Welcome to the weekly Zone Coverage Packers mailbag, where I answer all your burning NFL and Green Bay Packers-related questions, submitted via Twitter to @m_widmeier.
With the No. 1 seed clinched, should the Green Bay Packers rest their starters or play them against the Detroit Lions?
Certainly, Matt LaFleur and the players know what is best for each of them, but I side with the rest option even though the Packers probably aren’t going that route.
Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams both said right after the win over the Minnesota Vikings that they intend to play against the Lions in Week 18. LaFleur echoed those thoughts on Monday. It does beg the question of whether the risk is really worth it.
LaFleur doesn’t like the idea of his players having multiple weeks off before the divisional round at Lambeau Field. While that’s more than fair, imagine what the backlash would be if Rodgers or Adams got hurt against the Lions. The reward is playing the starters and keeping them in a rhythm even with the bye week coming up. The risk is injury, of course. And while you can’t coach or play scared, the outcome of this game is almost entirely meaningless.
Ask yourself this: Will playing Rodgers and others one quarter or one half really be that beneficial? Will it really factor in a couple of weeks from now when the Packers get set for whoever they are playing? That’s what should be heavily considered even though the decision has already been made.
Packers fans won’t be watching on Sunday with excitement or joy. They’ll be watching with their fingers crossed and nervous energy, hoping that nobody gets hurt in a game that means nothing.
There were more two-back sets with A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones on Sunday. Why don’t they use this more?
I’ll admit, seeing Dillon and Jones on the field at the same time had me giddy as well. As to why Green Bay doesn’t use it more, who knows? But there are obviously sets and formations they prefer to use more. Or maybe they’re experimenting with this now with the idea of keeping it under wraps until the playoffs. Either way, it was fun to see both backs on the field at the same time.
Come the postseason, Green Bay will need heavy contributions from both Jones and Dillon. They showed on Sunday night how lethal they can be as a duo.
Early on, Jones ripped off a couple of long runs and got involved in the receiving game as well. In the second half, it was the A.J. Dillon show. He pounded through a beaten-down Minnesota defense and capped off the night with two rushing touchdowns.
Both are critical to the success of the offense and will play a major role in determining how far the Packers make it.
How confident should we be with Mason Crosby given how he’s looked recently?
Crosby hasn’t missed a kick since Nov. 28 against the Los Angeles Rams. What it really boils down to is making the statistics look how you want to form the argument.
One side will note that: During Crosby’s current 6-0 streak, he hasn’t attempted one longer than 40 yards. Everything he has made in the last four weeks have been chip shots for the average kicker.
On the other hand, Crosby has converted on his last six field goals attempts. Thus, he’s not struggling.
The truth falls somewhere between the two sides. It’s great that Crosby hasn’t missed in four weeks given his struggles earlier this season. It got so bad at one point that even a 35-yard field goal was far from a given. Clearly, Crosby is feeling more confident. Holder Corey Bojorquez actually bobbled a snap on Sunday night against the Vikings, causing Crosby to slightly slow down his normal routine before punching it through anyways. That kick still going through with the blunder had to provide a lot of confidence. However, it’s still not all fine and dandy.
The lack of an attempt from 40 or more yards in the last four games seems pretty rare. Let’s call it like it is: If Crosby were to come out for a 45-yard field goal attempt to either win it or lose it at this point, how confident would you feel? The dude has been nails for most of his career, but doubts still linger given how miserable he’s looked at times this year. Green Bay has backed Crosby to this point, and they obviously trust him to come through in the biggest moments. He may need to come postseason time.
