There’s no reason to look at it any other way

Mark from Westminster, CO

Mike, sometimes the only luck you need is to simply look out the window. I’d like to report that a rare black fox ran through my backyard at 8:23 a.m. MT on Tuesday while reading II and drinking my coffee. I have no doubt that this good luck event bodes well for the success of the Packers organization for the remainder of the year and into 2022.

I had never heard of a black fox being a good luck charm, but we’ll take it I guess.

All season I’ve been saying, “It’s a good win, but they still haven’t played a really good game yet.” I know we’ve been winning but we simply have to play better. I keep waiting for them to put it altogether, but these guys never seem to get there. At some point, we just have to say “we are what we are.” Have you seen anything that suggests they can get there? Playing this disjointed in the playoffs against the best teams in the NFC will get us knocked out pretty quickly.

Last year much of the same sentiment permeated right around this time, following close wins over Philly, Detroit and Carolina, until the blowout of Tennessee at home in Week 16. Then everyone felt better. But as we all saw, the Packers still didn’t play their best game when they had to have it. Does it remain out there for them? Absolutely. But we don’t know if or when they’ll find it. Still, when you have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and a defense that played the way it did from mid-October to mid-November, it’s out there. I truly believe that.

Margeaux from Tallahassee, FL

Postulating on Richard from Livermore, CA, isn’t Mason quite a golfer? In golf, golfers move from side to side in the Inbox, I mean tee box relative to the wind and shape of their normal shot. Aiming it down the middle only leaves you half a goal width margin of error on both sides. If you know that all your kicks go right to left, you aim at the right post which gives you a full goal width margin of error. Pros know their tendencies.

Precisely, and Brad from Marion, IA, had almost exactly the same thoughts. Crosby has a process for everything, and he trusts it. We should, too.

With two games remaining, is the 2021 NFL MVP AR12’s award to lose? I’m amazed how Rodgers has maintained this level of play despite a tumultuous offseason, COVID-19 criticism, and injury. The Cerebral Assassin of football rises.

I do believe it’s his to lose. Jonathan Taylor could still go off in the last two games, but other than his 43-yard run Saturday night, he gained just 65 yards on his other 26 carries. That wasn’t the performance he needed to remain a strong contender if Rodgers keeps putting up 100-plus passer ratings. Rodgers has separated himself pretty clearly in my view.

Steven from Messel, Germany

I Googled but could not find the answer: Based on number of games with a passing touchdown, who reached their respective record faster, Rodgers or Favre?

I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at, but here are the numbers: Favre started 253 regular-season games for the Packers and did not have a TD pass in 38 of them, while Rodgers has started 204 and didn’t have a TD pass in 18 of those starts.

I recall Drew Brees, when he was playing for Purdue, passing the ball 80 times vs. Wisconsin. Given the brutal cold and north winds we’ll be facing Sunday night, do you foresee the Packers trying to RUN the ball 80 times? Because I’m pretty sure that the Vikings, with Dalvin Cook, are thinking exactly that.

For the record, Brees had 83 pass attempts at Camp Randall in 1998. While I agree the Vikings will try to pound Cook mercilessly if he’s cleared to play, I would expect the Packers to run their offense. The quick flips to receivers on the outside are extensions of the running game for LaFleur and Rodgers, and they aren’t going to just pound Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon into a loaded box because it’s cold.

In a week-to-week league, who was the best team in Week 16?

Considering its opponent and the stakes in its game, probably Buffalo.