The Packers always beat the Bears

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the football season.

Tony from Onalaska, WI
Despite having the goofiest throwing motion, I've come to respect Rivers. He plays with a lot of heart and bravery. What do you make of the Chargers after that win?
I wrote in this column we'd get a feel for the Chargers in December, when they play games at Pittsburgh and at Kansas City. They're 2-0 in those games and I think the feeling now is the Chargers might be the best team in the AFC.

Gunars from Iowa
So what is the issue with Atlanta? Is it a talent issue or coaching or some other disconnect?
They're soft on defense and getting old on offense. Matt Ryan is showing some age and Julio Jones can't stay healthy.

Jason from West Concord, MN
Vic, In the last two seasons, the pitchfork fan base has chased off our GM, defensive coordinator and now the head coach, all three of which have demonstrated the ultimate levels of winning in the past. Our new free agency philosophy has netted the team its first miss of the playoffs with a healthy Rodgers since his first year as a starter. I'm worried we're running out of people to blame. Who should we blame next?
Bert Bell.

Mark from St. Charles, IL
If "lack of creativity" is one of the seven deadly football sins, what are the other six?
1. Predictable play-calling. 2. Taking your foot off the gas. 3. Bad time management. 4. Trusting your defense to get the ball back. 5. Not utilizing the tight end. 6. Wasting a timeout. Any one of the seven deadly football sins is reason to fire the coach.

Jim from Maple Grove, MN
Vic, it sounds like Bruce Arians isn't interested in the Packers job. In the past, you have expressed respect for Jim Caldwell, a former QB coach and offensive coordinator and a Wisconsin native. What could he bring to the table as the head coach of the Packers?
I have high regard for Caldwell. He coached under Joe Paterno, Tony Dungy and John Harbaugh, a trio of coaches who give Caldwell a well-rounded background. Caldwell is a calm and measured man who brings stability to a franchise and expertise to the quarterback room. I think the Lions made a big mistake firing him. Be that as it may, I don't think he's a good fit for the Packers, and it's because I don't think he'd be enthusiastically received by the Packers fan base. The next Packers coach must be perceived to be an upgrade from Mike McCarthy, and that might limit the Packers to a young, exciting coach with a reputation for being a play-calling and game-planning wizard. Packers fans love plays as much as they love players.

Dan from Silver Spring, MD
Vic, would you expand on "Dark days have begun" for the Steelers? Do you mean the next couple of weeks and the playoffs likely slipping away, or are you thinking bigger picture?
Drafting at the bottom of the order has caught up to the Steelers. They haven't been able to fix their defense and Ben Roethlisberger is reaching the age that he won't be able to cover the Steelers' weaknesses. Sound familiar? I expect the Steelers to go dark for a few years, as the Browns take their turn at the top of the AFC North. I'm describing the life cycle of a team with a great quarterback.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
What do you currently think of Kirk Cousins? Can he lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl?
I hesitate to say yes, but I can't say no, and that's why Cousins got the big deal in the offseason. He's a tease. He turns it on and looks great, but he doesn't seem to be able to sustain that high level of play. The Vikings signed him to be an upgrade over Case Keenum, which I think Cousins is. Cousins has a 97.4 passer rating with 24 touchdown passes and nine interceptions; Keenum is 84.3, 15 and 10. The Vikings knew they were overpaying, but they were willing to do it in pursuit of a Super Bowl title. As Wayne Weaver once said, the Super Bowl is a powerful opiate.

Billy from Verona (wherever that is)
Do you have a favorite NFL Films episode?
"The Violent World of Bill Saul." He was the first player NFL Films wired for sound in a game.

Nathan from New York, NY
Should the Vikings hire McCarthy as offensive coordinator?
What if they hire him as head coach? Uh oh.

Jerry from Savannah, GA
Vic, what do you think happened to the Vikings?
They ate the pizza.

Ben from Hilo, HI
Which NFL rosters are built for December?
If the AFC road to the Super Bowl goes through Kansas City and New England, the Titans and/or Ravens could be tough to beat. They can run the ball and play defense. The NFC road to the Super Bowl will go through New Orleans and Los Angeles, which renders weather meaningless and favors nobody.

Elten from Pleasant Lake, IN
Would you be comfortable with the Packers hiring a head coach, Pat Fitzgerald or anyone else, who had no NFL coaching experience?
I think the world of Fitzgerald, but college football is a very different game than pro football. I think it would be best for the Packers to find a coach with a strong pro football background.

Jon from Bloomfield, NJ
Vic, a while ago you said only cretins eat fast food in their car. Is that because it's dangerous to eat and drive? Or is it because of the mess it makes in your car? It's been bugging me off and on for a few months now. Please lay this to rest for me.
It's because of the mess it makes of your soul.

Maggie from Kenosha, WI
Now that we're 14 weeks into the season, which team would you say has surprised you the most?
In a good way, I'd say it's probably the Colts. Andrew Luck's career was in jeopardy and in every other way the Colts were ordinary to subpar. Frank Reich is a candidate for coach of the year. If the Colts can win at home against the Cowboys and Giants, the Colts' season will be defined by their Week 17 game in Tennessee. I can't help but wonder what Josh McDaniels would've accomplished with this Colts team.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, what are your expectations for the Packers/Bears game?
I'm not surprised by what the Bears have accomplished this season, but I don't think they're an elite team. They're a cut above the Packers, but not unbeatable. I expect Aaron Rodgers to torture them, as he's seemingly always done, and I expect the Packers to win because the Packers always beat the Bears. Even Brett Hundley beat the Bears. It's the most one-sided, overrated rivalry in the NFL. Until the Bears beat the Packers, I'm not going to change my mind so, please, don't barrage my inbox with tear-stained emails about Lombardi, Ditka, Chester Marcol, etc. Since I began covering the Packers, they're 13-2 against the Bears, and would be 14-1 if Rodgers hadn't broken his collarbone in 2013. That's not a rivalry, it's a ritual.