Hi Mike, after the first two weeks of the season I think all of us fans were expecting to be a bit more dominant over the last three. Kudos to those teams who made plays and stayed competitive, but what will you be looking for from this Packers team to show they’re starting to trend upwards again? Does it start with turnovers? I feel like when you’re not getting them it makes decent defensive play feel worse.

First and foremost, this team starts trending upward again when it gets its first win on the road. That’s the top priority, hands down. Breaking it down further, on defense it starts with what I just said above. Turnovers would go a long way toward recovery from rough moments but until they start getting them I’m not counting on them. On offense, they need to take another step toward maximizing their chances. They almost did in Dallas until the final minute of OT. In the three wins with 27 points, there’s been more out there for them on the scoreboard each time.

We are supposed to know what a “rip” technique is? When we don’t even know what a catch is? Let’s learn to crawl before we sprint.

Ha. Saw lots of questions about this. A “rip” technique is a pass rusher using a strong uppercut motion with his arms to try to get the blocker off him. Think of it as the opposite of chopping down with the arms to disengage. The drawback to a rip is if it isn’t clean, it can bring an O-lineman’s arms up toward the shoulders and neck area and look like holding as the rusher is trying to power through. But it’s specifically in the rules that a rip technique can’t be used to draw a holding penalty. The blocker gets the benefit of the doubt on those.

Drew from Lake Dallas, TX

I was under the impression that coaches get to meet with refs before the game and discuss things that they would like for refs to keep an eye out for. I assumed they would discuss the holding of Micah Parsons.

LaFleur suggested Thursday that would indeed be happening.

I read Alex Moore, the ref for Sunday, leads the league in penalties, penalty yardage and penalties per game (which seems obvious given the first two categories). Could this finally be the game holding gets called on Parsons?

We’ll find out. Parsons addressed the issue at length when he spoke with the media after Thursday’s practice. He definitely wants the egregious holds called, like when he gets tackled to the ground, and he’s fine ignoring the close ones. I also got the impression he’s far more concerned about all the hands to the face he deals with that isn’t flagged.

Keith from Bakersfield, CA

Regarding Mike’s answer to Al from Rochester, I’d be just fine to go the whole year without finding out how this team responds to a double-digit deficit.

Hard to do, but it worked 15 years ago. That team never trailed in a game by more than seven points all season.

Mornin’ Spoff. The Dodger pitching sure knows how to suck the fun out of October, don’t they? Sheesh.

The Brewers aren’t helping themselves, but I don’t have time to get into it. They’ve just been owned at the plate in this series, plain and simple.

Jeff from Foothill Ranch, CA

Hi Mike, baseball question. I read something that if the Dodgers move on and win it all, that would be the best argument to make a case for a salary cap. I was too young to understand when it came about in the NFL. In your opinion, can it/will it ever be done in MLB, or has that ship sailed?

It sounds like the owners are going to take a hard stance in the next CBA negotiations after the ’26 season and lock out the players in order to push for a cap. I think that’s happening no matter who wins the World Series this year. It’s going to get ugly.

Mike, I followed your live chat, and thank you for it. Since I have trouble typing more than three consecutive words without needing to edit something, I’m wondering how you do it so quickly and error-free, especially given the idiosyncratic spelling of some of those player names. AI? Spell check? Several years in Miss Legree’s business-ed classes? Deadline pressure at the Press-Gazette? Whatever your secret sauce is, I’d like some of it. Could you please share the recipe?

Ha. (Am I supposed to know who Miss Legree is?) The recipe is me, myself and I at the keyboard. I will give credit to growing up in this business under old-school newspaper deadline pressure, though. That has very strongly impacted how I go about this job, for the better. I like to say in the online world your deadline is always 20 minutes ago.

What do the coaches feel is their biggest challenge this season to take the team all the way to the Super Bowl?

Right now it’s to just beat the Cardinals.

Observation really. Opportunity awaits this weekend. We play Arizona, Vikings play Eagles, and Lions play a hot Tampa team. Time to stand tall!