How healthy will the Packers be for the Bears game after the bye week?

Hopefully healthier than today and the day after tomorrow.

Well, that was unexpected. But business is business. Nothing but respect and thanks to Preston Smith for what he did while he was here. Nothing but love, and I hope he has a great time in Pittsburgh. Unless/when he plays the Packers, of course.

I completely agree. The 2019 free agent class clearly played a major role in the Packers’ quick turnaround. Za’Darius Smith, Adrian Amos and Billy Turner should all be commended for what they gave to Green Bay, but a case can be made that Preston was the MVP of that group. He was a playmaker, a leader and amazingly durable. Preston never wore a captain’s badge, but everyone knew what he meant to that dressing room. I also loved covering P. I wish him nothing but the best with the Steelers.

Ryan from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

I will miss Preston. What a class footballer on and off the field, something I will think about for a long time after this season. The immediate thought is that I would like to see Lukas Van Ness step in and fill those shoes with some authority.

It’s an incredible opportunity. The Packers traded a pass rusher who has played more than 4,200 snaps in 91 games here (46.6 snaps average). Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare will most likely see their workload increase, along with Brenton Cox Jr. and Arron Mosby.

We all need to understand that the Preston Smith trade was as much a philosophy as it was a financial move. So who will be the starter in the starting 4-3: Lukas Van Ness or Kingsley Enagbare?

Semantics. Van Ness and Enagbare have played almost the same number of snaps (243 Enagbare, 233 Van Ness) and both are now set to play even more.

Domenick from Hilton Head Island, SC

Basically, Brian Gutekunst traded Smith for Malik Willis and saved a big salary for the cap in 2025 and 2026. Do you agree?

More or less. Preston told reporters in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that he requested a trade a few weeks ago because he felt he was better suited for a 3-4 front. He gets his wish with the Steelers, while the Packers can mix it up on defense.

My wife and I from NC and our son from Tampa were all at the game on Sunday. We left soaked and disappointed. But after we dried off and talked about the current record, my son asked me: If you were asked before the season that GB would go into the bye 6-3, and then consider that Jordan Love had missed two full games, would did you do that? taken that? Absolute. 6-3 this season versus 3-6 last year at this point. Would you have taken 6-3 going into the bye?

Absolute. Winnings are the currency you use to buy your spot in the postseason. The Packers have six and will have eight more chances to add to that total starting next week. In that regard, Green Bay is twice as far ahead as it was last year.

Wes, I just read your article about Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney and you captured what we all saw. Now if we can get the rest of the team playing with the same intensity and focus, everything else will work itself out. GPG!

I would say the intensity is there. This team plays hard. Focus and discipline is what should be emphasized during the second half. If the Packers move forward and not backward on the field, I’m happy with their chances against anyone.

I was surprised by Spoff’s comment that six drops were scored by five different players, and nine penalties were scored by eight different players. To me, this is clearly a coaching/preparation issue, not one or two guys being a serious problem. My expectation is that in two weeks we will see a completely different, healthy and focused team take the field. I can’t wait for the ride!

As frustrating as penalties can be, I’d rather have an abundance of correctable mistakes than a shortage of talent. The Packers have the playmakers. I’m confident they can win a Super Bowl with this roster, but they need to get a handle on the mental mistakes.

Sean from Union Grove, Wisconsin

Should we expect the same second-half dominance from Jordan Love as last year? He’s had a lot of bad interceptions so far this year. Are we confident that these will be corrected?

Echoing what Spoff has repeatedly stated, Love simply needs to get back to a place where his time is spent more on the practice field than in the training room. We haven’t seen the best version of Love, because Love isn’t physically his best self yet.