Post game chat with Cleft Crusty (at Washington)

[Cleft Crusty]

Hello folks,

Clefty watched the game and knows why the Packers lost. Clefty sees a lot of complaining and whining with some interesting commentary here and there. If you wish to know the answers to your queries about the game, drop Clefty a line. But not too late, I don't stay up after 8 anymore.

[Fritz]

Clefty, why doesn't MM call more running plays to try to keep the defense honest?

[Tarlam!]

Cleft, I've lit my torch and the rest of the villagers are doing the same. To whom's castle shall we now march and burn down?

[Bretsky]

Dear Cleft,

Do you join us sober, stoned, or intoxicated today ?

Was our top tier WR exposed as being normal today ?

Does MM know we can't run consistently

What year will TT trade a draft pick in rounds one to thre for a veteran ?

When is the last time you say a player sprinting off the field on a game tying field goal ?

Who is a better coach....Shawn Slocum on ST or Ray Rhodes as a head coach?

Would a consistent gum chewing rhythym help Slocum organize his units ??

[Iron Mike]

Cleft, do you still have that broken-down Casio calculator around?? Can you figure out how much Donald Driver was paid today for each of his drops??

[Cleft Crusty]

Clefty, why doesn't MM call more running plays to try to keep the defense honest?

Was the defense dishonest? MM is calling plays to attack the weakness of the defense. Washington was worse than 30 other teams coming in. Good calls, bad execution and several bad breaks. On several occasions either called or Rodgers audibled to draws on long passing downs. That tended to be effective. Probably should have done it more, but you could really see the Packers struggle with audibles, most likely because they had three rookies out there and they rely on TEs for protection schemes.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft, do you still have that broken-down Casio calculator around?? Can you figure out how much Donald Driver was paid today for each of his drops??

Too much. Maybe they could take some back? Clefty is in favor of the pay per play scheme, as Clefty would enjoy the chaos of all the offensive players fighting to get the ball

[DannoMac21]

Cleft

What do you think will be our top draft needs? I'm looking forward to the draft now with nothing to look forward to.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft, I've lit my torch and the rest of the villagers are doing the same. To whom's castle shall we now march and burn down?

I believe you want to talk this over with Tyche/Fortuna, depending on whether you are Greek or Roman, if you get my drift

[imscott72]

Clefty, how did Bulaga do today? Early in the game it seemed they were running the ball well and protection was good. Is this going to be a permanent thing? How would you gauge Bishop's play?

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft

What do you think will be our top draft needs? I'm looking forward to the draft now with nothing to look forward to.

Clefty is always puzzled by this strange phenomena of fans cashing in their chips early in the season. Seasons have interesting arcs, with luck and fortunes rising and falling often like the waves on a stormy sea. Packers are down, but not out. If you enjoy watching College football, why not blog some old semi-retired cynical journalist on Saturday. I'm too busy for this nonsense in the regular season.

[Cleft Crusty]

Dear Cleft,

Do you join us sober, stoned, or intoxicated today ?

Was our top tier WR exposed as being normal today ?

Does MM know we can't run consistently

What year will TT trade a draft pick in rounds one to thre for a veteran ?

When is the last time you say a player sprinting off the field on a game tying field goal ?

Who is a better coach....Shawn Slocum on ST or Ray Rhodes as a head coach?

Would a consistent gum chewing rhythym help Slocum organize his units ??

Clefty never drinks on game day. I take my job seriously, when I'm healthy enough to work. Strangely, the Packer make me feel healthy in comparison.

Ray Rhodes was a terrific defensive backs coach for San Francisco. Much better as a position coach than Slocum. But be kind to Mr. Slocum - the attrition at the top of the roster trickles (or flows) down to his unit (steady there!). I saw a practice squad/indoor football reject playing on special teams to day. You blame Slocum for that?

[Cheesehead Craig]

Clefty,
What position do you see the Packers bringing in some help due to injuries first and why:
LB
DL
RB

[Cleft Crusty]

Clefty, how did Bulaga do today? Early in the game it seemed they were running the ball well and protection was good. Is this going to be a permanent thing? How would you gauge Bishop's play?

Bulage held up (literally) very well. Bishop made some plays. Interesting coverage schemes by Capers kept Cooley from completely exposing Packer's lack of speed in the middle. Admirable game, mostly, from Capers and the defense.

[Cleft Crusty]

Clefty,
What position do you see the Packers bringing in some help due to injuries first and why:
LB
DL
RB

I don't see Thompson making any major moves. He has young talent all over the roster, and can wait it out until next year if need be. Injuries are just bad luck, and since they are coming in a flood, why blow draft picks to shore up one hole in the dike when you have three or four to fill?

[mmmdk]

Crusty,

no doubt the defense has an identity and is coping with injuries too. Can the same be said with Packers offense - and will Rodgers "air out" more frustration?

[Cleft Crusty]

Crusty,

no doubt the defense has an identity and is coping with injuries too. Can the same be said with Packers offense - and will Rodgers "air out" more frustration?

I get the feeling Rodgers is above pouting about a poor performance, especially with the rooks in there. Plus, he made some errors as well, specifically in presnap recognition of pressure. If he wants to be a great leader, here is where he has to rise above and drag the team to victories. Hopefully for him, his concussion won't prevent that happening next week.

[denverYooper]

How good is our defense? Seems to me that they've been having a pretty good year this year, despite the injuries.

[mmmdk]

Hi Clefty,

if 2nd question is ok then here goes; was Jordy Nelson in for the TD on 1st and goal in second Q - and don't ya challenge it as head coach? I think it was a TD.

[Joemailman]

Cleft,

How's your cholesterol level?

[denverYooper]

Cleft, are you awake?

[swede]

Cleft tore an abdominal muscle hacking up a chunk of phlegm. His condition is day-to-day.

[Cleft Crusty]

How good is our defense? Seems to me that they've been having a pretty good year this year, despite the injuries.

The defense was pretty good, and perhaps it can be again with the return of Pickett, Chillar, Matthews, Bigby and Harris. The losses are adding up and injuries are not linear as in you get just progressively worse with more injuries. At some point, the ability to play decent defense will disappear. The next few weeks could be brutal.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft,

How's your cholesterol level?

Let's put it this way: My credit score is 550 - that's OK. My Cholesterol level is higher - that's bad. I was on a 12 egg/day diet in the summer, and I'm coming off that and using a combination of Lovistatin, Zetia and a diet supplemented with Vaseline. Should be better soon, but it's slippery going, if you get my drift.

[Cleft Crusty]

Hi Clefty,

if 2nd question is ok then here goes; was Jordy Nelson in for the TD on 1st and goal in second Q - and don't ya challenge it as head coach? I think it was a TD.

Called out on the field. Hard to reverse that, especially when that second foot was right on the line. Refs don't like to admit they were wrong. McCarthy made the correct decision there.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft tore an abdominal muscle hacking up a chunk of phlegm. His condition is day-to-day.

LIke I said before, no worse than the Packers. I feel like a healthy 85 year old in comparison to the Packers. And most days, it takes at least the first thirty minutes after I wake up to convince myself that I'm actually alive.

[Joemailman]

Cleft,

Why are you still up? It's after 8 o'clock.

[swede]

Now that you're awake...

I found myself admiring the team for hanging in there despite the injuries. Losing the top two TE's screws up a lot of your blocking; they are not just receivers. I'm sorry the Pack lost, I'm bummed about the injuries, but I can't get angry at them for losing this week. No way.

Should I grow a pair and get angry, Cleft, or should I put my bleeding-heart pansy-ass into a robe and sell carnations at the airport?

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft,

Why are you still up? It's after 8 o'clock.

Isn't it obvious: afternoon nap. If 5 hours is a nap. Actually, I think it was a mild stroke. The wife tells me she was surprised when I woke up, but at least she still made dinner.

[Cleft Crusty]

Now that you're awake...

I found myself admiring the team for hanging in there despite the injuries. Losing the top two TE's screws up a lot of your blocking; they are not just receivers. I'm sorry the Pack lost, I'm bummed about the injuries, but I can't get angry at them for losing this week. No way.

Should I grow a pair and get angry, Cleft, or should I put my bleeding-heart pansy-ass into a robe and sell carnations at the airport?

If you try to sell me a carnation, I will punch you in the face. That being said, let me say something nice: I couldn't care less how you feel about the game. Who cares? It's a football game. aren't you more concerned whether you win a pick-up basketball game in the driveway against your worthless son-in-law? I know that's what motivates me, except in my case, it's my wife. You can admire the Packers for losing horribly if you want, but don't include me. I've seen teams give games away before (actually, it was just two weeks ago against Chicago, wasn't it) , and that's what the Packers did, even with the injuries. Excuses are for losers.

[swede]

Your words are beautiful, Cleft.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z236/dsteenswede44/6jURJR019066-02.jpg

[MichiganPackerFan]

Clefty never drinks on game day. I take my job seriously, when I'm healthy enough to work. Strangely, the Packer make me feel healthy in comparison.

I thought you had fully retired. Are you still sneaking in some real work?


I am frustrated with the injuries, particularly with them hitting in a season with expectations so high. My wife would like the training staff's head on a platter and I wonder how much of it is luck and how much can realistically be reduced by the training staff? (i know it's a late question, but I'm just getting through the last couple days of posts!)

[Cheesehead Craig]

Cleft,

How's your cholesterol level?

Let's put it this way: My credit score is 550 - that's OK. My Cholesterol level is higher - that's bad. I was on a 12 egg/day diet in the summer, and I'm coming off that and using a combination of Lovistatin, Zetia and a diet supplemented with Vaseline. Should be better soon, but it's slippery going, if you get my drift.
550 is a terrrrrrible credit score.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft,

How's your cholesterol level?

Let's put it this way: My credit score is 550 - that's OK. My Cholesterol level is higher - that's bad. I was on a 12 egg/day diet in the summer, and I'm coming off that and using a combination of Lovistatin, Zetia and a diet supplemented with Vaseline. Should be better soon, but it's slippery going, if you get my drift.
550 is a terrrrrrible credit score.

I'm glad that you apparently have a good credit score. Let's see how you fare once you're spending 150,000 every year on prescription meds, have two homes in foreclosure, and have 9 credit cards all maxed out and paying interest only. When you're semi-retired, making 63 cents/hour and only working 6-10 hours a week, times are tough mister. Did you have a football question?

[Cleft Crusty]

Clefty never drinks on game day. I take my job seriously, when I'm healthy enough to work. Strangely, the Packer make me feel healthy in comparison.

I thought you had fully retired. Are you still sneaking in some real work?


I am frustrated with the injuries, particularly with them hitting in a season with expectations so high. My wife would like the training staff's head on a platter and I wonder how much of it is luck and how much can realistically be reduced by the training staff? (i know it's a late question, but I'm just getting through the last couple days of posts!)

I assume you watched the game. I'll give one illustrative example: Pickett was injured when some 300 pound offensive lineman put his full weight on Picket's ankle. Is Pickett's ankle made of titanium? No. So what the hell could the training staff do to prevent this injury? The answer is nothing. Perhaps if Pickett were slightly more flexible, or slightly faster/agile, perhaps the injury would have been lessened. But is Pickett less flexible than Tackles on other teams? I think you know the answer. Injuries are pretty random. Non-contact injuries are a different matter. If the Packers pick those up by the bunches, then look out. Clay Matthews' hammy may fall into this category, but it appears as though the training staff has been extremely careful with him. Perhaps the Packers need to get a new team doctor. McKenzie is getting up there in years. Perhaps his flexibility issues are hurting the team...Who knows?

[HowardRoark]

Cleft,

How's your cholesterol level?

Let's put it this way: My credit score is 550 - that's OK. My Cholesterol level is higher - that's bad. I was on a 12 egg/day diet in the summer, and I'm coming off that and using a combination of Lovistatin, Zetia and a diet supplemented with Vaseline. Should be better soon, but it's slippery going, if you get my drift.
550 is a terrrrrrible credit score.

I'm glad that you apparently have a good credit score. Let's see how you fare once you're spending 150,000 every year on prescription meds, have two homes in foreclosure, and have 9 credit cards all maxed out and paying interest only. When you're semi-retired, making 63 cents/hour and only working 6-10 hours a week, times are tough mister. Did you have a football question?

Do you have a prescription for Versed? If so, could you PM me? I have a colonoscopy coming up, and they never give me enough……and it would be nice to have a little on hand for Packer games too.

[MichiganPackerFan]

Clefty never drinks on game day. I take my job seriously, when I'm healthy enough to work. Strangely, the Packer make me feel healthy in comparison.

I thought you had fully retired. Are you still sneaking in some real work?


I am frustrated with the injuries, particularly with them hitting in a season with expectations so high. My wife would like the training staff's head on a platter and I wonder how much of it is luck and how much can realistically be reduced by the training staff? (i know it's a late question, but I'm just getting through the last couple days of posts!)

I assume you watched the game. I'll give one illustrative example: Pickett was injured when some 300 pound offensive lineman put his full weight on Picket's ankle. Is Pickett's ankle made of titanium? No. So what the hell could the training staff do to prevent this injury? The answer is nothing. Perhaps if Pickett were slightly more flexible, or slightly faster/agile, perhaps the injury would have been lessened. But is Pickett less flexible than Tackles on other teams? I think you know the answer. Injuries are pretty random. Non-contact injuries are a different matter. If the Packers pick those up by the bunches, then look out. Clay Matthews' hammy may fall into this category, but it appears as though the training staff has been extremely careful with him. Perhaps the Packers need to get a new team doctor. McKenzie is getting up there in years. Perhaps his flexibility issues are hurting the team...Who knows?

THat was my thought on Harrell, that no amount of training could help his knee hold up when the entire pile fell on him. It seems like the training staff's impact is minimal outside of flexibility.

(I was at the game watching through increasingly blurring vision - lots of FUN!!! Frustrating loss, but I still had a great time, so I'm probably taking this loss a lot better than most here)

What about the advancement of equipment? The ankle may not be made of titanium, but are braces and other support in existence that provide stability without restricting movement? It seems like the NFL has a lot of cash and they'd be way ahead in this area. You made a good point about the helmet not being able to absorb that amount of force a couple weeks back. What type of insight can you offer here?

[Guiness]

THat was my thought on Harrell,

Cleft,

Want I should whack him for thread crapping?

Can't have him pulling rank and cutting in with thoughtful answers while you're waiting for your wife to charge up the defibrillator.