Inbox: That was the real story

[Cheesehead]

Malcolm from Fennimore, WI


Maybe the additional footage for the review came from the Patriots. Just kidding, thought you guys might get a good laugh out of that one.


That was a new one for me.


Bill from Bloomfield Hills, MI


Really happy for Jimmy Graham. He has underachieved since leaving the Saints, and right or wrong, most of my impressions have been of him having some decent catches for GB but drops going hand-in-hand. I saw his step up as right up there with Aaron's in this game. Hard to see or notice much during the broadcast, how much did his blocking and drawing coverage help out the rest of the pass game?


Allison said afterward Graham was a big part of the game plan based on what the Packers had seen on film from the Seahawks, who ran a lot of base concepts. Through the ups and downs, Graham has remained confident in his abilities. The locker room trusts him but I think Sunday was a reminder to fans of what Graham can bring to this offense.


Josh from Oshkosh, WI


Aaron Rodgers was legendary on Sunday. And joining him was Davante Adams. We all already knew he is great, but on Sunday he officially became a legend of Lambeau Field.


The pundits love to question Rodgers and ask whether he’s the same player he once was. Let them. Because inevitably Rodgers rises back up and makes the legendary throws fans have grown accustomed to. And now he’s two wins away from a second Super Bowl championship.


Eric from Tucson, AZ


Not a question, but a comment. You hear a lot about the Brady-Manning rivalry, and for good reason. But I think the Rodgers-Wilson rivalry is just as good. Watching these two titans battle it out over the years has been a real treat.


They are two of the best athletes to ever play the position. If you weren’t a fan of either team, that was an incredible game to witness. It always is with those two.


Chris from Frederick, MD


I still can't believe Pete Carroll chose to punt and give the ball back to Rodgers with a little over three minutes left in the game. When that happened, my buddy turned to me and said, "That's having faith in his defense." I responded, "That was a mistake."


I was fine with it, especially after Smith dropped Russell Wilson for a 6-yard loss on third down. The Seahawks were at their own 36 and facing fourth-and-11. Seattle had all three timeouts and just forced back-to-back punts. I understand Carroll’s logic.


John from Peoria, IL


I think the biggest difference between a veteran QB and an inexperienced one in the playoffs is the ability to remain calm while under pressure. Keep doing the little things well despite the noise and drama.


This is something to keep an eye on over the next three weeks. Rodgers has started 17 NFL postseason games in his career. Meanwhile, Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Tannehill and Patrick Mahomes have five combined starts among them.


Peder from Muskegon, MI


Guys, how much do you think the flu affected the team?


The loss of Bryan Bulaga was significant but Jared Veldheer was exceptional. That acquisition looks better and better by the week. The Packers just need to stay on top of this nasty, nasty bug going through the locker room right now.


Evan from Town of Sharon, WI


Who was the most unlikely hero for the Packers in Sunday's game?


It has to be Veldheer. The guy was retired four months ago, watching the Packers-Bears opener as a fan at Soldier Field. On Sunday, Green Bay told him a half hour before the kickoff he was starting at right tackle.


Mark from Ocala, FL


Putting it all together "whatever it takes!” Great Monday morning quick inquiry. Our first defensive play resulted in an apparent fumble. Challenged review clearly indicated a fumble with one caveat, "no clear recovery.” How can a fumble with "no clear recovery" not really be resolved? Then to give the ball back to the offense with "no clear recovery." Would not or should not the call result in loss of a timeout and challenge being returned as there was no official clarification?


As Spoff said, I feel like the referees didn’t know what they were looking at. I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more urgency to officiate the play but nobody saw the ball come out. The league office acknowledged Jacob Hollister fumbled upon further review but the failure to break up the scrum led to Chandon Sullivan’s recovery being nullified because there wasn’t an angle definitively showing Sullivan got the ball.


Al from Spearfish, SD


This question should be part of the equation. "If it had been ruled a fumble on the field instead of down by contact, whose ball would it be?”


If it was ruled a fumble, I don’t see any way it wouldn’t have been Green Bay ball.


John from Green Bay, WI


Now that we get a second shot at playing the 49ers, what are the keys to change from the last meeting?


Third downs. The Packers need to be more efficient than the first game when they were 0-of-13 in that area when Rodgers was in the game. Run or pass, the Packers need to get the ball outside, stretch the 49ers horizontally and stay in manageable down-and-distance. Defensively, Green Bay is playing much better than it was in late November because it’s defending the run well and cut down on the big plays. The Packers will need both to prevail in the rematch. More Rodgers magic like we saw Sunday wouldn’t hurt, either.


Ryan from Mountain Home, ID


When I watched the Niners and Rams play about a month back, the Rams recipe for success was in the screen game and rolling Jared Goff out to the right or left. He very rarely was dropping back waiting for that extremely fast defensive line to come get him. Those quick hits and screens have to be part of the game plan. Thoughts?


That’s what I was alluding to in the previous answer. The Rams worked the quick passing game and got the ball outside. I think there are yards to gain out there.


Nathan from Philadelphia, PA


Do the 49ers' different backs bring different styles to the running game? And if they all worked together to serve dinner to the team, would that make them the hosters with the Mostert?


Tevin Coleman has a little more size than the rest but he, Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida are all more than capable of playing the same every-down role in this offense. They’ll throw the kitchen sink at you with that backfield, so you have to be ready for every knife, fork and spoon flung your way.


Jon from Sparta, WI


Traveling to the West Coast. Packers fell flat both trips in the regular season. Us average fans do not know the details involved in making that trip. What can and will the Packers do differently this weekend? Or would changing the travel routine subconsciously plant a seed of no-confidence in your team by altering travel plans? Perhaps taking a second trip to the same locale requires no changes as it will be familiar experience the second time (e.g. same team, same game). Just play better?


The Packers will leave on Saturday again, but LaFleur and his staff reassessed everything before putting together the plan for the team’s return trip to San Francisco, from the practice plan to travel and meeting schedule. Cali has been cruel this year but they’re aiming to learn from it.