Post game chat with Cleft Crusty (Bengals)

[Fosco33]

What's the main reason for the imbalance of play calls (39 pass, 18 run)?

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Cleft,

We all read numerous times about an adjustment period to the 3-4, and there were many discussions. Yet, we clearly dominated a strong offensive machine like the Bears. Is Capers just incompetent...or is a case of bad reporting.

Sincerely,
Ty

[retailguy]

Cleft. Ty is riding on a train the superbowl with thousands of fans. The packers lose a game and 75% of those fans get off the train. How much quicker does the train arrive at the superbowl.

Please solve for X. Work must be shown.

That's math, right? Maybe algebra? Clefty never got past long division in grammar school. But I get your point. Too high after a win, too low after a loss. That's why Clefty doesn't care who wins or loses. It makes the games boring and pointless, but makes me the best reporter - at least the best reporter being paid under $578 per year.

P.S. trains are different than Bandwagons. Badwagons seem to go faster with more on board, they are heaviest at the Superbowl, and are rapidly emptied the first loss the following year. Plus, they play the Macarena on the loudspeaker.

what happens to the bandwagon after 4th & 26 or 3rd & 34?

the DC got fired after 4th and 26....

IS this just a subtle "Fire Capers!" post? That was a game changing play, as was the Grant fumble.

nah, i don't want him fired but happy the tarnish is off the star a bit. there's work to be done there...

[imscott72]

What's the main reason for the imbalance of play calls (39 pass, 18 run)?

Well I'm certainly not Cleft, but I'd say being behind and not being able to run the ball all day might have something to do with slinging the ball all over the place.

[Cleft Crusty]

What's the main reason for the imbalance of play calls (39 pass, 18 run)?

They couldn't run the ball effectively. Come to think of it, they couldn't pass effectively either. The Packers had just one sustained scoring drive before the game was over.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft,

We all read numerous times about an adjustment period to the 3-4, and there were many discussions. Yet, we clearly dominated a strong offensive machine like the Bears. Is Capers just incompetent...or is a case of bad reporting.

Sincerely,
Ty

I think other teams have already adjusted to the Packer's 3-4. The key is to be able to run against the 3-4. Then they can't pin back their ears and mix up pass rushes and blitzes. That's what the Bengals did.

For a little foreshadowing, consider this: The Packers weaknesses are run defense and their offensive line. The Vikings strengths are their O-line/running the ball and their defensive line. The Vikings D line is much better than Cincy's. I think you can see the writing on the wall for two weeks from tomorrow - The Packers are going to get destroyed in Minnesota.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft. Ty is riding on a train the superbowl with thousands of fans. The packers lose a game and 75% of those fans get off the train. How much quicker does the train arrive at the superbowl.

Please solve for X. Work must be shown.

That's math, right? Maybe algebra? Clefty never got past long division in grammar school. But I get your point. Too high after a win, too low after a loss. That's why Clefty doesn't care who wins or loses. It makes the games boring and pointless, but makes me the best reporter - at least the best reporter being paid under $578 per year.

P.S. trains are different than Bandwagons. Badwagons seem to go faster with more on board, they are heaviest at the Superbowl, and are rapidly emptied the first loss the following year. Plus, they play the Macarena on the loudspeaker.

what happens to the bandwagon after 4th & 26 or 3rd & 34?

the DC got fired after 4th and 26....

IS this just a subtle "Fire Capers!" post? That was a game changing play, as was the Grant fumble.

nah, i don't want him fired but happy the tarnish is off the star a bit. there's work to be done there...

The Packers had better hope Raji is healthy and very good - as soon as possible - otherwise any team with a decent O-line will the the ball right up the gut.

[imscott72]

Cleft,

We all read numerous times about an adjustment period to the 3-4, and there were many discussions. Yet, we clearly dominated a strong offensive machine like the Bears. Is Capers just incompetent...or is a case of bad reporting.

Sincerely,
Ty

I think you can see the writing on the wall for two weeks from tomorrow - The Packers are going to get destroyed in Minnesota.

Hard to disagree with this. I can't imagine our line problems getting solved in two weeks. As the Big Unit would say, "it is what it is". Can't change all the personnel so you gotta go with em and it's not good.

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft. Ty is riding on a train the superbowl with thousands of fans. The packers lose a game and 75% of those fans get off the train. How much quicker does the train arrive at the superbowl.

Please solve for X. Work must be shown.

That's math, right? Maybe algebra? Clefty never got past long division in grammar school. But I get your point. Too high after a win, too low after a loss. That's why Clefty doesn't care who wins or loses. It makes the games boring and pointless, but makes me the best reporter - at least the best reporter being paid under $578 per year.

P.S. trains are different than Bandwagons. Badwagons seem to go faster with more on board, they are heaviest at the Superbowl, and are rapidly emptied the first loss the following year. Plus, they play the Macarena on the loudspeaker.

what happens to the bandwagon after 4th & 26 or 3rd & 34?

the DC got fired after 4th and 26....

IS this just a subtle "Fire Capers!" post? That was a game changing play, as was the Grant fumble.

nah, i don't want him fired but happy the tarnish is off the star a bit. there's work to be done there...

It's a strange Packer fan that is " happy the tarnish is off the star a bit." If I take what you wrote correctly, you want a more realistic appraisal of Capers and the D. That's fine. Clefty is all about finding truth in the hyperbole of the modern NFL - the same modern NFL that has a 24/7 channel that essentially kisses the NFL's large hairy ass. But even defenses with weaknesses in personnel can do great things if the run a god scheme very well. I probably agree with your underlying point that the Packer personnel and/or the coordinator might not be as good as hyped, but I can't understand why a Packer fan would be happy having that realization made apparent by a bad loss.

[retailguy]

It's a strange Packer fan that is " happy the tarnish is off the star a bit." If I take what you wrote correctly, you want a more realistic appraisal of Capers and the D. That's fine. Clefty is all about finding truth in the hyperbole of the modern NFL - the same modern NFL that has a 24/7 channel that essentially kisses the NFL's large hairy ass. But even defenses with weaknesses in personnel can do great things if the run a god scheme very well. I probably agree with your underlying point that the Packer personnel and/or the coordinator might not be as good as hyped, but I can't understand why a Packer fan would be happy having that realization made apparent by a bad loss.

Simple. The first step towards fixing a problem is realizing that you've got one. I'd rather have that be obvious in Week 2 instead of Week 13.

They've got to do a better job at matching the D for the opponent they are facing. Maybe more 4-3 alignments?

for the last several years, they have had a rough time getting penetration with the front 4 or 3 or whatever. That problem is consistent, even with the scheme change. Until they figure that one out, they'll struggle.

This year, we took the best guy we had at getting pressure and made him an OLB... Yeah, he's done OK, but if he was terrific and we made him "OK" how have we improved?

We've got a ways to go on the Defense, and I'm glad that the "performance" today will make some of the coaches take a hard look at what went wrong while there is still time to fix it.

[Cleft Crusty]

We've got a ways to go on the Defense, and I'm glad that the "performance" today will make some of the coaches take a hard look at what went wrong while there is still time to fix it.

I'm certain the coaches were living in a hyped dream before today. just as I'm sure that this loss will 'make some of the coaches take a hard look.' As though they don't take a hard look every 16 hours of the days they work. They got exposed in the run game. There's your hard look. Perhaps some fans had some sugar-coated view of their personnel, but to think that the coaches were buying into the hype is absurd. To suggest that a loss will make them take some sort of special hard look is equally absurd. They look at what they do right and wrong every game. A loss is a setback for the team. Crusty doesn't care, because losses make for controversy and more juicy reporting, but a Packer fan being glad for a loss is puzzling even to Crusty, who takes all sorts of weird questions from fans.

[red]

cleft, after digesting todays game i've decided to cut one of my ears off out of frustration

which one should i choose?

[retailguy]

We've got a ways to go on the Defense, and I'm glad that the "performance" today will make some of the coaches take a hard look at what went wrong while there is still time to fix it.

I'm certain the coaches were living in a hyped dream before today. just as I'm sure that this loss will 'make some of the coaches take a hard look.' As though they don't take a hard look every 16 hours of the days they work. They got exposed in the run game. There's your hard look. Perhaps some fans had some sugar-coated view of their personnel, but to think that the coaches were buying into the hype is absurd. To suggest that a loss will make them take some sort of special hard look is equally absurd. They look at what they do right and wrong every game. A loss is a setback for the team. Crusty doesn't care, because losses make for controversy and more juicy reporting, but a Packer fan being glad for a loss is puzzling even to Crusty, who takes all sorts of weird questions from fans.

the game plan did not indicate to me that at all. but hey, you're the "all wise one". we shall see.

[Cleft Crusty]

We've got a ways to go on the Defense, and I'm glad that the "performance" today will make some of the coaches take a hard look at what went wrong while there is still time to fix it.

I'm certain the coaches were living in a hyped dream before today. just as I'm sure that this loss will 'make some of the coaches take a hard look.' As though they don't take a hard look every 16 hours of the days they work. They got exposed in the run game. There's your hard look. Perhaps some fans had some sugar-coated view of their personnel, but to think that the coaches were buying into the hype is absurd. To suggest that a loss will make them take some sort of special hard look is equally absurd. They look at what they do right and wrong every game. A loss is a setback for the team. Crusty doesn't care, because losses make for controversy and more juicy reporting, but a Packer fan being glad for a loss is puzzling even to Crusty, who takes all sorts of weird questions from fans.

the game plan did not indicate to me that at all. but hey, you're the "all wise one". we shall see.

I see, you know the game plan now too. Please enlighten the rest of us what the plan was. We'd like to know, especially when you have that exclusive inside info. The players and coaches don't talk to Crusty any more.

[Cleft Crusty]

cleft, after digesting todays game i've decided to cut one of my ears off out of frustration

which one should i choose?

Save your ears - at some point you may need them to barter for something important, like a washing machine or a case of beer.