Post game chat with Cleft Crusty (Giants)

[Harlan Huckleby]

Cleft,

I don't see much muscle in this O-line. They don't really move bodies out that much. They seem to have success on screens, draws, misdirection.

And here's my question: I guess i don't have a question.

OK, here's a question: do you agree that the Oline is not powerful? Can they scheme around it?

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft,

I don't see much muscle in this O-line. They don't really move bodies out that much. They seem to have success on screens, draws, misdirection.

And here's my question: I guess i don't have a question.

OK, here's a question: do you agree that the Oline is not powerful? Can they scheme around it?

I think they wish they had another Junius Coston to put in there for Colledge. he was awful wasn't he? There were multiple plays were he either just wiffed and/or got spun around. Coston is no great linemen at this point, but he's the best guard they have. With ZBS misfits Tauscher and Clifton coupled with ineffective guards and an average center, the Packer O-line looks like a mess. And McCarthy seemingly did them no favors - at the start of the second half, he essentially called the same running play on 5 consecutive first downs. After Favre passed the Packers to a 15 point lead, McCarthy returned to the run game and netted next to nothing. He's going to have to rely more on Favre and draws. The difficult thing for the Packers is that Jackson is a poor pass blocker, so they almost are forced to have Winn in on passing downs to pass protect. That's why Winn picked up good yardage in draws on third downs. So the answer is yes, the Packers will have to scheme around the sub-par O-line.

[swede]

Cleft,

It seemed as if the Giants were out to stop the run against a team that doesn't run the ball very well, and early in the game they accomplished that mission.

Were they actually daring Favre to beat them with the pass?

Which brings us to next week--the strategy of defend the run first didn't work out over the course of the game for the giants, but it may be what Green Bay will have to do against San Diego in order to have a chance at 3-0.

Will Green Bay run blitz and/or commit Bigby to the run defense next week?

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft,

It seemed as if the Giants were out to stop the run against a team that doesn't run the ball very well, and early in the game they accomplished that mission.

Were they actually daring Favre to beat them with the pass?

Which brings us to next week--the strategy of defend the run first didn't work out over the course of the game for the giants, but it may be what Green Bay will have to do against San Diego in order to have a chance at 3-0.

Will Green Bay run blitz and/or commit Bigby to the run defense next week?

IT seems to me the Chargers are a bit too dynamic an offense to try to take something away and dare them to beat you elsewhere. If Tomlinson doesn't run, he'll receive. If Bigby overcommits to the run, Gates will run free throught the secondary. There were some occassions today where Collins and Bigby were confused as to who was covering whom. That should be more difficult next week.

And, no I don't think the Giants tried to take the run away - they just used common sense and plyed the run when McCarthy telegraphed what he was doing, running again and again behind Colledge, especially for long stretched on first down and using a TE in the backfield to block. IT's not hard to keep 9 guys on the defense near the line of scrimmage when the offense puts three guys (halfback, fullback and TE) in the offensive backfield to help run block. That formation wasn't very effective.

[Deputy Nutz]

Cliff I love your optimism a about life. the other day I was called a hack reporter/writer. Apparently my material was good enough to copy, paste, and edit for the good of another Packer website, but yet it is still considered filth by the thief that failed to own up to taking the material.

My question to you is, who stole your soul, wife, and penis? Will they give it back, or do they think they have a natural right to it since you put all three on the internet with your toy poodle?

[Cleft Crusty]

Cliff I love your optimism a about life. the other day I was called a hack reporter/writer. Apparently my material was good enough to copy, paste, and edit for the good of another Packer website, but yet it is still considered filth by the thief that failed to own up to taking the material.

My question to you is, who stole your soul, wife, and penis? Will they give it back, or do they think they have a natural right to it since you put all three on the internet with your toy poodle?

Dear Mr. Nutz,

It can be a frustrating thing for columnists to provide content-free material on the web, only to see it hijacked by others, or worse, criticized as though we should be the second coming of Damon Runyan (It could be worse, we could be the second coming of John Runyan and then we couldn't find a decent bed to sleep in). In the web era, plagarism has become rampant, but at the same time is easily uncovered with such tools as 'Google search.' Finally, if you clean up the gutter language and I'm guessing you will get invited to more parties. My soul, wife and dog are free game, but nobody better smack talk about my member. That's why we have a crack legal team (one 2nd year law student from Marquette) over at the JS.