Christopher of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
How does the Packers training staff ensure proper hydration during organized team activities and minicamp when temperatures outside reach 90 degrees?
First, temperatures never approached 90 degrees during practices during the offseason program, and even if they did, the training staff simply made sure players hydrated before and after practice.
Innovation? I’m a Green Bay Packers fan first and foremost, but I’m also a Kansas City Chiefs fan. Andy Reid stands above all the others in making really cool plays. I’ve watched games where I was saying to myself, this is really cool, even while the play was unfolding.
Kansas City’s trick plays can sometimes be a little too seasoned for my tastes, but I’ve always admired their creativity. The NFL has been around for over a century, and finding ways to innovate legitimately isn’t easy.
I was reading the new kickoff rules and it looks like air time is no longer relevant so kickers need to learn how to kick a knuckleball. Kicking a line drive kick into the landing zone might also be effective to make it harder for the returner to handle the kick. The risk is that the rules state that if the ball bounces behind the end zone, it goes to the 30 yard line. But they don’t say anything about a ball that bounces next to the end zone. Maybe that’s not an out of bounds kick. Do you know what happens in that case?
All end zones are the same. The only way the ball can go anywhere other than the 30 yard line is if it hits the landing zone and bounces into the end zone. The receiving team must then either return the ball or take it down. If it takes it down, the touchback continues to the 20 yard line.
Under the new kickoff rules, is it legal to kick a line drive to the opponent’s front line and hope it bounces, or would it be prohibited as a quasi-onside kick attempt?
I believe the latter, and it is my understanding that unless an onside kick is declared, the ball cannot be legally returned until it has touched the ground within the landing zone.
It’s not a math problem, it’s a statistics problem. Sacks didn’t become an official statistic until 1982, but Pro Football Reference seems to have done 30 years of extensive research by studying official play-by-plays, game footage, photos, coaches’ stats, and adding “sacks” to the all-time greats. It makes me wonder why the NFL didn’t include sacks before 1982 in the official stats. BTW, Deacon Jones was an absolute monster in that era with an ATMR (wcbw) of 173.5.
Perhaps that’s because play-by-play can vary from team to team and there’s no official, fair way to determine what qualifies as a sack — for example, there are numerous cases each season of a scrambling quarterback declaring himself a runner and then getting tackled for a loss (e.g., QB draw).
Patrick from Forest Lake, Minnesota
Happy offseason! Since we don’t have practices right now, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look back at some of the veteran signings that have been made over the last few years. Some that really caused some head-scratching (I know they all had their own purpose, but still): Whitney Mercilus, Cedric Benson, Jeff Saturday…
Would you put Mercilus in that group? Remember how injured the Packers’ outside linebackers were in 2021? I think Mercilus would have been a good addition for Green Bay. Unfortunately, he tore his biceps in the fourth game, but he worked his way back for San Francisco’s playoff game.
Wes, after interviewing Preston Smith, have you been inspired to spend some time in a cold bath or sauna after your workout? I’d love to hear more about his stretching and recovery methods, or is that something you’re saving for the book you’re ghostwriting when Preston retires in 10 years’ time?
I love saunas. I wish I had my own sauna. But I haven’t yet been brave enough to jump in a cold bath. It scares me. But if Smith wants to talk about his recovery, I’d be happy to write an article about it. Can you tell me where?
Ross, Summerville, South Carolina
Have you started preparing for Brazil?
I found my passport, does this count?
Someone please tell Mike that you can tell the taste of pudding by tasting it. Thank you.
Ted Thompson said so, so we write it.
Thanks for taking the time to answer some non-soccer questions every now and then. On Sunday I was rooting for Rory at the end of the US Open (not a big fan of Bryson or any of the LIV players). But after the loss, Rory disappeared without speaking to a reporter, so my support changed. I mean, if Jean Vande Velde had spoken to a reporter after the 1999 British Open, Rory would definitely have held out. As a reporter, what do you think about players “taking responsibility” (or not) after a painful loss?
I think it was a bad decision for Rory, but I’ve also jumped off the course after a disappointing round/finish with a friend instead of playing the 19th hole. So maybe you shouldn’t throw stones at glass houses, but surely Rory should have faced reality. Pretending the elephant isn’t there won’t make it jump off your back.
“I’m often asked what past event I wish I could have covered as a sports reporter, and my answer is always ‘Miracle on Ice.'” If you’ve seen the 2004 film Miracle starring Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks, you’ll get the feel for it. In my not-so-humble opinion, it’s the greatest sports movie ever made. And I’m not even a big fan of hockey!
Our UX Coordinator, Jen Ward, agrees: I remember going to Bay Park Cinema the opening weekend of Miracle. It’s hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago.
When will the photo in Wes’s inbox be updated to reflect the new, bearded Wes?
The next time we take a staff photo will probably be… 2036.
No question about it, I just want to thank you both for entertaining us during the Dead Zone and throughout the entire year.
We’re in the middle of the football draft and we’re squeezing water from a rock, Chas. Have a great Tuesday!