Post game chat with Cleft Crusty (at Bears)

[Cleft Crusty]

After a long ‘Recovery Summer’ Cleft Crusty is finally recovered. With all the carping and complaining about Health Care Reform, actual heath care took a back seat and Cleft Crusty Reform was slow in coming. It came as a surprise when Cleft Crusty lost his insurance; apparently the UrinalScented does not provide coverage for semi-retired sports reporters with bad gums. Well, when Clefty tried to get new insurance it turns out that Clefty’s wife qualifies as a ‘pre-existing condition,’ and there is no policy willing to take that on, I can assure you. So here I am, deciding whether to bleed out my life savings on extremely expensive insurance or risk blowing it all in one shot on bypass surgery somewhere down the line. Either way, it takes the enjoyment out of cynically evaluating the NFL. But Celft Crusty has never been one to complain – yes, I’ve been one to eviscerate, denigrate, obviate; demolish, deflate, incapacitate; destroy, detect and reject all the worthless claims of know-nothing sports fans, but never to complain. So I return, with all the mental vigor that a slightly sub-optimal dose of Modafinil can provide, to offer slightly uninformed evaluations of tonight’s contest. Fire away!

I know some of you will be sore after the Packers got outclassed by a superior, better disciplined team, but I'll try not to rub the salt into your wounds too much....

[gbgary]

suicide hotlines are heating up. what can you say to talk people in off the ledges?

[MadtownPacker]

Mr. Crusty Cleats,

With the bears being the only 3-0 team in the NFC are they the best team in the NFC?

[Cleft Crusty]

suicide hotlines are heating up. what can you say to talk people in off the ledges?

The best I can say is that it's one game, on the road. The next best thing I can say is that even though the Bears have a better coach, they don't have better talent than the Packers. And even though Clefty won't sugarcoat the reality of the horrible number of penalties, Clefty will admit, for the first time, that he could not believe the number of game-altering penalties called, for stuff that used to be, only a few years ago, pretty routine football plays. Finally, who really looks all that good in the NFL this year. Every team looks beatable. Every team. Packers will be in the mix. They have one of the best three or four QBs in the NFL and those teams typically win it all.

[Smidgeon]

Clay Matthews final line was 3 solo tackles but appeared to be held all night and/or triple teamed (okay, okay: with solid single blocking by the ho-hum right tackle).
Finley's final line was 9 catches for 115 yards.

Did either do enough?

[Cleft Crusty]

Mr. Crusty Cleats,

With the bears being the only 3-0 team in the NFC are they the best team in the NFC?


No. they aren't even the best team in their Division. They may possibly be the worst. They pretty much lost to Detroit, the Packers are more talented, and it's likely that MN will beat them twice. Clefty was joking a bit about Detroit - still, they have to play at Detroit, and Chicago played against Detroit much like the Packers played against Chicago tonight.

[Cleft Crusty]

Clay Matthews final line was 3 solo tackles but appeared to be held all night and/or triple teamed (okay, okay: with solid single blocking by the ho-hum right tackle).
Finley's final line was 9 catches for 115 yards.

Did either do enough?

Both did plenty, but could have done even more. Chicago scored 20 points against a team that committed 17 penalties. You should win that game. Matthews did get stoned a number of times by the right tackle, but he forced some pressures and double teams as well. Rodgers' play helped the Packers overcome Finley's IV-fluid disappearing act. "God's Gift" almost gave the Bears another Gift, by dropping the late TD pass, but Finley could have been big on the last drive had not Jones and then McCarthy given the game away.

[Smidgeon]

Any players in dire need of being replaced in the starting lineup? In other words: aberration or trend?

[Cleft Crusty]

Any players in dire need of being replaced in the starting lineup? In other words: aberration or trend?

I was going to say both tackles, but then again, you have to look at what the Packers are doing. Clifton cannot run block. Not at all. Tauscher is almost the same. he used to never have to hold, and now he is struggling to keep his feet and move laterally. So long as the Packers stay pass heavy, these two can stay in there. Starting lineup actually looks pretty solid, except at Running back. But if the Pack remains pass happy, and you pass to Jackson in the flat/underneath, you can pretty much compensate for lack of running game.

[Smidgeon]

Why don't McCarthy teams come into big games ready to dominate?

[Fritz]

Cleft, isn't Kurt Schottenheimer really to blame for this loss?

[denverYooper]

Why did they have 4 TEs active and no Nance? I was disappointed they didn't come out with some crazy 4 Tight set.

[MichiganPackerFan]

Cleft,

On another thread we were discussing blue and red chip players. Who on the current roster do you think fits that description and who has the potential to get there?

[Cleft Crusty]

Why don't McCarthy teams come into big games ready to dominate?

You're joking, right?

Packers dominated in TOP (36 to 24), yards (379 to 276), red zone efficiency (67% to 25%), sacks (3 to 0), and penalties (152 to 38). Clefty said above that the Bears were the superior team, simply because they found a way to win. The Packers have to be looking in the mirror with shame after letting this one get away after outplaying the Bears in virtually every area of the game. That's how it works sometimes: the better team loses, and for you fans who actually care about the outcome, it was because the Packers did just enough wrong, at just the right time (or wrong time, depending on perspective), to give the game away.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft, isn't Kurt Schottenheimer really to blame for this loss?

I fail to understand the blame game , especially targeted at a coach who is two years removed from the Packers. Is Joey Thomas still playing for the Packers? Is Ahmad "boxing gloves" Carroll still in town? Please, blame the players on the field and the head coach on the sideline, who lacks the ability to win big games.

[Cleft Crusty]

Why did they have 4 TEs active and no Nance? I was disappointed they didn't come out with some crazy 4 Tight set.

Did you notice that they didn't need to run the ball? They dominated the clock with the passing game. You can't fault the Coaches for the game plan - it was a thing of beauty. What you can fault them for is the poor execution at key points. When coaches (especially head coaches) are so tight they could convert charcoal briquets to diamonds in their red zones, it translates to the team, and you see critical breakdowns from your lesser players at critical moments.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft,

On another thread we were discussing blue and red chip players. Who on the current roster do you think fits that description and who has the potential to get there?

Blue chip: Rodgers and Finley
likely to get there: Clay Matthews
was in the past, but not anymore: Charles Woodson - age has caught up to him; Clefty can already detect the Big Slide.
Outside chances: B.J. Raji and Mason Crosby
A notch below(and will stay there): Donald Driver, Cullen Jenkins, Nick Collins, Josh Sitton


That's it. But that's plenty

[Tarlam!]

Cleft,

On another thread we were discussing blue and red chip players. Who on the current roster do you think fits that description and who has the potential to get there?
was in the past, but not anymore: Charles Woodson - age has caught up to him; Clefty can already detect the Big Slide.


Mr Crusty, IIRC, Charles Woodson needed 4-5 games last season to find his DPOY form. Indeed, he complained in the press that the Capers scheme wasn't utilizing him correctly. Coincidence?

[Smidgeon]

Why don't McCarthy teams come into big games ready to dominate?

You're joking, right?

Packers dominated in TOP (36 to 24), yards (379 to 276), red zone efficiency (67% to 25%), sacks (3 to 0), and penalties (152 to 38). Clefty said above that the Bears were the superior team, simply because they found a way to win. The Packers have to be looking in the mirror with shame after letting this one get away after outplaying the Bears in virtually every area of the game. That's how it works sometimes: the better team loses, and for you fans who actually care about the outcome, it was because the Packers did just enough wrong, at just the right time (or wrong time, depending on perspective), to give the game away.

Well, what I meant was: "Why do McCarthy teams find a way to lose big games?" but I suppose that I'm only remembering the big ones that the Packers lost instead of the big ones (Dallas last year) that they won.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft,

On another thread we were discussing blue and red chip players. Who on the current roster do you think fits that description and who has the potential to get there?
was in the past, but not anymore: Charles Woodson - age has caught up to him; Clefty can already detect the Big Slide.


Mr Crusty, IIRC, Charles Woodson needed 4-5 games last season to find his DPOY form. Indeed, he complained in the press that the Capers scheme wasn't utilizing him correctly. Coincidence?

DPOY aren't consistently out of position needing to interfere with receivers. That's on Woodson, not the coaches. Woodson is nowhere near the guy he was last year, and he is in danger of being a JAG if his poor play continues. Clefty still thinks he is capable of Pro bowl level play, but he has been inconsistent so far.

[Freak Out]

Why in the hell didn't the Packers kick the ball out of bounds/away from Hester last night? Is Masthay even capable of an angle kick? I understand the risk of s shank and a very short kick but the guy was still a dangerous return man even with the long drought.

[Cleft Crusty]

Why in the hell didn't the Packers kick the ball out of bounds/away from Hester last night? Is Masthay even capable of an angle kick? I understand the risk of s shank and a very short kick but the guy was still a dangerous return man even with the long drought.

Crosby did the directional kicking on kickoffs, until he got the out of bounds penalty. Clefty doesn't know if Masthay can coffin corner kick, but the Crosby penalty and the blocked FG might make the coaches gun shy to try something a little more complex. They've already experienced too many errors and might be getting tight. Note that the Bear's Brad Maynard certainly had a nice directional coffin corner kick last night.

[imscott72]

Cleft, don't you think we need to go after a RB? We can't possibly go the whole year relying on Aaron and the passing game can we? 60 some yards rushing isn't going to cut it, I don't care how good you pass. When the weather turns to crap, we'll need to run the ball. It needs to be figured out. Is Lynch the answer? Who do you like?

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft, don't you think we need to go after a RB? We can't possibly go the whole year relying on Aaron and the passing game can we? 60 some yards rushing isn't going to cut it, I don't care how good you pass. When the weather turns to crap, we'll need to run the ball. It needs to be figured out. Is Lynch the answer? Who do you like?

Rodgers is so accurate, and so in command of the offense, that Clefty doesn't think you need to run out and get a back. Furthermore, they have a tradeoff to make at tackle, where their current tackles are OK (Clifton) and so-so (Tauscher) at pass pro, but are ineffective in run blocking. If the Packers thought they needed some vastly superior running back and wanted to rely on the running game more they would 1) have to spend something to get the running back 2) have to switch out at least one tackle - with a possible loss in the passing game and 3) take the ball our of Rodger's hands. In other words, getting a running back has implications across the offense, and perhaps in two negative ways, not to mention giving up a player or draft picks. Clefty thinks the Packers will use what they have and adjust game plans to use that passing game more, just as they've adjusted in the past for teams that have good run stopping defensive lines. That's what they've done in the past playing Minnesota and Dallas. They'll just do that more often, even with teams with lesser D lines.

[imscott72]

Cleft, don't you think we need to go after a RB? We can't possibly go the whole year relying on Aaron and the passing game can we? 60 some yards rushing isn't going to cut it, I don't care how good you pass. When the weather turns to crap, we'll need to run the ball. It needs to be figured out. Is Lynch the answer? Who do you like?

Rodgers is so accurate, and so in command of the offense, that Clefty doesn't think you need to run out and get a back. Furthermore, they have a tradeoff to make at tackle, where their current tackles are OK (Clifton) and so-so (Tauscher) at pass pro, but are ineffective in run blocking. If the Packers thought they needed some vastly superior running back and wanted to rely on the running game more they would 1) have to spend something to get the running back 2) have to switch out at least one tackle - with a possible loss in the passing game and 3) take the ball our of Rodger's hands. In other words, getting a running back has implications across the offense, and perhaps in two negative ways, not to mention giving up a player or draft picks. Clefty thinks the Packers will use what they have and adjust game plans to use that passing game more, just as they've adjusted in the past for teams that have good run stopping defensive lines. That's what they've done in the past playing Minnesota and Dallas. They'll just do that more often, even with teams with lesser D lines.

I'm all for being pass heavy at the moment, but when the temps get near zero and it's snowing, we're going to need to run the ball. Not many teams are successful in the playoffs without running the ball either. We may get by with it for now, but it's going to have to be addressed down the road. I agree with you on the tackles.

[denverYooper]

How'd you feel about Zombo out there? I thought he held up fairly well. That penalty on Cutler was a tough one b/c if he's just a little bit lower that's probably the play of the game. I know, "game of inches", but other than that he had some decent pressure and showed some motor.