Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
- 0
Matt from East Troy, WI
Gents, many of the readers read II during lunch. What do you read at lunch?
Their questions.
Jeff from Green Bay, WI
As for ILB, thumper/thinker are not mutually exclusive as every player needs both attributes to play the position. I was only asking which attribute the coaching staff leans on more when making depth-chart decisions. My money is on the guy who is more solid with assignments, even if the athletic side of things isn't as intriguing.
I hear what you’re saying, but if by depth-chart decision you mean starter or most playing time, I think the strengths of the surrounding pieces factor in. If you mean further down the depth chart with roster cuts, it usually comes down to whether there’s perceived upside to any current deficiencies.
Steven from Silver Spring, MD
When Pettine took over last year, one of the keys to success frequently mentioned was the importance of having people play roles that they play best. But then last week he stated the most important concept on defense is to block pre-snap identification by QBs by having players be multiple and play different roles. These two concepts seem to contradict each other.
I think they’re a reflection of changing priorities in Year 2 vs. Year 1 of the system. The better the players know it, the more they might be able to do. Pettine also knows his players better now, though there are several new additions in 2019. But having only a portion of the players learning a new scheme, as opposed to everyone, makes a difference in the approach for a coach.
Sean from Suamico, WI
I know it’s still early, but any word on if the Packers will have a decal on their helmet or a patch on their jersey this season to honor Bart Starr?
Nothing yet. This is just me spiffballing, but with the NFL’s 100 patch already on everybody’s jersey this year, I think a helmet sticker would be the better way to go.
Dave from Lake Mills, WI
Less of a question, more of an observation. In seeing the interviews with most of the players, it strikes me how upbeat they are, and centered on the team. The chemistry seems fantastic. I especially liked what Jamaal Williams said about winning, and just doing what they ask you to do, etc. (tough to choose, but I think he's my new favorite Packer). That attitude and the apparent chemistry will take them far, in my opinion.
This is the time of year the chemistry starts to form. The days are not as long as the regular season, so there’s time to spend together away from the facility. But every team is upbeat with chemistry when it hasn’t lost a game. A team’s chemistry isn’t really discovered until adversity strikes, which it will.
Scott from Kissimmee, FL
Tell the truth, are either of you old enough to know what a rolodex is, or were the history books called upon!
You’re too kind.
Rich from Grand Rapids, MI
Can you walk us through the timing for your game-day articles? For example, if you have primary responsibility for the game summary, as opposed to a "news and notes" or "locker room interview" type story, how much is written as the game is going on? How far along is the article at halftime of the game? Do you go back and change tone as the flow of the game or momentum changes? It might be fun for your loyal II readers to watch it being drafted live during a preseason game.
It doesn’t happen quite like that. We don’t really work ahead on our postgame stories because we’re too busy to do so. During the game, while Wes is assisting the social media team with on-the-fly updates, I’m writing a running story of the nuts and bolts as they happen, essentially a drive-by-drive, score-by-score rundown. It gets posted at the end of every quarter, and it’s topped off with a quick-hitting summary of team records, stats, etc., as soon as the final clock hits zero. After the game, I go to the press conferences of the head coach and quarterback, and Wes goes to the locker room, and we write from scratch. I put together the “Game Recap” and “Editorial” with relevant comments/quotes as quickly as I can, while Wes does the same with the “Locker Room Report” and “Game Notes.” We’ve developed an efficient routine, just as Vic and I did when the roles were reversed. The real challenge is with the road games. We want the “Game Recap” with coach/QB comments to go up as soon as possible, which means getting it written on the bus ride from the stadium to the airport, otherwise we’re waiting until we get above 10,000 feet for the airline WiFi to kick in to get it posted. That time gap feels like an eternity in the gotta-have-it-now online world. It’s stressful, and uncomfortable writing on a bus, but I love the challenge.