Inbox: It speaks to first impressions

Another query on kickoff return guidelines. You should have two gamers within the touchdown zone, right? Can they stand collectively on the kick, then have the popular returner run to the ball? Or have they got to be cut up aside?

They can line up wherever you need, however when you’ve got each guys in the midst of the sphere to execute the technique you recommend, it might be very simple for a kicker to drill a low line drive to 1 facet or the opposite that bounces into the top zone for a touchback on the 20. Because grasp time is irrelevant on kickoffs now.

Hey boys. This is not essentially associated to Week 1 however I’m curious given how the broadcasters like to speak about teaching “trees” within the NFL. I’m in all probability forgetting a bunch, however do you contemplate Hafley to be the primary true “branch” of MLF? Given he got here from school and his first true HC shot got here after being beneath LaFleur and his course of/system. I do know Matt inherited some high quality guys when he first turned our HC they usually have gone on elsewhere however I assume I’m simply questioning.

I do not view Hafley as a department from anybody’s tree. When he first jumped from school to the NFL, he was with Greg Schiano at Rutgers and went with him to Tampa Bay. Then he labored beneath Mike Pettine in Cleveland, and beneath Chip Kelly and Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, earlier than going again to the school ranks (Ohio State, Boston College) and re-entering the NFL beneath LaFleur.

Great to see a school recreation at Lambeau, and it seemed like an ideal setting for all. My spouse was asking me how lengthy it should take the bottom crew to prep the sphere for a professional recreation for the reason that hash marks and brand on the 50 have to be repainted.

That’s why the Packers do not have a house recreation till Week 3. It was the identical in 2016 after the Wisconsin-LSU recreation on Labor Day weekend.

Tallon from Castle Rock, CO

So glad soccer is lastly again! From the locker room interviews it certain sounds just like the Packers gamers have heard the surface noise and are trying ahead to exhibiting the world what they have been lacking. What non-Packer recreation are you most trying ahead to watching/listening to about? Bills-Texans is my choose.

That’s a superb one. 49ers-Rams over in Australia on Thursday night time is one other, and I feel Bears-Panthers within the early window Sunday might be a greater recreation than most assume.

There is a variety of nationwide skepticism in regards to the Packers this yr. I’ve seen many extra articles choosing them third and even useless final. I do know right here within the II the outlook is rather more optimistic. Is that as a result of we observe our crew extra intently and have a greater deal with on the crew or is it hopeful optimism? Thanks.

The outdoors narrative is the Packers do not have Parsons and could not win final yr with out him, there’s sizable uncertainty surrounding Jacobs, and it is a crew that has fallen in need of expectations the previous two years, so the surface expectations are decrease. It doesn’t suggest something, simply because it did not imply something two years in the past when the Packers have been everyone’s darling crew on the rise after almost reaching the NFC title recreation within the first yr of the QB transition. Go play the video games and see what occurs.

Do you assume we have now a legit likelihood of beating the Vikings Week 1?

Depends what it might imply to have an illegit likelihood.

Week 1 is lastly upon us, and baloney season is *virtually over. I added the virtually as a result of even after Week 1, win or lose, there’s at all times SO a lot baloney (not the phrase I utilized in my thoughts) in response to the result. Care to provide us followers your annual perspective test on this regard?

It’s known as overreaction Monday for a purpose.

Spoff’s nice story on Micah Parsons’ “burden” has me viewing this season by way of a special lens. Even if his comeback takes longer than anticipated, the affect he’s having on gamers like Van Ness and Sorrell can solely elevate this crew. Imagine parts of his engine infused all through the protection! That may make for a really lengthy season for opposing QBs. GPG!

I hope everybody enjoys my yearbook cowl story, and I’m glad I had an opportunity to submit it earlier than the season begins. I actually loved my sit-down dialog with Parsons again in June and realized much more about how he views all this. Hopefully I conveyed it precisely.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI

Boy, oh boy, am I able to say, “The baloney stops now.” But I will not say baloney.

T-minus 4 days and counting. Happy Wednesday.