The urgency is there and so too is the focus

Dean from Leavenworth, IN

In the NFL it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Week 18 notwithstanding the Packers finished pretty strong. Starting in five days no one gets a do-over. Being the No. 1 seed and falling short the last two years, does that make the task more difficult and add pressure? This year more than any I can remember feels like an “All-in, Super Bowl or Bust” year.

Pressure creates diamonds, Dean. The veterans on this team have been there and done that. They know what it takes to win. I think they have a chip on their shoulder, too, after watching Tampa pave its path to the Lombardi Trophy through the North end zone of Lambeau Field last January. As far as “Super Bowl or Bust,” I’ve never liked the phrase. It reeks of desperation. I prefer “Be who you are” and capture the trophy the seed says you’re capable of capturing.

Looking at the list of Packers players potentially returning from injury for the playoffs, who is most likely to be on a limited snap count and how might that be handled? It seems easy enough to situationally rotate Za’Darius Smith, Jaire Alexander, and Randall Cobb into the game. Handling the return of David Bakhtiari and Josh Myers seems a lot more difficult. If their game conditioning is in question, do you find it likely Matt LaFleur would start them, and replace them mid-game?

The players who have been back the longest are the ones I’d expect to play the most, so that puts Bakhtiari and Myers in front of the pack. Sunday was meant to get them some in-game reps and see how their bodies respond. The next two weeks will help Bakhtiari and Myers get their conditioning back to play four quarters. Like Bakhtiari and Alexander before him, Za’Darius just needs to practice. That’s Step 1.

Chris from West Allis, WI

While I wanted the Packers to put up a great defensive performance against Detroit just like everyone else, let’s not forget De’Vondre Campbell didn’t play at all. We can’t praise him for changing the whole look of this defense and then be surprised when it doesn’t look as good without him.

Not making excuses, because the Packers needed to defend the trick plays better, but not having Campbell is a big deal. He brings so much to that unit from both an athletic and leadership standpoint. The silver lining is the Packers clinching the No. 1 seed afforded Campbell and Aaron Jones an extended break here before the playoffs.

Your thoughts on Dennis Kelly? To me, no matter who comes back, he’s my starting right tackle in the playoffs.

I don’t know who will start where on the offensive line once/if everyone is healthy, but I continue to be blown away by A) how well Kelly has played after not taking a single offensive snap for most of the season and B) how nobody wanted this guy. He’s the new Jared Veldheer on the O-line.

Good morning! One of the Outsiders Inbox questions was who you think would be the most improved player this year. My answer was Jon Runyan. To my untrained eye he really has seemed to step up from last year and seemed to make far fewer mistakes. What is your evaluation of him for the regular season?

It was a great pick then and even better now. I think Jon Runyan quietly has come a long way. You forget Runyan wasn’t a Week 1 starter but he responded when presented with an opportunity. He’s been a stable presence amidst a lot of turnover on the O-line this season.

Jacob from West Allis, WI

Josiah Deguara made the biggest play of his young career right before the playoffs. Do the Packers scheme up more opportunities for him after seeing that? Or does he just need to keep making the most of his limited opportunities? Either way, he gave opposing defenses another thing to game plan for which is nice.

Deguara’s catch-and-run, and Lucas Patrick’s second-level block were great, but it’s not just Deguara’s pass-catching that’s impressed me. He continues to find ways to affect the football game. In addition to the 62-yard TD, Deguara set a couple lead blocks that sprung the running back. Each week, Deguara is looking more and more like the guy who came in as a rookie and immediately opened some eyes.

Were you as impressed as much as I was on Allen Lazard’s quick thinking to grab the ball before it hit the ground? The NFL’s rule on carrying the ball through contact with the ground in the end zone breaks the ball breaking the plane rule for a touchdown

That’s all Allen Lazard and the power of concentration.

Love clearly showed a mixed bag of results in this game but I thought his over-the-top touch pass (to Davis, I believe) should have been caught for a TD and showed impressive potential.

Love had his moments and I wouldn’t put that first INT all on him. Beyond that, I don’t think there’s much to be said. The playoffs are here and Aaron Rodgers is healthy. Keep the main thing the main thing.