This week is what it’s all about for the Green Bay Packers and their fans.
Beat the Chicago Bears and you make the playoffs. How about those stakes to close the regular season?
Ahead of Sunday’s massive game, we put out a call for mailbag questions. Let’s dive in with some answers.
(Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.)
Packers fans have been calling for Joe Barry’s head for weeks, but there has been little to no talk about special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia’s job status. Understandably, a rookie kicker will have some struggles, but the muffed punts and leading the league in special teams penalties are very concerning. If the Packers end their season because of ST blunders, could Bisaccia be on the chopping block? — Tom G.
I doubt it. I’d imagine Bisaccia has a much longer leash than Barry, not only because of the personnel at his disposal but because of the benefit of the doubt on his side from two decades of building a reputation in the NFL as a special teams coordinator. Barry, on the other hand, didn’t exactly fare well at his two prior defensive coordinator stops.
Jaire Alexander is as good as gone after his latest antics. Can we get at least a second-rounder back for him or will it be third round at best? — Michael M.
Not so fast. Matt LaFleur said last week that he thinks Alexander will be a Packer for a long time. I believe him. The only way they move on from him this offseason, in my opinion, is if the suspension doesn’t change anything. The Packers hope it was a wake-up call for Alexander to get in line. If he continues acting out, then maybe they start shopping him. But the leash is a lot longer for players of his caliber, especially given his contract status. Moving on from Alexander, a 26-year-old with two years left on his deal, would leave the Packers with a $27 million dead money charge and cost them more than $3 million in cap space.
Assuming he isn’t on a snap count, when Luke Musgrave comes back, do you think he will be downgraded to TE2 or does his verticality make him essential to have on the field more than Tucker Kraft? — Henry A.
I think it would be more of a 1A and 1A or 1A and 1B deal. They both offer enough that you can’t afford to have them on the sideline for too long. Forget where exactly they fall on the depth chart and appreciate how fortunate the Packers seem to be to have two rookie tight ends of that caliber for the foreseeable future.
What was your prediction for Jordan Love’s season again, 32 TDs, 12 interceptions and 3,500 yards? I remember it being something along those lines and people called you crazy. LOL. — Kurt S.
Thank you for reminding the people, Kurt. I was trying the other day to remember what I predicted. Shoutout to Steven H. for pulling up what I wrote before the season:
“I’ll give him a floor of 24 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions — Aaron Rodgers had 28 and 13 in his first year as a starter — and a ceiling of 35 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. The reality is he’ll probably be somewhere in between. I’ll go 31 and 11 if he stays healthy.”
So 31 and 11 were my guesses. He’s at 30 and 11. Maybe I am a genius after all.
Will the Packers keep Aaron Jones in 2024? My take: If he keeps gaining 100 yards per game and they reach the playoffs, GM Brian Gutekunst will offer him a trimmed-down contract. — Alan R.
The Packers need to find a way to keep Jones on the roster. You’re seeing in the last two weeks what he’s capable of when healthy. He’s a difference maker and the most important player on the offense not named Jordan Love, simply for how his dynamic ability is irreplaceable at the position. Jones’ cap number is more than $17 million next year. The Packers will find a way to get that down and probably keep him for one more season before handing the keys to a running back they draft early in April (just my guess).
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Aaron Jones shows again why he's integral to the Packers' present and future
What happens with Jordan Love, AJ Dillon, De’Vondre Campbell, David Bakhtiari? — Mauricio J.
Love signs a four-year, $180 million extension. Dillon leaves in free agency. Campbell and Bakhtiari get cut.
How legitimate are these Al Harris rumors, if Joe Barry is fired? I know that until that happens, that is all speculation, but … — Jake S.
Rumors? As in Packer fans on X (Twitter) saying they want Harris as defensive coordinator? That’s not a rumor, nor is it a report. Who knows what happens at DC if Barry is fired, but let’s not act like a couple of fans eager to bring a familiar face back has any substance to it. With all due respect.
How far do you think next season’s Packers can go if all offensive weapons are healthy? (Love, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Bo Melton, Kraft and Musgrave) — Joe B.
You forgot Dontayvion Wicks and Jones, and even Malik Heath. I think they can be one of the best teams in the NFL. Really. That’s how encouraging the early returns from this offense have been. The defense, and who coordinates it, remains a massive question. But what all these first- and second-year guys have done with Love and Jones surrounding them should have Packers fans giddy about the future. I know there’s a pretty significant task at hand in the present, but next season should get the hair on your arms standing up.
Any thoughts on Aaron Rodgers referring to the Packers as “we” when referring to the big game on Sunday and how we will get a 10th in a row on Sunday? — Noah K.
I was watching Pat McAfee when that happened and tweeted out the quote of him referring to the Packers as “us.” In my five seasons on the beat, I don’t think I’ve seen anything divide this fanbase more than that. I remember seeing a clip of England men’s soccer captain Harry Kane referring to Tottenham as “we” after he started playing for Bayern Munich earlier this season (look up Kane and Tottenham if you’re not familiar with their history). Much like that, I think it’s fine for Rodgers to refer to the Packers like that given how integral he was in the Packers-Bears rivalry and Green Bay’s franchise as a whole over the last two decades. Some people disagree with me, though, which is also fine.
Do you see any positives from the defensive performance versus Minnesota that could carry over to this week versus the Bears? If the Packers were to lose this game, it’s probably going to be due to the defense faltering yet again, and that Chicago offense is built with elements that always seem to tear apart the Green Bay D (i.e.: strong run game, QB w/rushing ability). — Kenn K.
One play that stood out to me from Sunday night was when Jaren Hall escaped the pocket and Rashan Gary, who’s not the best at defending running back runs or quarterback runs, got off his block and scurried out to the edge to contain Hall and force a throwaway. Those are the kinds of plays the Packers will need against Justin Fields, who’s even more of a threat to take off when a play breaks down. We saw the Packers crumble in that aspect against Tommy DeVito, and doing so against Fields could certainly end Green Bay’s season. Barry’s defense holding up on Sunday starts with making Fields throw and not letting him take off on off-schedule plays, and containing him when he does so on designed runs.
GO DEEPER
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Do you start Alexander over Carrington Valentine/Corey Ballentine against the Bears despite their performances in big-game situations? — Joe B.
I’m taking a second question from Joe B. just because I think it’s funny to imagine this is actually Joe Barry asking Matt Schneidman how to plan for a must-win game. Yes, Joe, start Jaire. He’s an All-Pro who is paid $21 million a year for a reason. He’s been hurt and not up to his standard when healthy enough to play, yes, but you still play him over Ballentine and Valentine. At the same time, we can acknowledge how clutch those two have been with the Rasul Douglas trade and Alexander’s injuries. I think the bigger question is who starts opposite Alexander against the Bears.
Christian Watson has suffered from repeated injuries. Is this something to worry about? The same question applies to Eric Stokes. — Silja T.
It’s absolutely something to worry about. I believe Watson has now missed 10 games over his first two seasons because of hamstring injuries alone, either recurring ones or unrelated ones. He has so much potential, but that could all go to waste if he can’t get his hamstrings to work. Stokes is in the same boat. I don’t think he’s as valuable as Watson since he hasn’t been healthy enough to play and good since 2021, so maybe your worry is less, but time is running out for him to prove he belongs in Green Bay for the long run.
What do you think the Packers do with each of their picks in the first three rounds? Has cornerback become a need again? — Craig B.
I think it’s only a need that early if they move on from Alexander, which I don’t think they will. They definitely could use more depth there, however, especially if Stokes continues struggling to stay on the field. The Packers have five picks in the first three rounds, so I’ll go run-stuffing defensive tackle, running back, safety, left tackle and inside linebacker, in that order.
(Top photo of Jaire Alexander: John Fisher / Getty Images)
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