I’ve heard this argument several times, so I decided to inquire with my best source: When the Packer offense snaps the ball just before the play clock expires, can the defense get a jump on the ball? Where is the play clock located? Can the defense even see it without trying to look in some awkward direction?

It depends on the stadium. The play clock is in the end zone somewhere, but it can be along the ground or in a ribbon board between stadium decks. Defenses can try to time up the snap based on the play clock expiring, but there’s still a risk of getting flagged for offside before they’d call a delay if the ball isn’t snapped in time.

Good morning, how long has it been offensive strategy for receivers to run directly at defensive backs and hit them so hard that in order not to get run over they hang on for a second which the referee then calls illegal defensive contact?

Oh, don’t get me started. I’ve been saying for years the college game functions fine without an illegal contact penalty. If it’s not defensive holding or DPI, the contact is rarely significant enough to impact the play, in my opinion.

Hopefully neither LaFleur nor Love becomes gun shy from the mistake in Cleveland. Continue to be aggressive, push the ball down the field, impose your will on the other team. I think to be great in this league, you have to. Mistakes are going to happen, just learn from them. Your thoughts?

In general, I don’t see the Packers shying away from anything. That’s not in the head coach’s or QB’s nature. Situationally, thoughtful and measured responses are always required. Even then, nothing’s guaranteed to work out swimmingly, but a blanket approach that doesn’t take circumstances into account isn’t the answer either.

Leandro from Lexington, KY

Was that a plane that flew over the studio just over 11 minutes into the taping of “Unscripted”? Got a kick out of picturing an air compressor kicking on in the next room over and an intern sprinting to unplug it. Love you guys.

Ha. There’s construction of our new office space and studio going on all season just outside of our current studio, and sometimes if the communication wires get crossed on when we need it quiet, the construction noise enters the show. We’ll just keep plowing ahead, as will the crew building our new digs.

The number of fans who think they’re smarter than NFL coaches amazes me. As a DIII D-coordinator, I attended countless clinics featuring NFL coaches/coordinators and they’ve forgotten more about football than I’ll ever know. I listened to a QB coach spend an hour on the mechanics of throwing a football and there was enough math and physics involved to get him banned forever from these premises. Bottom line: I don’t know how you do it when said fans enter the room, but I’m grateful you do.

Over my two decades here, I’ve had the privilege of the occasional, highly enlightening one-on-one interview with people like McCarthy, LaFleur, Capers, Pettine, Philbin, Hafley, Rodgers, Love, Adams, Nelson, Woodson, Jacobs, Xavier McKinney and the list goes on. Anytime those conversations have turned to the nuts and bolts of football – preparation, game plans, film study, etc. – I’m reminded how surface level my knowledge is.

Clearly there’s a lot of room for improvement, but if you had told me in July that three games into the season we’d be 2-1 with an elite defense, I’d have taken it with no questions asked. That’s pretty much where I’m at until this team proves me wrong.

That’s not a bad outlook. My concern, bigger picture, is if everyone else in the NFC North beats the Browns, that becomes a really damaging loss. Detroit gets Cleveland next, followed by Minnesota. We’ll learn soon enough.

Redemption is certainly a motivating factor, but I wonder who has a larger need for redemption. Both the Pack and the Cowboys are coming off a loss, but Dallas also has those bitter memories of our last appearance in Jerry’s World. Which team will want this W more?

We’ll sure find out, won’t we? Happy Friday.