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Titans are new No. 1

10/21/2020

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

Here are my all-important Week 7 power rankings:
1. Titans -- They play big boy football.
2. Seahawks -- Rested and ready to charge.
3. Chiefs -- Back on their game.
4. Ravens -- Time to rest.
5. Steelers -- Are they for real?
6. Bucs -- Impressive.
7. Packers -- Bounce-back game in Houston.
8. Bills -- Not elite, yet.
9. Rams -- Goff needs to be better.
10. Raiders -- Can raise the bar vs. Bucs.
11. Saints -- Panthers won't be a soft touch.
12. Colts -- Direction undecided.
13. Bears -- Defense gaining momentum.
14. Browns -- Beckham pouting again.
15. Panthers -- Could be must-win game vs. Saints.
16. Cardinals -- Are they up to Seattle challenge?
17. Dolphins -- They're a contender.
18. 49ers -- Garoppolo gritty.
19. Patriots -- Fading.
20. Eagles -- Best team in the NFC East.
21. Lions -- Can even record in Atlanta.
22. Chargers -- Best 1-4 team in the league.
23. Broncos -- Fangio knows defense.
24. Giants -- Big one in Philly.
25. Vikings -- Can't blow their horn.
26. Cowboys -- Can't be fixed this year.
27. Falcons -- Finally protected a big lead.
28. Texans -- Dysfunctional.
29. Bengals -- They can beat the Browns.
30. Jaguars -- Will they win another game?
31. Washington -- Should they win another game?
32. Jets -- Bad uniforms, too.

Steven from Summerville, SC
Does the Packers offense have the personnel or talent to adjust and match up against great defenses, such as the Bucs, 49ers, Bears and Colts this season?
I believe the answer is yes, but I acknowledge your concern. The Bucs defense overwhelmed the Packers with speed and won the one-on-ones.

J.P. from Sterling, CO
"It's unfair he (Rodgers) has to be the reason for every victory." I couldn't agree more with your comment, Vic. To be a team that can win the Super Bowl, the Packers need to be able to win games in multiple ways: defense, special teams and offense. What's the prescription, Dr. Vic?
Run the ball, convert third down and dominate time of possession to keep a suspect defense off the field, or score a lot of points to accommodate a defense built for shootouts.

Fabio from London, UK
While LaFleur was rightly critical of himself, his play-calling and about the preparation for the game, he excoriated the defense's approach. I know you don't like the howling, but is Pettine and his toothless game finally seeing the writing on the wall? I still think it was a mistake for Murphy not to allow firing him after the two disasters in San Francisco.
Fire Capers, now fire Pettine, too? Keep firing coordinators until the Packers accumulate enough good players for someone to be successful?

David from St. Paul, MN
If the Packers played a full 60 minutes against Seattle in 2014, do you think Mike McCarthy would still be the head coach in Green Bay?
I think the Packers would've won the Super Bowl and, yes, it would've been more difficult to fire a coach who had two Super Bowl wins, but Mark Murphy didn't hire McCarthy, Ted Thompson did, and I think it's only fair for every guy at the top to be able to hire his guy under him. I didn't like the criticism McCarthy endured but, in retrospect, I think it's for the best McCarthy and the Packers parted ways. LaFleur is Murphy's guy and McCarthy is Jerry Jones' guy. Every coach deserves a sense of job security.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, what would you do if you were Shad Khan? Clean house now or wait until the offseason?
The first thing I'd do is ask myself, "Am I the problem?"

Todd from Phoenix, AZ
Vic, what did you and other reporters think would happen in free agency prior to the 1993 offseason? Was it a shock to the NFL world Reggie White signed a contract with the Packers?
Few, including me, understood how dramatically free agency would change the landscape of the NFL. The Eagles were stunned when White left. It sent shock waves around the league. At that point, everyone began understanding the change that was upon us.

Steven from Doctors Inlet, FL
Since we write the column, my opinion is Minshew is not the man. You can see things in person you don't see on TV. His ball was floating and he could not even get it outside the numbers. The Jaguars don't have to tank for Trevor, they're bad enough to get him naturally.
You make sound observations, but it's unnecessary to come to a decision on Minshew at this time. By the end of the season, we'll know if he can be "The Man," and the decision will be made for us by Minshew's performance. I'm hesitant to make a call on Minshew right now because I watched Baker Mayfield this past Sunday and I couldn't help but think the gap between Mayfield and Minshew isn't as great as where they were drafted would suggest. They kind of look like the same guy. Give it more time. What's the rush?

Doug from West Gardiner, WI
I'm a Packers fan but I'm curious about the Steelers' undefeated start. How good are they?
We'll find out this Sunday.

Pat from Collierville, TN
Vic, A.J. Dillon received a couple of carries in the Bucs game. Did you like his feet or is it too early to tell?
It's too early to pass judgment, but on one of his runs I winced a little.

Scott from Hamlin, NY
I guess that wasn't the right scheme to beat a good defense.
The scheme looked fine when the score was 10-0. I think Rodgers got a little full of himself after his apparent touchdown run, and he lost his edge. As Rodgers goes, so go the Packers.

Gabor from Budapest, Hungary
Vic, what does a poor week of practice mean?
The Packers ate the pizza.

Leonard from San Diego, CA
Has Coach McCarthy already lost the locker room?
The players in it stink. Start cutting them. The Cowboys are headed for a massive rebuild.
    ​

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    Vic Ketchman

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