The Weekend That Was

Lambeau Field, Green Bay WI 07/23/2022

On Saturday, along with several family members, I attended the soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City. It was an historic evening as this was the first soccer game ever played at Lambeau Field. The weather was very dicey, as play was suspended twice for lightning in the area when a wave of some pretty severe thunderstorms swept over the stadium. This in turn led to the match being shortened by 5 minutes in each half. Man City scored the only goal (there were several that were disallowed due to offsides), and the capacity crowd was treated to some outstanding Premier League play.

My daughter’s boyfriend was with us, and he was particularly excited. He was ranked the number 2 soccer player in the state of Wisconsin his senior year of high school. This led to him getting a full ride to Davidson College, where he was named to the All-Rookie team in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Milwaukee Air & Water Show 07/24/2022

On Sunday, I was at lakefront with my son-in-law and two grandsons for the Milwaukee Air & Water Show. This was the first time that I had been there for the actual show (I work downtown, and have always enjoyed going outside on my lunch breaks to watch the Blue Angels practice over the city), and will definitely try to make it a regular trip going forward!

July 26, 2022 – 8:35 am Categories: Uncategorized | Post a comment

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I’ll have the Special with Soup

Finally after 13 weeks of watching the Packer’s offense go from average to struggling to sputtering to dead, Mike McCarthy took back the play calling and came to Sunday’s game with his over-sized  laminated menu of plays ready to order up a hot bowl of whoopass for the Dallas Cowboys’ defense. I don’t want to come off as over-reacting, but there were several obvious (at least obvious to me) differences in the way the offense looked, performed and executed. I’d like to share them with you.

Let me first make the disclaimer that I was one of those on the get McCarthy OFF the play calling duties last year. A person might be tempted to call me a hypocrite, but I don’t think that would be accurate. I believe it took McCarthy to watch and have to endure the poor play calling of someone else for him to realize some of the same poor play calling of his own.

The first two things that jumped out for me go hand in hand. I saw more run plays called with Rodgers under center and Lacy running between the tackles. Not a whole lot of shotgun pitches to the edge. That’s just not the best way to use Lacy. Starks has a little more shimmy and shake to him, so he should be the one they test the outside defense with and that’s what McCarthy did for the most part.

Halfback screen plays and slants. Call the FBI and take their faces off the milk cartons. The Packers have found their two long lost staples of the offense. The screen on the Starks scoring pass was perfection. More quick hitters over the middle + less bubble screens lead to fewer momentum killing negative plays and kept drives in manageable down and distances.

Only one time out used to prevent a delay of game, which I think was Aaron trying to get the defense to jump more so than running out of time. It also looked like the plays called were more in sync with what was going on the field. It appeared that Aaron need to check out of plays or alter calls far less this game.

Let’s face it, the offense looked better and performed better. Is it because McCarthy was calling the plays or were they just motivated to execute better? Time will tell, but until then, if it was broke and you did something that looks like it fixed it, do it again!

 

 

December 15, 2015 – 9:49 pm Categories: Uncategorized | Post a comment

Impossibly Improbable – Bucks Beware

While the concept of “improbable but not impossible” is what makes watching sports so rewarding, the past year in Wisconsin has been nothing short of “impossibly improbable”.

How ridiculous has it been?

To call the events I’m about to detail Shakespearian in nature is an understatement.

Let’s start with the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s Basketball team…

What an absolute high to watch this 2014-2015 Badger team.  Their tournament run was absolutely amazing.  It’s the second half and the Badgers are up 9 points on Duke.  In foul trouble, two of Duke’s best players are riding the pine.  Coach K is forced to rely on freshman and bench players.  As a fan you can see the dream coming true…. An actual NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship is within our grasp!

All this veteran team needs to do is play the same smart, tough basketball that defines this program for less than 9 minutes and the Wisconsin Badgers will make history.

Somehow Wisconsin, a team so well disciplined on defense that they committed the fewest fouls out of any team in the nation and so efficient offensively that they set an NCAA Division I record this year…suddenly can’t hit a shot or make a stop to save their lives?  Out of nowhere and with everything on the line the team is tagged for more fouls in a half than they averaged after 39 games played in the season.  Offensively they can’t hit a shot.  It all slips away….  They couldn’t even catch a break with the clock stopped as a seemingly obvious instant replay showing a Duke player touching the ball last as it goes out of bounds turns into the official’s call of Duke ball.

In an instant the dream was gone.  Don’t get me wrong, Duke earned it.  I’m not writing to disparage what they did rather I’m pointing out how improbable it was. Badger fans could taste it.

By itself a loss of this magnitude would be enough to crush any fan’s spirit but come on now… you’re in Wisconsin! We don’t stop after one brutal and heartbreaking loss! After the past year I’m starting to believe that when Russel Ziskey said in Stripes that he once got his #SS kicked in Wisconsin that he was actually remembering rooting for our sports teams.

Enter the 2014 Green Bay Packers and their epic Championship game collapse against the Seattle Seahawks in January 2015. I still can barely talk about this game. What happened isn’t rational. Who the hell scores a 30 yard two-point conversion? You can pick any number of plays where if just ONE play happens different the Pack faces off against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. It was improbable but not impossible for Seattle to pull that game out. Nobody had EVER come back from that deficit with such little time left yet Seattle did just that in an ending that made even Brett Favre wince and look away.

Speaking of looking away… how about them 2014 Brewers! The talk of MLB as they sprinted out of the gate and grabbed firm control of the NL Central, the Brewers were in first place for almost the entire season until a full-out collapse over the final weeks of the season left them not only out of the playoffs but barely able to finish .500.

Then there’s the Milwaukee Bucks… The once proud franchise turned league doormat during the 2013-2014 season gets a serious shot in the arm when Herb Kohl finally sells the franchise to a couple of guys from New York who are hungry to make their mark. They quickly overhaul the roster and draft promising rookie Jabari Parker only to watch him fall to the court in agony, clutching his knee after tearing his ACL.

Why stop here? Let’s go full circle back to the Wisconsin Badgers where, on the verge of a big New Years Day Bowl Game, Gary Andersen bails on the Wisconsin program two years after Barry Alvarez plucked him from a smaller college. Adding insult to injury, Andersen leaves Wisconsin to take a job at a lesser football program in Oregon State. Worse yet, in the wake of Andersen’s leaving town are rumors about the academic standards and pay structure for assistants which calls into question the ability of the Wisconsin program to compete long-term. Only a Barry Alvarez come-from-behind win on New Years Day takes the sting out of this situation, stopping the bleeding until the new Head Coach, Paul Chryst can be announced.

Several recruits are lost but one has his scholarship pulled as one of the State’s top High School football players, Mukwonago’s Dominic Cizauskas sexually assaults a college student during a campus visit. Instead of lining up in Badger Red to start a promising career Cizauskas dons prison orange as he is sentenced in June 2014 to one year in jail.

Back to the Bucks… Jabari Parker is out for the season yet the young Bucks somehow continue to win, going as many as 8 games over .500 at one point. An potential All-Star, PG Brandon Knight is quickly becoming the team leader and a fan favorite. Knight is selected to participate in the NBA All-Star games skills challenge where he finishes second overall. The Bucks are not only looking like a cinch to make the playoffs but they seemingly are building a case to compete for a home court advantage in round one by finishing in the top four of their conference. It would be improbable for them to lose it all and not make the playoffs, the writers say. Well, days later Knight would be traded in a three team trade that brings Michael Carter-Williams to Milwaukee. The team struggles to find chemistry on offense and goes on an long losing streak, falling 2 games under .500. With five games left in the season the Bucks are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. They have a 3 and 1/2 game lead over the Miami Heat for the final playoff spot. Their magic number to clinch is 1 game.

Sounds improbable that they could get knocked out of the playoffs, doesn’t it?

Just remember that improbable doesn’t mean impossible.

April 8, 2015 – 4:44 am Categories: Uncategorized | Post a comment

Tight End Killed The Fullback Star

Frank Summers, Orson Charles, Tony Fiammetta, Montell Owens, Stanley Havili, Will Ta’u fo’ou, Anthony Sherman, John Conner, James Develin, Tommy Bohanon, Bruce Miller, Derick Coleman, Will Johnson, Erik Lorig, Darrel Young and Collin Mooney.  Can you guess what these names have in common?

Let me give you a hint…  Kyle Juszczyk, Robert Hughes, Jerome Felton, Patrick DiMarco, Ryan Hewitt, Jed Collins, Jay Prosch, and Emil Igwenagu.

No idea yet?

What if I toss in a few more recognizable names in Vonta Leach, Mike Tolbert, Greg Jones, John Kuhn, Marcel Reece, and Le’Ron McClain to the list?  Now can you guess?

If you said they all play Fullback then pat yourself on the back because each of the above named players were fullbacks in the National Football League between 2013 and 2014.  In all honesty, how many of the above names have you ever heard of before?  Thirty names and I would bet most people could probably count on one hand the names they recognize and the teams they played on in 2014.

But how could this be?  I mean, these aren’t practice squad players or roster filling special teamers toiling in obscurity that we’re talking about.  The above guys are one of 11 guys that take the field on offense for their respective teams.  Some of these names are starting Fullback’s pulled from the 2014 NFL team depth charts and at least two make the Pro Bowl every year so how is it that a position which once featured the likes of Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Franco Harris, John Riggins, Jim Taylor, Alan Ameche, Mike Alstott and more could become a picture on a milk carton?

The answer to the downfall of the Fullback rests in the increased use of the Tight End position.  Based on my own unofficial review of 2013 and 2014 depth charts there were six teams that didn’t even have a Fullback on their roster and a seventh that started a Tight End in the Fullback spot.  While true that the NFL’s offense-friendly rule changes have led to the demise of the “Run-First” offensive philosophy that was the cornerstone of successful NFL teams of decades past, teams do still need blockers to keep their QB upright so how is it that the Fullback position has reached what I refer to as “Milk Carton” status?

How is it that John Kuhn, a two time Pro-Bowl Fullback (coming off a Pro-Bowl and All-Pro season in 2014) is an afterthought in the first week of free agency to the extent that Kuhn’s agent recently stated that his client wouldn’t get a deal done until later in free agency?

The answer is that Tight End killed the Fullback Star.

A glance at the record book tells a compelling story.  Decades ago the running game, complete with bruising fullback’s, was the way to win in the NFL.

While playing with the San Diego Chargers, Hall of Fame Tight End Kellen Winslow wowed everyone with his pass-catching prowess, showing everyone exactly what kind of impact a TE could have.  Playing from 1979 – 1987, Winslow is ranked 134th all-time in receiving yards with 6,741 yards.  At almost the exact same time (1978-1990), across the nation in Cleveland, Browns Hall of Fame TE Ozzie Newsome was helping General Managers and Coaches realize what a weapon pass-catching TE’s could be.  Newsome ended his career ranked 92nd all-time in receiving yards with 7,890 yards.

It’s in the 80’s that the demise of the bruising, blocking Fullback began.

The Joe Gibbs coached Washington Redskins were one of the most successful teams in the NFL in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.  One of the things that Joe Gibbs did was to utilize Tight End’s out of the backfield in a way that is often referred to as an “H-Back”.  In my words, the H-Back is a Fullback/TE hybrid.  The Redskins had great success utilizing the H-Back which led to teams copying what they did and designing more plays with the Tight End lining up as a back in the backfield.  It also opened the door for more offensive play designs where talented H-Backs, many times more athletic than Fullbacks, could be utilized as offensive weapons.

Franky Wycheck was exactly this kind of player.  Wycheck played from 1993 to 2003 for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise.  Classified officially as a Tight End, Wycheck made his money coming out of the backfield blocking and catching passes as an H-Back.  Wycheck is currently 250th all-time in receiving yards with 5,126 yards.

At the same time that Wycheck was excelling as an H-Back for the Titans, a Fullback by the name of Larry Centers (1990 – 2003) began challenging the way Fullback’s were used.  Playing for the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Centers would go on to set records catching passes from the Fullback position.  In 1995 Centers became the first RB ever to catch 100 passes in a season.  Proving it wasn’t a fluke, Centers caught 99 more in 1996.  By the time he retired he ranked 131st all-time in receiving yardage with 6,797 yards; just ahead of Kellen Winslow.  The change from a bruising/blocking Fullback was fully underway.  Teams saw first-hand what a pass-catching Fullback could do.

Connecting the dots, it should come as no surprise that Joe Gibbs was the offensive coordinator for Kellen Winslow’s San Diego Chargers prior to becoming the head coach in Washington where the H-Back was showcased.  Gibbs’ offensive line coach in Washington was a guy named Joe Bugel who just happens to be the head coach that drafted Larry Centers and helped hone his game.  Likewise, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Franky Wycheck’s head coach for most of his career was Jeff Fisher who just happens to coach one of the seven NFL teams I mentioned previously as not having a Fullback on their roster today.

As the careers of Kellen Winslow and Ozzie Newsome came to an end the career of another Hall of Fame Tight End was beginning in Shannon Sharpe.  Playing for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens from 1990 to 2003, few Tight End’s in football were as impactful as Shannon Sharpe.  Sharpe picked up where Newsome and Winslow left off setting records for a Tight End in receptions, receiving yards and TD’s scored.  Sharpe became the first Tight End to reach the 10,000 yards receiving mark for a career; currently ranked 43rd overall with 10,060 total yards.  In what surely was no coincidence, it was Ozzie Newsome acting as the General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens that brought Sharpe to Baltimore for the 2000 and 2001 seasons where Sharpe helped the franchise win their first ever Super Bowl Championship.

With Sharpe the Tight End star was shining as bright as it ever had but it was about to go full supernova and change the NFL for good as one of the best Tight Ends that the NFL will ever see entered the fray in Tony Gonzalez.  Playing from 1997 to 2013 for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons, Gonzalez shattered Sharpe’s records for Tight End.  Gonzalez became so good that his statistics rivaled that of Wide Receivers during a time in which receivers themselves were setting records.  Gonzalez ended his career with the 5th most receiving yards all-time (15,127 yards).  Only Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Isaac Bruce have more yards than Tony Gonzalez.  Gonzalez is a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer and his career only served to further demonstrate the impact that the Tight End position holds over the Fullback position.

As Gonzalez’s career was playing out two more future Hall of Fame Tight End’s began their careers in 2003.  Playing for the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Witten has climbed to 35th all-time in receiving yards with 10,502 yards.  Witten is still playing and barring injury he should break the top 30 in all-time receiving yards after this coming season.  The same can be said for Antonio Gates who, while playing for the San Diego Chargers, has amassed a career that ranks 44th all-time in receiving yards, just 46 yards behind Shannon Sharpe.  Like Jason Witten, Antonio Gates is still playing at a high rate and should continue to climb towards the top 30 in receiving yards all-time.

As the names of starting Fullbacks double as a question category on Jeopardy, the number of Household Tight End names are at an all-time high.  Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, and Antonio Gates represent today’s versions of Tony Gonzalez, Kellen Winslow, Shannon Sharpe and Ozzie Newsome.  While not yet household names, there exists an abundant crop of young Tight End talent in today’s NFL that can and will further the trend of the Tight End position eliminating the need for the traditional Fullback.

New England Patriot’s Head Coach Bill Belichick took the Tight End craze up a notch by creating a formidable two Tight End offense that has been widely successful for several years now.  How long will it be until teams and coaches copy Belichick’s plan the way that teams borrowed from Joe Gibbs H-Back schemes?  Jimmy Graham’s stats have been so impressive that his agent spent last off-season making the very valid case for his client to be categorized as a Wide Receiver.  Nobody will mistake Vernon Davis’ career for Kellen Winslow’s yet with one less year under his belt Davis is ranked 210th all-time in receiving yards with 5,446 yards, only 1,295 yards off Winslow’s career mark.

With the kind of production that teams are getting out of the Tight End position today I think it’s safe to say that the Fullback position won’t be making a comeback any time soon.  Gone are the days of the three yards and a cloud of dust type offense that Fullbacks were am essential part of.  It’s a shame but today’s Fullbacks are one step above special teams players.  They are paid little to take a lot of abuse.  They’re underappreciated.  Today teams pick bruising backs up off the street that are willing to run full steam ahead into 300+ pound defensive linemen.  Heck, today’s NFL has taken to putting LB’s and Defensive linemen into the game in place of Fullbacks.  I’m not sure how long it will be before Fullbacks are removed from the annual Pro-Bowl and All-Pro listings but I’m pretty sure that when it happens the Fullback spots will be replaced with Tight Ends.

March 16, 2015 – 2:26 am Categories: Richard Gureski | Comments (2)

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Something’s Gotta Give

While it’s not the proverbial “irresistible force meeting immovable object”, a streak will end on Sunday at Lambeau Field. The Cowboys roll into town having posted a perfect 8-0 road record this season, pitted against the Packers on perfect showing in home games. Someone has to lose, thus ending their streak. Vegas likes the Pack, as do I, but it should still be an exciting game between two of the better teams in the NFC.

The real interesting game will be the one between the Seahawks and the Panthers. A Carolina win coupled with a victory for Green Bay would mean the NFC Championship Game will be held on the Frozen Tundra. We can always hope.

January 7, 2015 – 6:45 pm Categories: Andy Wellman, Green Bay Packers | Post a comment

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Merry Christmas…

…and Happy New Year!

Santa delivered a big win for a much needed bye week in the NFC North Division Championship Game against the Detroit Lions. That was followed up by a Barry Alverez lead Badgers football team’s upset of Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Years day. Then the Dallas Cowboys took care of business in the first round of the playoffs and punched their ticket for a rematch of the Ice Bowl (yeah, I said it) this Sunday. Marquette’s Men’s Basketball team has been a pleasant surprise, and the Badger’s Men’s team has been holding it’s own. Sorry I haven’t been following them as closely as I should, but I will once the NFL season is over and we head into the sports doldrums and count down the days to the NCAA Tournament.

And don’t forget about the Bucks, who have already won more games this season than they did the entire last year. I’m not sure when Brewers pitchers and catchers report, but before you know it we’ll be listening to the dulcet tones of Bob Ueker coming from sunny Arizona while we dream of warmer days at Miller Park.

And just a quick note on the passing of Stuart Scott. I didn’t know the man personally, but I did invite him into my living room nearly every night on SportsCenter. He and Rich Eisen were often much more entertaining than the highlights that were played. By all indications, he was a decent guy with a great sense of humor, and more importantly, a very loving father. Where ever you are Mr. Scott, I hope the pillows are as cool on the other side as they are here.

January 6, 2015 – 6:51 pm Categories: Andy Wellman, Green Bay Packers, Marquette Golden Eagles, Milwaukee Brewers, UW Badgers | Post a comment

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NFC North Division Championship Game…

…AGAIN!

For the second time in as many years, the NFC North crown will go to the winner of a head-to-head match up in the last game of the regular season. And once again, the Green Bay Packers will be playing in that game. Last year it was against the Bears at Soldier field, where the Pack prevailed in what is arguably one of the greatest comebacks in the Aaron Rodgers era. This year, it comes down to a single game at Lambeau Field against the Detroit Lions, a team that beat us earlier this season. In that game, the offense wasn’t particularly sharp, much like they haven’t been in the last two weeks while going 1-1. The games weren’t blowouts by any means, with our defense keeping us within winning distance each time.

But that has been against some pretty bad offenses, and when we faced a formidable defense in Buffalo, we lost. Detroit is similarly good on that side of the ball. Yesterday, Rodgers started the game already under the weather while also taking some painful shots from Buccaneer defenders. Hopefully he will be able to get healed up this week, as much as can be expected this time of year anyway, and playing before the home crowd with the offense put up the kind of numbers we saw against the Bears, Eagles and Falcons.

For while both teams are already in the post season, this game comes down to the difference between a first round by and at least one playoff game at home, or going on the road in round one. Personally, I wouldn’t be that disappointed with the wildcard berth, except that would mean that the Lion’s would get their first win in Wisconsin since 1992, because when Green Bay won their last Superbowl they were on the road throughout the playoffs, and I’m still disappointed with how the team handled the last time they had a first round bye.

Regardless of the outcome of this game though, the road to Superbowl would appear to run through Seattle, a daunting task for any team right now.

December 23, 2014 – 1:57 am Categories: Andy Wellman, Green Bay Packers | Comments (2)

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The Packer Way – Character Matters

There was an inspiring piece in the Journal Sentinel this morning (Sunday December 14, 2014) written by Packers beat writer Tyler Dunne about Packers RB James Starks returning this week to the Buffalo area where he grew up.  Here is the link in case you haven’t had a chance to read the article:  http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/starks-has-hopes-for-homecoming-b99407678z1-285733991.html

With all the negativity that seems to dominate the news it’s refreshing to see a positive and high character story like this.  You can’t help but tip your hat to a guy like Starks.  How can you not root for a guy who, despite having an uphill journey to begin with, has repeatedly had setbacks which caused him to lift himself up over and over again?  He’s an inspiration and a role model for kids to look up to.

While reading the comments on this article I noticed folks commenting on how proud they were that Ted Thompson drafted Starks.  One guy said that Starks is the epitome of a Ted Thompson/Packers RB.  Another told a story about how apparently the Packers swooped in and plucked Starks out from under the Chicago Bears grasp.

The draft related comments got me thinking about something I once heard from an NFL scout whose name eludes me at this moment. The scout stated that the two biggest reasons why draft choices don’t pan out are (1) injury and (2) character.

If you stop and think about it, that’s absolutely true.  And you know what else is true?  Successful organizations pay attention to character.  Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers…  the Green Bay Packers…  The New York Giants…   These organizations are known for class and integrity in their dealings.  A tone is set in each of these organizations where character matters from the top of the organization down.  Players form these organizations talk about the “Steeler Way” or “New York Giants Football”.

It’s not that these types of organizations never have bad apples.  The NFL is a violent game and NFL players live on the edge so bad things can and do happen to teams with the best intentions but by setting a standard where character matters and by bringing in high character players (like James Starks) the Packers brass are helping to lessen the odds that our starting QB will be found on a houseboat with a bunch of (cough) escorts.

As we watch the drama of NFL circus acts like the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns unfold before our eyes each year, and as we remember how terrible the Oakland Raiders were towards the final years of Al Davis’ life, it quickly becomes apparent why some organizations succeed and others fail.

Character matters.

December 14, 2014 – 5:36 pm Categories: Richard Gureski | Comments (1)

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I’ll Take It!

If yesterdays game at Lambeau Field truly was a Superbowl preview, as many in the media claimed it would be, I would be more than happy with that. Even if the score were reversed, there’s no denying that it was an excellent example of NFL football at it’s highest level. Two great quarterbacks with two outstanding head coaches, provided a chess match to behold. In the end the home team prevailed, but the game was actually closer than the final score would indicate, and when all was said and done, one of the MVP caliber QB’s was just a little bit better than the other.

Aaron Rodgers started out the game a little bit shaky. He was not his usual hyper accurate self, missing his targets relatively badly, and probably costing the Packers one, if not more, touchdowns. But he eventually settled down and started making those spectacular, in-stride-between-the-defenders-hands passes that we had become so accustomed to. While the red zone efficiency left a lot to be desired, it did result in a rather large time of possession advantage for Green Bay. Sometimes the best defense against Tom Brady is to keep him off the field.

And speaking of defense, the Packers aren’t getting nearly enough credit on that side of the ball. They held a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback and his offense, one that had shredded the likes of Denver and Indianapolis, to only 21 points. If anyone had said that New England would only score three touchdowns on Sunday, I would have said that’s a win. Because when all is said and done, you simply can not discount the home field advantage that is Lambeau Field.

Of course, the Superbowl is played at a neutral site, and that might lead to a totally different result. Here’s to hoping that we’ll be able to see it that’s the case come February.

December 2, 2014 – 2:17 am Categories: Uncategorized | Post a comment

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Hey Mike, Halloween is on Friday

So what was with those “tricks” in last nights loss to the Saints? Was it the bright lights of primetime? Or facing off against your former employer? Whatever the case might have been, those were two of the most inexplicable play calls I’ve seen from you in quite some time. First and goal from the 2 yard line and you’re going to call a pass play to Julius Peppers??? And not a nice little fad to the back corner where Aaron could float one in there, but a bullet crossing route with a guy draped all over him. That’s a difficult catch for an experienced wide receiver or tight end, so what made you think that a defensive lineman would give you the best opportunity to convert that into a touchdown? Why would you think to just give away a down in a game that was going back and forth, each team exchanging equal blows.

Which brings me to the other act of “trickeration”, the onside kick. Again, you’re in a close game where every possession is worth it’s weight in gold, and you’re going to take the chance of giving Drew Brees a short field at home? Maybe somehow, perhaps, you forgot what was going on, or maybe you were confused? A touchdown pass to a defensive player is neat when you’re blowing someone out in your own stadium, and an onside kick is not “cute”, it’s a serious play that’s used when you have very little time left and you need to score or generate a swing in momentum.

So, if you’re not going burn those two plays in the furnace at Lambeau Field, at least lock away in a glass case that says “use only in case of emergency” and give the hammer to Ted.

October 28, 2014 – 1:39 am Categories: Andy Wellman | Comments (2)

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