Rodgers' performance was masterful

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

Adam from Thailand
Two third-down conversions to ice the game. The first conversion to Davante was a thing of beauty. Aaron Rodgers is still "The Man." I think Jimmy Graham quietly had a pretty good game as well.
What we witnessed last night was a masterpiece of quarterbacking. Rodgers did it all. He hard-counted, he made line adjustments, he rolled away from Clowney, he half-rolled toward Clowney and threw back into the flat opposite Clowney, he audibled with his voice and with his fingers behind his back. If you like scheme football, last night's game was your dream come true. Rodgers was a maestro, the football was his baton and the Packers offense was his symphony. A rested team beat a tired team, and an elite, somewhat-aging quarterback out-witted the Packers' tormentor. More than his ability to throw a football, what Rodgers displayed last night was superior command of how to direct a football offense. I get the sense it's what he's always wanted to do more than anything else. He wanted to prove he's smarter than everyone else, and he is.

Nate from Plymouth, MN
I think that was the most beautiful game I've ever seen.
It was Madden on grass.

Mark from Yucaipa, CA
How are you feeling about our chances next Sunday?
The Packers just played their best football of the season. They can win.

Tristan from Durham, NC
I feel like Sunday night finally gave closure to five years ago. Are these feelings irrational of me?
You're just happy. It'll wear off.

Ethan from Woodstock, CA
I’m a little surprised Aaron Jones wasn’t able to get much going in terms of yardage, based on the fact the Seahawks were No. 22 against the run. Could you give me some insight on what they were doing to stop him?
They were defeating blocks, holding the point of attack, penetrating and disrupting. Yeah, they'd get a safety up in the box when down and distance dictated, but I saw a lot of split safeties so they weren't doing it all according to scheme. The No. 26 defense in the league played hard.

Adam from Wausau, WI
Do you think McCarthy would have gone for a first down, at all costs, twice?
You mean throw the ball on third down? He did from deep in his own territory while trying to protect a lead late in the 2014 NFC title game, but the receiver dropped the pass. It's only a smart play if the pass is completed.

Ron from Findlay, OH
What will it take to get the Jags back on a positive winning trend?
They can begin by not trading a fifth-round pick for a third-string quarterback and not cutting players who are good enough to play on better teams.

Noor from Jakarta, Indonesia
Vic, I felt the Ravens rested too much. The key players rested in Week 17 and they had a bye. I felt they lost momentum and muscle memory. They don't look like themselves. What do you think?
They peaked. Too much talk of records, coaches interviewing for head jobs, praise for Lamar Jackson, praise for John Harbaugh for being innovative, Super Bowl predictions, etc. Plus, I was never convinced they were as good as their record. Blown out at home by the Browns? The Ravens were saved by a bad call and a fumble in overtime in the Mason Rudolph game in Pittsburgh. They were fortunate to eke out a win over the 49ers in a downpour. That was their peak. They coasted home following that game and looked kind of sloppy in doing it.

Ben from Hilo, HI
Your interview with Bill Cowher is one of the most enjoyable examples I've seen of the fraternity of football. Thank you for sharing your memories.
I'm flattered you remembered that video I did with Coach Cowher for a Steelers-Packers game way back in 2013. I truly enjoyed doing the interview. It was another example of memories making me rich. Congratulations, Bill, on your selection to the Hall of Fame.

Dan from Madison, WI
I don't get to see a lot of football outside of Packers games, so I was excited to watch the Ravens game to finally see Lamar Jackson in action. What happened? Did the entire Ravens team eat the pizza?
The Titans aren't the Washington Generals. They didn't go to Baltimore to help showcase the Ravens and lose the game. What happened was the Titans have the athletes on defense to play in space with Jackson. They took his legs away early in the game and Jackson's passes were repeatedly high and behind his receivers. I guess you could say they made him be a passer, but that's easier said than done.

Carrie from San Jose, CA
Vic, I know you didn't want to share your predictions, but I'm very curious: Did you think the Titans would win?
I would've been 4-0 this weekend.

Alan from Nixon, Ontario
During the season you said you thought there was an AFC team that could catch fire or come from nowhere or something like that. I thought of three teams at that juncture: Cleveland, Tennessee and the Steelers. I am very curious. Who was it?
It was the Titans. I've liked them since that playoff win in Kansas City a few years ago, and I fell in love with their defense in the Titans' season-opening win in Cleveland. It was just a matter of fixing the quarterback position. I thought it would be with Mariota; I never thought Tannehill would be the answer.

Marty from Grafton, WI
Does Derrick Henry remind you of Earl Campbell? If not, who does he remind you of?
Henry is a high-cut runner. He doesn't remind me of Earl at all. Henry is Franco Harris, right down to the high knees, the cutback and the surprising speed in the open field.

Dave from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, with the passing of Hal Smith, I wondered if you had any thoughts. I don’t recall your 1960 World Series story.
Game Seven of the 1960 World Series is regarded by many to be the greatest game ever played. Smith's three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning would've been the deciding blow had the Yankees not tied the game in the top of the ninth. I got home from school -- the nuns let us out early -- just in time to see Smith's home run. I thought that would do it, but then the Yankees tied the game and Mazeroski homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth and poor Hal Smith became the forgotten hero. Not for me; I'll always remember his home run sailing through the air on my parents' small-screen, black-and-white Admiral TV. Oh, the memories.

​Micah from Holland, MI
Vic, did you ever feel like the mystique of Lambeau measured up to the hype? Last night, I felt it did. I’ve been lucky enough to see a few Packers games in person before, but last night was my first playoff game in person. I cried as the players ran out of the tunnel before the game, the surge of crowd energy taking command of my emotions in a way that hasn’t happened in the regular season. The vapor of 80,000 breaths shrouded the field in a thin gray veil. Although I desperately wanted to beat our biggest unofficial rival, at that moment I was just so happy to be there I didn’t care who won. Then, as the ball floated in the silent tension between throw and catch, my eyes started to mist again as I saw Davante Adams open in the end zone. The tears came as the crowd erupted the moment his hands touched the ball. Now in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks were on the verge of ripping through our collective scar tissue once again, and I looked up toward the stadium lights and noticed snow had begun to fall. This comforted me and when I looked back to the field Russell Wilson was being sacked on what would be the Seahawks’ final offensive play. Minutes later, the increasingly large snowflakes were glowing a soft green in the light of victory fireworks, falling gently upon a stadium full of fans that didn’t want to leave. There really is nothing else quite like it.
I watched the game with the windows open.