Post game chat with Cleft Crusty (at Bears)

[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.