APC Mailbag Week 6: Protesting, Packers Defense, and Adrian Peterson

This week’s mailbag is more brief than others because I wanted to give a little bit more time to each question. There’s been a lot national attention on the NFL lately, and not just on what the teams are doing during competition. The first question deals with these issues. Keep bringing the mailbag questions and look for the status on Acme’s facebook page and Twitter!

Let’s open the mail:

Aaron Soderberg on Facebook first asks: Where do you think the gulf of understanding between those who hate kneeling and those who support it lies? How can it be bridged?

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

This has been a polarizing issue not just for us as fans, but for the NFL as a whole. Recently, we’ve seen Jerry Jones say his players need to stand (after his half-hearted demonstration with his players) and the NFL making this a point of conversation at the next NFL owners meeting. This gulf of understanding may be as large as it ever has been because we’ve heard several different narratives that take us further and further away from the point of the protests: police brutality.

We have to be careful with how we speak to one another about this issue. This is an extremely divisive time in the United States. We sit here and argue in comment threads rather than having a real conversation with people. This is an opinion-based issue and we have to remember that everyone is entitled to an opinion. It’s also important to know that you may never understand why a person feels a way that they do. Not ever. We have become so tribal with our belief system that we have to remember that we can come to a common ground and move forward with progressive change.

I have my opinions on that matter and that may appear evident in my writing. The reason this political division happens so deeply is because there’s usually a section of the population that doesn’t believe they are being heard. It’s important to always listen. I didn’t say agree, but at least listen.

I think that’s how we bridge this issue. Start to understanding each other a little bit more each day and not troll on Twitter.

I’m assuming this is about the Packers defense. Statistically the Packers are fairly middle of the road, which is good at this point in the season. They’ve played without Mike Daniels (their best defender) and the secondary has been a mix of different units.

I feel like a sad, broken record when I say this about the Packers defense: I think they can be good. The best part about being able to say this now, though, is that I feel they just need to start getting players off the injury report to start playing to their potential. They need Daniels healthy, they need the club off Nick Perry’s hand, and Kevin King to continue his growth as a number 1 corner. The Packers lead the league in fumble recoveries and if turnovers start coming in the form of interceptions too, this defense could be right up their with the Jaguars and Lions (it’s still weird writing that about those two teams).

Dave Wilhemi on Facebook asks: What are your thoughts about AP joining the Cardinals? Do you think he can be successful running behind an offensive line that has more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese?

This guy is just pandering to the kid from Green Bay by throwing in the Swiss cheese comment, but you know what? I’m okay with it. Good job by you, Dave.

From a fantasy football perspective, it’d be nice if Adrian Peterson had a little renaissance in the desert. In 2015, a 30 year-old Chris Johnson played 11 games with the Cardinals and averaged 4.2 yards per carry with 872 total yards from scrimmage. This was after a lost season with the Jets. AP can, theoretically, do the same thing and he might start running angry.

I think it’ll be too hard for Peterson to get rolling, though. The Cardinals offensive line is a pourous one. Part of the reason for David Johnson’s success there is because he’s able to use his reciever skills to collect yardage. That’s never been a big part of Adrian’s game. They also still have Carson Palmer under center so unless they also traded for Philip Rivers (who I think is lowkey getable) then the box will be stacked with 8 on early downs.

Thanks for the questions, guys! Let’s do this again, yeah?