It’s one more test in a season full of adversity

There was a strange call in the first quarter. The ref was heard saying I warned you. Five-yard penalty. False start, I believe, was the call? Who was the false start on? Could you guys clarify that call.

Weird deal. Shawn Hochuli flagged Green Bay for a false start because of how Lucas Patrick threw his head back. I’ve never seen that before and Matt LaFleur said Patrick didn’t do anything different than what Green Bay always does. LaFleur said he was talking with the league on what exactly the issue was, so we’ll see where that goes. In my opinion, it felt like a situation where Minnesota’s coaching staff gave the officials a list of things to keep an eye on before the game (e.g. Rodgers’ cadence, Billy Turner’s get-off, etc.), which is typical, and Hochuli’s crew worked off it like a grocery list. That’s all I can surmise. Hochuli perseverated on the Packers’ O-line like it was the only thing worth officiating.

Happy Tuesday Insiders! Now that my BP has settled after Sunday’s Packer vs. Vikings/refs game I can ask my question. The penalty disparity aside, why wasn’t Jefferson called for multiple OPIs? I saw at least two blatant ones where he made contact, extended one or both arms and knocked the defender off balance. Maybe I lied and my BP isn’t settled.

I guess that didn’t make the official’s list. It is what it is. Like Spoff said to me before we left Sunday night, that’s a call you’re going to get maybe three times out of 10. You just can’t bet on it, especially with Jefferson being a budding star in the league.

Dave from Bentonville, AR

May I just take some space to applaud you both for your professional handling of the copious number of submissions regarding officiating you undoubtedly receive. We all know it’s an issue, but to address it with class, yet still get your point across requires talent. Thank you.

It’s easy to rip on officiating when it affects your team but the reality is it’s a problem across the entire NFL. Honestly, I don’t even blame the referees. My issue is more with this carousel of yearly emphases, the lack of accountability for poor officiating and the direction things have headed. As Spoff said, the system needs to be reworked. Because right now, in my opinion, we’re officiating a constantly evolving game with outdated principles.

What a weird week…Did the Bills forget to show up or are the Colts that good?

The Colts aren’t bad but Jonathan Taylor is that darn good. I was wrong on Taylor, folks. I didn’t think he had what it took to be a featured back in the NFL. Taylor is a legitimate franchise running back.

I actually think there’s some merit to taking away Thanksgiving games from teams who are struggling, at least temporarily. The Thanksgiving Day games are typically among the most viewed games all season since people often plan their day around watching the games. It seems a waste to fill such a prime TV spot with a matchup between teams that are a combined 3-16-1. Thoughts?

My thought is who cares? It’s Thanksgiving. It’s tradition. I don’t need frontrunners to entertain me. And if you don’t like the matchup, then take a nap.

I think Greg Olsen does a great job as an analyst. Regarding our pass coverage against the Vikes, he seemed to know exactly what they had done before, and what they were going to do, as well as variations of it. Shouldn’t we know that also? I suppose it comes down to who is on the field?

I enjoyed the call from Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt. They didn’t beat dead horses, and I found them to be steady and easy to listen to.

Jeff from Vandenberg SFB, CA

Wes, are you going to wear your “My Editor is Hotter Than Yours” shirt this Sunday?

And that’s exactly what I needed to turn the page.