What’s the key matchup for Packers-Vikings?

Hey there, hope everybody’s Christmas was merry. Thanks for logging on today. Go ahead and start sending in your questions and I’ll get started shortly.

Do you think Packer fans will travel well in Minnesota? We’ve done it all this year.

I’m certainly curious to find out. It will probably depend on how many Vikings fans have decided to sell their tickets, unless Packers fans got their hands on them early in the year before anyone knew Minnesota would be this good. We’ll find out Sunday.

Mike, I hope you enjoyed a great Christmas. I just watched Larry’s segment on the success with over routes. The Honey Badger was on the wrong side of Josh Jacobs‘s stiff-arm and the Jayden Reed over route. Larry didn’t finish Kraft’s over route play. When I saw it live, it looked like the Honey Badger made a business decision not to take on Kraft. Is that how you saw it? Is Tucker Kraft earning the rep of being a violent runner after the catch in the league?

I’m not going to get into anybody’s business decisions, but the Packers had the upper hand physically on the Saints from the get-go Monday night and it carried throughout. Guys like Jacobs and Kraft are at the top of the list in terms of setting that tone. The whole O-line for that matter, too. It’s not just one guy here or there, it’s a collective approach with the physicality, and LaFleur has mentioned multiple times this season how the receivers have blocked hard, and when perimeter players are embodying physicality, that means the whole team is.

Why do the Packers use two planes on road trips?

I’m not entirely sure. It could be that Delta (with whom the team charters all domestic flights) said it would be easier to get two planes here rather than one big one that wouldn’t normally fly in and out of Green Bay. The team has taken just one plane for the two international trips in recent years, to London and Brazil.

Good morning, Mr. Spofford. Thanks for all your work on the busiest time of year. I hope you got to spend some time enjoying your family, and that you were good enough all year to stay on Santa’s good boy list. Excluding Alexander-Jefferson, what are your favorite match-ups this week?

The Packers run the ball well and the Vikings stop the run well, so that’s at the crux of this game for me. Green Bay’s offense is at its best when balanced, and it’ll be difficult to establish that balance against a really good run defense….