Did anyone ask Sean Payton if that was a designed run for Bo Nix in the play that probably cost the Broncos a championship? I was amazed after I heard the news that Nix could actually throw that final pass to get them in chip shot range for Lutz.

Anyone who wants a QB to run more needs to look at that play as a cautionary tale. Appeared to be the most garden-variety tackle in the open field, and it broke Nix’s ankle.

Anthony from Middleton, WI

That Patriots/Texans game had more turnovers than a pie eating contest.

I was wondering for a while if anyone actually wanted to win it. The Texans have some hard thinking to do at QB moving forward. Woof.

Reading Christian Watson‘s take on the last pass that went overhead made me realize (again) the complexity of this game. On watching it, I felt Jordan Love overthrew it, but after Watson’s explanation, you realize it was just choosing the wrong passing window. You really can’t understand what went wrong without knowing the play call. What was your “AAAAH!” moment that made you really understand the complexities of this game?

I have those moments every time I watch the all-22 and then hear the perspective of the players trying to make the plays that don’t work out.

Friday’s II mentioned Jayden Reed‘s comment about the play that got away from him. The day before it was mentioned JL has ice but maybe not enough fire to be the leader he needs to be. If you’re really not sure at this point I suggest you go back and look at Love’s reaction when JR dropped that pass. His emotion showed more than I’ve ever seen. To me that reaction says everything I need to know about his fire.

Those questioning it are on some silly search for an intangible to blame.

Mike mentioned Friday that he felt the Bears were the third-best team in the division but they took advantage of a last-place schedule by playing NO and LV this year. Won’t that be Detroit next year taking advantage of a last-place schedule? While GB will match up vs. the Cowboys, Texans and Rams, the Lions will play Commanders, Titans and Cardinals. Big advantage for Detroit, just like the Bears this year.

Yup, at least that’s how it looks now.

Dale from Downers Grove, IL

Hi Insiders, there is always a lot of talk about coaching trees, but there does not seem to be much mention of GM trees. Could you share your thoughts on the number of GMs and personnel executives influenced by Ron Wolf? How about the job John Schneider has done in Seattle?

Ron Wolf doesn’t have a tree, he’s got a forest. I can’t begin to list them all, and now his son is in charge of a team playing for a Super Bowl berth. I commend Schneider getting Seattle back to an NFC title game for the first time since the game that shan’t be discussed. It had been a long drought, and he took advantage of the Vikings’ mishandling of their QB situation. He also made one of the most impactful trade-deadline acquisitions in recent memory with Rashid Shaheed. What a pickup.

Douglas from Johnson Creek, WI

Anticipating that Hafley gets a head coaching gig, are we allowed to interview a current DC if we add on the title of associate head coach? Does that count as enough of a job promotion to poach a current team’s guy?

Not that I know of. If a current DC’s contract has expired, then he’s fair game. But otherwise, no.

Sorry but I would like to address and dispel the whole draft-and-develop issue. This isn’t a Madden trait or something. All teams must draft and develop. All teams must execute in free agency. The draft is where you round out your roster with young, fast, affordable talent. Even the cheapest vested veteran contract is like 4x a mid-rounder. This myth that Green Bay is exclusively a “draft-and-develop team” is an insult to Gute, Parsons, Xavier McKinney, Josh Jacobs, Nate Hobbs, Aaron Banks, Keisean Nixon, Brandon McManus, etc.

Gutey does not build and manage the roster the same way as his late predecessor, may he RIP. Not even close.

Spoff, I think the reason this last loss stung so bad is because I’m convinced Green Bay is the better team, by a lot. If the 12 quarters between them were rounds in a Balboa heavyweight fight, how many do you think the Packers won? I’d say 10.

True, but if you fail to deliver the knockout blow, the other guy’s still standing, and then crunch time counts for more than all the other rounds combined. Credit the Rams for getting up off the mat after the gut punch and finding a way.

ML and Spoff are always talking about how it is a fine line between winning and losing. In 2024 the Vikings won more than their share of one-score games and ended up 14-3. This year it was the Bears. We lost close games and now we have no offensive line or secondary? We are not that far away. We only physically were out of the Ravens game. We don’t need a rebuild just figure out how to get past that thin line.

You make it sound so easy. Happy Monday.