brian Gutekunst era. His combination of movement and power reminds me of Dermontti Dawson.

Josh from Fargo, ND
What have you observed of Matt LeFleur? Is he a leader of men, or is he a product of Aaron Rodgers? In my opinion, to come in and earn Rodgers’ respect, that has to mean something.
We're all products of Rodgers. This column is a product of Rodgers. I give Coach LaFleur high marks for creating a reliable running game.

Matthew from Las Vegas, NV
That wasn't scheme, that was running the ball. Up until the fumble, what did you think of Dillon? He made one cut I really liked.
I think Jamaal Williams ran better. He's a true power back and he's a better receiver than Dillon. The Packers might've underrated Williams. They probably could've re-signed him affordably before the season began.

Alex from Milwaukee, WI
Whoever decided to give fans that board they used to bang on the seats and make noise deserves a game ball. Needs to be a fan giveaway of plastic Packers bats at the championship game. Nine thousand people banging on aluminum seats is very loud!
Isn't that a noisemaker? I don't want to hear any more complaints about piped in crowd noise.

Derrick from Rockaway, NJ
Do you believe the game plan was to run at Donald, or did they adjust as they saw what he was capable of?
I think the game plan was to test him early. A few plays into the game, I could see he couldn't get off the ball.

John from Green Bay, WI
What type of team are the Packers at this point in the season, power or finesse?
The Packers are a mix of power and finesse. They're a misdirection passing game with a power running attack.

Robert from Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Two dropped interceptions at the end of the half and a fumble that bounced right into Rodgers' hands. Dominant performance or not, it makes me wonder what's going to happen when those lucky breaks go the other way.
The best player in the league who isn't a quarterback looked like Roy Hobbs with a blood stain on the side of his uniform, and the quarterback with the broken thumb could barely push the ball out of his hand. "Kato Kaelin" would've been tougher to beat. The calls, the breaks and the ball just keep bouncing the Packers' way. Donald gets penalized for grabbing a facemask in a scuffle, but it wasn't detected when Donald's facemask was grabbed during a goal line play. It's amazing.

Dylan from Cortez, CO
Would you pay Aaron Jones?
After last season, I wrote I'd try to re-sign Jones, but it would cost a lot more money to do it now. Again, at this late stage of the game, Jones is in effect a free agent. Why would he give the team a favorable contract now? Drew Rosenhaus is holding all the cards. The Packers have taken a very aggressive position in potentially needing to replace players: Jones, Williams, Linsley and more. They went all in to re-sign Bakhtiari, and I think that says something about the value the Packers place on premium positions. If they cave on these other guys at this late stage, it's going to be very, very costly.

Greg from Danbury, CT
What’s more remarkable, that Reid called the screen or that Reid trusted Henne to execute the screen?
Fourth and inches and you put the season in the hands of your backup quarterback? Run the ball! Reid is getting all of the credit for that win, but who gets the blame for recklessly running his all-world quarterback on a short-yardage play and losing him to a concussion for the remainder of the game and possibly the AFC title game? The game is about more than plays on a laminated piece of paper. It's about the instincts and restraint of a veteran coach. I thought his coaching nearly cost his team, the best team in the AFC, a season-ending loss. I tip my hat to Chad Henne. He finally had his day in the sun.

Charlie from Brookings, OR
Vic, did you feel a procedure penalty should have been called on the Adams touchdown? I thought he was clearly moving toward the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped.
They're not calling that anymore, unless it's a dramatic turn up the field.

Benjamin from Albuquerque, NM
I can excuse dancing. I don't get the weird pantomimes, though, like rowing a boat or Hunt pretending to sleep on the ball.
I did my own interpretations yesterday. I wiggled and jiggled all over the living room every time somebody made a tackle. I did a Rashard Higgins act-angry celebration following a catch, and then I did a poor-me pout after Higgins fumbled the ball through the pylon. It was fun! Today, I'm going to celebrate eating lunch, and then I'm going to trash-talk the dog.

Pat from Seneca, SC
Do you have any thoughts on the fumbling out of the end zone rule? It seems like most people want to see that rule changed (perhaps because it would further favor the offense by allowing players to dive and extend the ball with fewer consequences).
Here's an idea: Coaches could teach their players to protect the ball.

Jason from Morrisville, NY
Were those two good defenses last night or two old quarterbacks we were watching?
Those were two old, weak-armed quarterbacks in a conference dominated by old quarterbacks. The Packers are the only quality team in the NFC playoffs and the conference is going to get weaker next season.

Griffin from Rolling Meadow, IL
Who do you have winning next week and what matchup is most intriguing?
I can't make a pick in the AFC without knowing Mahomes' status for the game. In the NFC, I think the Packers will win and it won't be close.

Aaron from Boston, MA
Whether the NFL lets Mahomes play next week will dictate how serious they are about concussion protocols and player safety. Concussions don’t clear up in a week, for anyone.
OK.

Tom from Pine River, WI
Was illegal block in the back something the NFL invented so officials could have more control over the outcome of games?
It was previously known as clipping and it was as annoying then as block in the back is now.

Sean from Chaska, MN
Let me preface by saying I don't want to do this. We've apparently got serious depth at the offensive line. Think we can get a one for Bakhtiari?
On an ACL? No. Beyond that, trading Bakhtiari for a 2021 draft pick would result in the Packers having to eat $50 million in amortization, and it would all accelerate into the current year.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
The Browns shouldn't feel bad. They came a long way. They had a great season.
Ah, that's nice. Maybe Coach Stefanski took them out for ice cream after the game. Vic to Browns: Your Cinderella season is over. Next year, the hunter becomes the hunted.