oops, typo in that last answer. should say of* snaps played.

I think your two statements are independent of each other. In other words, the Packers aren't guaranteed to switch to a 4-3 if McCarthy ever decided to fire Capers. There are lots of teams in the league who play a 3-4 defense. And remember, players in a 3-4 have totally different body types than a 4-3. The Packers would need several years to assemble the right personnel for a switch that big.

Why would you take away the 75-yard carry? That's the crux of how they were exposed. Poor gap discipline, poor tackling, poor pursuit --- all on the first play of the game. You can't take that play away and assess the defense without it. Set the tone for the whole game.

I haven't been here long enough to answer that question. Reggie White left the Packers when I was 8 years old.

If the roster is more or less the same entering 2017, I don't see a reason why things will be much different than they are now. The only way that changes is if there are significant shakeups to the coaching staff or the young players make tremendous strides prior to next year.

Having the No. 4 overall pick helped.

You definitely missed my point. I was implying McCarthy should be held to the same standards as Belichick. Not that they are coaching equals. Totally different ideas.

For what it's worth, I was 7 for 7 to start the year on our weekly predictions. I picked
the Colts and Titans games incorrectly.

Hey George, we see Ted on a somewhat regular basis. He passes through the locker room from time to time. He attends practice when he isn't on the road scouting. The whole front office sat directly behind me and my colleagues in the press box yesterday. Thompson, Highsmith, Wolf, Gutekunst, etc.

35% lack of talent; 45% coaching; 20% confidence and motivation

I saw the same thing. I remember writing it down in my notes. Rodgers was not happy with Davis after dropping that pass along the sideline. He seemed to yell for a second and then pulled back, perhaps realizing he shouldn't be so aggressive. As Tom and I wrote in our leadership story last week, the Packers don't have a consistent voice or two in the locker room to guide them through tough times. Part of that comes down to coaches, who should be key motivators as well. But the players sometimes benefit from having a peer who can lead the way.

Hey Mark, I think it's pretty simple in terms of the run defense at this point: It was never really that good. The Titans and Cowboys are the only above average running teams the Packers have faced. Both of them carved the Packers to pieces. Fools gold, it seems. As for the secondary, I keep coming back to injuries. A trio of Sam Shields, Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall is so much different than LaDarius Gunter, Quinten Rollins and Demetri Goodson.

The question was asked during his press conference today at noon. He was adamant that he is not losing the team.

McCarthy told reporters not to read into the offensive personnel from yesterday's game because it was so much different than what they hoped to accomplish. Why did the Packers go with Starks so much in the second half? 1) Pass protection 2) better in the screen game. That's what I came up with

I'm not sure if there is concern within the organization about Cobb. However, I do think he is underperforming based on the amount of money he makes. He's on pace for well below 1,000 yards and only five or six touchdowns. That's not good enough for a player with his salary. He must play better. He must produce more.

I can't say whether this is abnormal without doing an analysis of the injury situations for every team in the league. My gut says there are four of five teams I can think of who are missing multiple starters this season. I doubt the Packers are alone.

I can think of four players on defense who are probably below average at their respective positions. On offense I can think of just one or two.

Come on, Bob. There was no chance of that happening.

A valid question, other Bob. My colleague Ryan Wood wrote about this after the game last night. The Packers stay committed to the run even though it doesn't work. The quick passing attack is what works, whether McCarthy likes it or not. And it seems as though he doesn't, which might explain his reticence to embrace that style of offense.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if the Packers drop the next two games @ Washington and @ Philadelphia. That would put them at 4-7, and the season would essentially be over.

Thanks for reading, Jake. I appreciate that. We have a general idea of each guy's personality because we are around them four or five days a week. But that doesn't mean some guys don't change behind closed doors. Based on what I know, here are some players who I think have the potential to step up as leaders: T.J. Lang, Corey Linsley, Randall Cobb, Mike Daniels, Letroy Guion, Julius Peppers, Aaron Rodgers, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. It must be said, however, that Peppers, Rodgers and Burnett don't like being vocal on a regular basis. Lang has no problem being vocal but he picks his spots. Not sure about Linsley. I don't have a read on him. Cobb can be a decent leader because of his toughness. Clinton-Dix has the best long-term potential as a leader, in my opinion. Daniels tries really hard to be a leader, but many of his teammates don't find his style effective.

We don't see enough of practice to determine if anything is different just from that setting. We see about 20 minutes on Wednesday and 45 minutes on Thursday, typically. So it will have to be the game. What I look for is the demeanor of the offense and defense AFTER they are done on the field. In other words, when the defense gives up points or stops the opposition, what's going on after they sit on the bench? Same thing with the offense.