Welcome back to The Coach Clarahanson Show!!! In Coach’s Humble Opinion: Elvis was right… The “get right” games came and went, in all of which we didn’t. Then the dreaded “now we have to play the best team, on the road, after their bye” game came, in which we still didn’t look good, but also totally didn’t piss our pants on national tv while covering the outlandish-for-the-NFL 10.5 point spread. Still, it feels like we had a long rigid shaft poked into our backside. So here we sit at 3-5. Not out of playoff contention, but certainly on the cusp. Recall we were the Number 1 seed last year! Losing Devante Adams isn’t the reason … if he came back this week this team would still be far from the NFL’s best. We can get back on track with the guys we got. It’s a pretty simple thing, football … just need to block well on offense and tackle well on defense, and not give away the ball. Sure, easier said than done, but all of these things are completely doable by the Green Bay Packers and achievable with better leadership and coaching – but time is running out (thanks, Capt. Obvious) and it’s gotta start now in Detroit, because Elvis was right: It’s now or never… at least, in Coach’s humble opinion. Create A Seam Here – X’s & O’s about the game or a scheme If Coach told you before the Bills game that we have:
As much as Coach loves the stats … they story of this game was only the 1st Half … and we were killed in the 1st. Coach doesn’t want to say the Bills stopped playing at the Half … but that’s what the eye-test says. On the first Bills drive we looked great, forcing a 3 & out (drive chart below). Arrggghhh, but! Yet again Alexander dropped an interception what would have put us in business about the Bill’s 30-yd line. We forced the punt, but on the ensuing drive we lost Watson to a concussion and choked on 4th down, giving the ball to the Bills 39 ... and the route was on. We watched as the Bills piled up 24 points and scored on four straight possessions. Rodgers was able to hit Romeo Dubbs on a spectacular 19-yard TD, but that was just the liver-sausage spread in the two-TD sandwich made by the Bills. In the first half we had one good drive on Offense and three more that we choked away. We had five drives on defense and had negative plays on all five and gave up scores on four of the drives. The score was “only” 24-7 at the Half, but it did not feel that close. Yes, the run offense looked much better, but the Bills were defending the pass and were in a 2-Hi Safety look until mid-way through the 2nd half. Two plays in this game summarize the game and the 2022 Season for Coach. With the Bills leading 7-0 on their 3rd Drive, at 3rd & 14 on the Packers 21-yard-line, Josh Allen was under pressure and scrambled left. It’s a bit hard to see because because he misses so badly, but Jaire Alexander turns Allen back to the inside where he has help (proper technique) and Darnell Savage closes his eyes, dives, and completely misses Allen. WTF. We came into the year with the Offense would be a work-in-progress, but with the expectation and understanding that we would have a Top-5 Defense. We now rank 16th, and our Ranking continues to drop every week (go back and look at previous episodes of CCH). The other expectation we had is that the Special Teams would get better. The second have Kick-Off was fantastic! Keisean Nixon returned the ball 49-yards out to the 50!! Hooray!! Packer Nation exhaled, collectively mouthing “maybe we have a shot in this game!” Alas, no. Safety Innis Gaines, activated for this game … was called for holding and the Offense started at the 16-yard line. We gained 72 yards on the series and kicked a FG … but if we started at the 50? Yes Jimmy, 72 yards is enough to get to the Endzone. That would have put the score at 24-14 and, who knows, maybe a punchers chance. When players continually make the same mistakes … we must conclude that the problem is the Coaching. WTF – Coach’s take on football news that’s messed up Brett Favre Makes Amends By Sending Photo Of His Penis To Every Mississippian On Welfare SUMRALL, MS—In an effort to address the backlash against his alleged participation in a massive scheme to misuse state funding, former NFL star Brett Favre on Friday was reportedly making amends by sending every Mississippian on welfare a photo of his penis. “I am sorry for what I’ve done and letting the most vulnerable people of Mississippi down, and it is my greatest hope that you’ll accept a signed photograph of my cock as my request for forgiveness,” said Favre, explaining that over the next few weeks, each of the approximately 440,000 Mississippi residents currently on welfare would receive a signed copy of one of several different photographs of his erect member. “While it may not make up for the welfare money you were expecting, this is a genuine dick pic from a Hall of Fame NFL quarterback, and would look really nice on the mantle. You could also sell it, if you’re hard up for some money, or ladies could perhaps use it to pleasure themselves, and derive some benefit from that. Ultimately, I hope that a picture of my penis will convey my deepest apologies for my actions, and that I can be back in the good graces of the great people of Mississippi.” At press time, residents across Mississippi were opening their mail to find a picture of Favre’s penis, with the handwritten signature “Sorry—Brett. P.S. u like this?” The Bears Still Suck – Coach has proof Jared Field Hands Off Letters To His Family In Case He Doesn’t Make It Out Of Next Sack Alive IRVING, TX—Shoring up his resolve as he made peace with his likely fate, Chicago Bears quarterback Jared Field reportedly handed off letters to his family Monday in case he didn’t make it out of the next sack alive. “Take these letters, David [Montgomery], and see that they are delivered to my family should the pass rush prevail and I meet my maker during this next sack,” said Field, thrusting a stack of envelopes containing messages to his parents, sister, and close friends into the running back’s arms and urging his teammate to tell his family he loved them. “There is no way around it, David: We are losing the battle in the trenches. I can only be sacked on so many occasions before there is a sack I will never return from. Our offensive tackles are weak and cannot hold out much longer, and before we know it the blitz will be upon me. I want my family to know that it was them I thought of as my pass protection fell and I looked in vain for a receiver to get open. Run, David, run like the wind! It doesn’t look good for me, but duty requires me to remain here in the pocket and protect the football to my last breath. Oh, god, the linebackers will soon be here, and then I may be sacked for all time.” At press time, Field was lighting a last cigarette as the Dallas Cowboys defense breached the offensive line and began charging toward him. Udder Stuff – Commentary from the Badger Underground Bowl Qualifying Terrapins Come to Madison Best case, we wind up 8-4 and most likely will experience another toe stubbing or two against the paltry field we face in the next month. We predict a 7-5 finish. The field looks pretty unimpressive with 4-3 Maryland, up next, as the toughest competition. On paper, we should win out, but after the Wazzou, FIB, and MSU debacles, we are not counting on that. Throw out the stats for this Saturday’s matchup vs. Maryland. While a 24-hour soaker will be winding down by kickoff, rain may still be a factor and Lake Mendota whitecap-inducing winds fire up. The much-anticipated aerial circus may never get off the Camp Randall turf. That’s good and bad. Tualia Tagovailoa, brother of Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, returns from a knee injury. The younger Tagovailoa is averaging 285.9 passing yards per game this season, with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. His completion rate of 72.5% is tied for the No. 2 mark in the Big Ten. He has rushed for three touchdowns, but prefers to extend plays in an attempt to give his receivers more time to get open. With only one legitimate pass rushing threat and inconsistency in setting the edge, containing this guy is a big ask for the Badgers defense. Maryland also has playmakers at receiver and running back. (Why do guys like this overwhelmingly choose to attend schools like Maryland, Rutgers and Nebraska vs. schools like Wisconsin?) Their running game is on par with Wisconsin’s. 6-foot, 200-lb freshman Roman Hembry averages 6.5 yards per carry and is difficult to bring down on first contact. Defensively, Maryland is stout against the run and soft against the better passing attacks. Maryland has held only two teams below the 200-yards passing this season. In the other six games Maryland allowed an average of 311 passing yards per game and 14 touchdown passes. It is not clear whether leading tackler linebacker Jaishawn Barham returns from injury this week. With the exception of punter, Maryland has superior special teams talent. Don’t rule out them running back a kickoff or punt. Play this game on a dry field with wind not being a factor, it’s a bad matchup for Bucky. The elements work in our favor and the anticipated return of guys spending recent weeks in the tub yield a turnover-marred win, 21-17. The BU sponsors, Voyeurs International came through again. This week’s titillating offering is entitled “Side Boob Safari”. Enjoy. We’re Gonna Kick Your @$$ – predictions for the upcoming game The primary reasons we will spank the Portsmouth Spartans are: 3) We usually do! We have a 105-73-7 winning record all-time, and we are 19-9 in the Rodgers era. 2) Mason Crosby is back on form … in his 17th year kicking for Pack, his 2022 FG made percentage of 80% is almost at his career median of 81%. Don’t forget, Crosby is a long-time Spartan’s killer. 1) And, the number one reason we will win is … drum roll please … that they suck more than we do! There’s a good reason the Spartans are at the bottom of the NFC North … The have the 32 Ranked Scoring Defense and the 31st worst Point Differential. Mason Crosby is gonna have another field goal palooza in Detroit on Sunday. Packers 22 (5 FG & a TD) Spartans 17 JB – Packers you forgot about, but stories you’ll remember about them Since it appears our expectations for this year need a reset, Coach was thinking back to another time when the Packers aspired to achieve the measly 0.500 mark. The Pack ascended to mediocrity in 1981, nearly making the playoffs with their 8-8 record. Their offense improved to 14th by scoring 324 points, but the defense allowed 361, 20th in the league. They were 5-3 against losing teams and 3-5 against the rest, 4-4 both at home and on the road. They started the season 2-6 and lost Eddie Lee Ivery in game one, but then won six of seven games to reach the season finale with an 8-7 record. A victory over the Jets and the team would sneak into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. But, of course, the Jets whipped the Pack 28-3, and the Green and Gold’ season ended without a playoff birth. So who were these sad sacks of the new decade? Who were the Dean Lowry’s back then? Well, one of them was Byron Braggs. Braggs attended and played college football at the University of Alabama for the legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from 1977 to 1980. He played on Alabama's 1978 and 1979 National Championship teams. Then the Packers selected him in the 5th round of the 1981 draft to play defensive end ... which he did, rather unremarkably. After football Braggs worked as a Criminal Investigator/Special Agent for the U.S. Customs Service. Subsequently that entity became a part of the Department of Homeland of Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Braggs served as the Acting Chief Intelligence Officer for the Washington DC field office, and eventually retired from ICE in October of 2016. How ‘bout that, eh? So this week we remember you, Byron Braggs, because nobody else probably will. Salute!
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Welcome back to The Coach Clarahanson Show!!! In Coach’s Humble Opinion: Erin ain’t no Lady, and I’ve got better things to do… There is officially better stuff to do in Wisconsin during the NFL season than bother watching the Packers. When Coach was a kid the Packers were terrible, but still I watched them because there wasn’t much else to do in small-town Tundramerica. Then as I got older and started to chase girls, drive various and sundry motorized vehicles, etc., I was already used to watching the Pack every Sunday at noon (that was the only day/time they ever played back then), and they started getting better. I made time on Sundays to ubiquitously watch semi-competitive Packers football in addition to pursuing fast cars and fast women the remainder of the week. But now my interest in peering over a fake, pay-only sledding hill to watch a self-absorbed flat-earthing quarterback (who passive aggressively complains about personnel problems that he ultimately created, and then publicly compliments himself on his locker room leadership) throw footballs 5-yards short of his running back on a flat route - has waned. The late great British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously once said “Being a leader is like being a Lady, if you have to tell people you are one – you aren’t.” So we’ve officially reached the point that those responsible for keeping the smallest-market team a viable attraction have feared most: Packers apathy. Us locals simply just don’t give shit anymore, because the prices at Lambeau are high, the coaching problems are pacified, the quarterback drama is heavy, the stadium beer girls are gone, and the snow-plow-attendance-guesser animation pales in comparison to bow hunting deer, reeling in muskies, and watching TikTok video loops of guys taking shots to the nuts. Of course, an SNF road victory over the Bills might change our minds on all that... at least, in Coach’s humble opinion. Create A Seam Here – X’s & O’s about the game or a scheme Petite Fleur Exposed! After a debilitating, demoralizing and soul crushing 23 – 21 loss to the Washington Custodians … Head Coach Petite Fleur admitted that he was pleased at how often Aaron Rodgers comments the Coach’s perfectly coifed eyebrows. “I’m really flattered that he notices how much effort I put into my appearance for him.” When the assembled press was eventually able to get him to focus on football, he was at a loss for words. Looking like a grade schooler who lost his puppy, Petite Fleur said. “I don’t know what to say, I guess I’ll just repeat what I’ve said after the last several games, ‘we’ll have to study the tape this week and see what we are made of”. Coach did a little research this week and found out exactly what the 2022 Packers Team is made of … … a relatively in-tact and pretty looking exterior with the guts of the Team squeezed out all over the road. This week we face a good Buffalo Bills team on Sunday night and if the streak goes to 4-straight, Coach assures you that you will not be restricted battery powered torches and rubber-tipped pitch forks when we storm 1265 Lombardi Ave. Eventually QB Erin Fraudgers was found after going into hiding and skipping his weekly Pat Macaufeed appearance. When asked for his assessment of the game and 2022 Season, she simply repeated his observations from last week: “I told you guys that it's not my fault, I’ve been playing perfectly” … to prove the point he showed his weekly report card from QB Coach Tom Clement. “Seeee”, exhaled Fraudgers, Tom gave me a D+ and told me I played my best game of the Season”. The line of thinking that drives Coach to distraction is “don’t worry, we played poorly early and still won the Super Bowel back in 2010.” Let Coach disabuse you of any such nonsensical thinking … … the 2010 Season started with a record of 4-1, just like this year. … the 2010 Season continued with two additional losses, just like this year. … but in the 7th game, we beat the Queens and started on a 6-3 run to end the Season … … while there maybe similarities on the record through the first six games … the biggest difference is that:
If you want to play a “hands” position, you can’t be … … dropping the f’ng ball … You wanna how bad this team looks? Just ask Jace Spermburper. (You remember him, don’t you? The 2018 3rd Rd TE who was a complete bust and is out of the NFL?). Spermburper was picked ahead of Terry McLaurin who eventually went to the Custodians later in the 3rd. After the game same ole’ Jace Tweeted: Coach isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at that. The Packers could have drafted McLaurin. At pick No. 75 of the 2019 draft, they selected tight end Jace Spermburper. At No. 76, Washington grabbed McLaurin. For that matter they could have drafted Amron St. Brown at No. 112 (4th Rnd) of the 2021 Draft instead of packaging the No. 92 (3rd) and No. 135 (4th) picks to move up to grab Amaroni Rodgers Meanwhile over in Detroit, St. Brown caught 90 passes as a rookie, including 56 in the slot. Spanning his first and second seasons, he had eight consecutive games. There are many more examples, but let’s stop before imploding our collective craniums. Add these guys to Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs, and we might have a receiver corps even better than in 2011 when we had Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and then-rookie Randall Cobb. Wait Coach, I didn’t get to see last week’s game, can you summarize for me? Why of course Jimmy, and there’s no better place to start than on the scoreboard. We led at halftime, got behind in the second and almost pulled it out in and exciting finish. “So, you are saying we almost won?” No Jimmy, Coach is saying that we lost … and despite an exciting finish we really had our asses handed to us. There were a couple of good things that happened in this game, which we’ll come back to in a little bit. Concentrate now Jimmy … and really absorb the stats below: Our Offense “controlled” the ball for 22 minutes and 53 seconds (insert sarcasm emoji here). Our Offense had 47 plays to the Custodians 72 plays… … why you ask Jimmy, well it’s simple football math that Curly and Vince used to teach, you can’t:
The good things? (Coach, there were good things? Yes, Jimmy, two good things.) First: Zach Tom was a last-minute fill in at Left Tackle for who-knows-if-he-will-make-it-through-October-let-alone-the-Season-LT, Dave Bacterain. Good ole Dave was a last-second scratch and Zach Tom did a nice job filling in. Super for Dave if he makes it back, but it looks like we’ll be OK if he doesn’t. Second: The Commanders managed only one quarterback hit, and Erin Fraudgers wasn’t sacked, despite the Rook and 4 of the 5 being in new positions this week (so maybe Luke Butkus has figured out how to Coach?) Third: De’Mondre Campbell had our second interception of the year and returned it to the house. Normally scoring a TD on D leads to a 80+% chance of winning a game … not so last Sunday because of … Fourth: The defense was disruptive at times, especially early. The Packers finished with six passes defended, six tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits. Fraudgers and his buddy Petite Fleur talked all week about “having fun” and “simplification”. Coach really wished they would simply work on playing football. You know working on things like blocking, tackling and … … catching the f’ng ball … Let’s look at a coupla clips to make the point Normally reliable Alan Lazard dropping a drive killing 3rd down on the first drive of the game. Fraudgers double clutching on a pass before throwing it in the dirt at Dubbs feet. Sammy Watkins fessed up this week that he ran the wrong route and wrecked the timing for Erin. In proving the adage “if he could catch, he’d be on Offense” … Jaire Alexander drops the first of two “shudda been” interceptions by him. How is this guy even on the team anymore? The good news on this one is that it happened early enough in the game that the D was fresh and held the Custodians to a FG. How is this guy even on the team anymore? Oh wait, did I just use that line? Well, same guy, same problem … Look guys, our 2022 season is teetering on the edge of full-blown failure. We went 1-3 through the soft part of the schedule and we have some real games ahead. The offense is playing like crap, and blame can’t be placed on any one thing. It’s the quarterback, blocking, catching and simply running the damn play as designed. The defense is outstanding one drive and dog-crap on the next. This team doesn’t do anything one thing consistently enough to consider an identity. This rudderless squad better find a stabilizing force soon or we’ll be talking about draft position in December In the literary business this is called foreshadowing … … in the football business we simply observe that this is a view many are looking forward to … WTF – Coach’s take on football news that’s messed up Despondent Buffalo Fan Wonders If Day Will Ever Come When He’ll Be Too Blackout Drunk To Remember Bills Super Bowl Victory EAST AURORA, NY—Lamenting that he may never get a chance to miss the greatest day of his life, local Buffalo Bills fan Mark Padula was reportedly despondent Thursday as he wondered if a day would ever come when he would be too blackout drunk to remember a Bills victory in the Super Bowl. “I’ve been a fan for almost 30 years, and it’s tough thinking that I may never wake up hungover on a Monday morning and be told the Bills are champions,” said Padula, who recounted formative memories of watching the Jim Kelly Bills and shaking his father awake on the bathroom floor to commiserate in their losses. “I just want that moment where my friends and family are going crazy around me while I’m passed out drooling on the couch. As a Buffalo fan, some people have been waiting their whole lives for that. Even just one chance to piece together memories of an amazing win from online clips and my friend’s description of the game would be enough for me.” At press time, Padula stated that his sadness over never having a celebratory drink in honor of a Bills Super Bowl win meant he needed a drink. The Bears Still Suck – Coach has proof Bears Complain They Are At Disadvantage Because They Are Much Worse Than All The Other Teams CHICAGO—Staring up at almost all other teams in the conference standings, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus held a press conference in which he complained that their team faces "an unfair disadvantage by virtue of the fact that our organization is much, much worse than all the other teams." In a fiery rant to the reporters gathered, Eberflus accused all the other NFL teams of having an unfair advantage by "playing decent football and not immediately falling flat on their faces in games." "It's unfair to expect us to field competitive teams when our guys fall apart every season," Eberflus told reporters. "If we managed to score more, had better defense, and were able to maintain any kind of momentum in games whatsoever, we would fare much better than we typically do when Sundays come around." Eberflus even alleged that teams "cheated" by "playing much better football and generally not being a joke of a football team that can't compete like professionals if their lives depended on it." According to sources, the Bears are planning on a "rebuilding decade" starting this season and hope to make another playoff appearance in 2030, with the lofty goal of "maybe even making it past the wildcard round." Udder Stuff – Commentary from the Badger Underground Last Place Bucky Beats First Place Purdue Following the recent trend of losing in sucking-hind-tit fashion followed by a supposedly season salvaging win, the Badgers won last Saturday over the formerly first place Boil Lancers. Incidents of dog kicking and curb jumping have abated, at least temporarily. Pom poms are waving even by some objective non-homers. The student section, for those who bothered to show up, enjoyed a good time with JUMP AROUND. And dammit Elroy, the Badgers are not yet mathematically eliminated from playing in the Big Ten Championship game and winning it! Sure, there were some highlights, but here at BU, we are not basking in the glow of lowered expectations. Teasing us with some optimism for the remainder of the season is that we dominated despite Purdue looking like a bad matchup on both sides of the ball and we were coming off a deflating loss at East Lansing. Nick Herbig (almost our entire pass rush threat) was held out and we were still missing bodies on the DL. The refs held off until garbage time blow calls that cost us 7 points. We were dialed in on both sides of the ball. The OL looked the best we have seen all season against a legitimate opponent. Rolling out and generally having time to pick out receivers, Graham Mertz played an “A” game. Unlike the previous week, he didn’t throw a single pass that was anywhere near being intercepted. He is second in the Big Ten in TD passes and on track to finish the season second only to Russell Wilson for single season TD passes for a Badgers QB. For all the fond memories you have of Randy Wright, Darrell Bevell, Brooks Bolinger, John Stocco and Scott Tolzein, Mertz could have all of them in the rearview mirror if he can continue to get up after the hits like he has absorbed the last two weeks. He also has a better arm than any of those guys, who had the luxury of throwing to better receivers. Defensively, our top cover CB returned for the first time this season to deliver shutdown coverage for 73 snaps. CB Ricardo Hallman, who was lit up late by Michigan State, was benched after two snaps and a PI penalty. Linebacker play has been trending upward after several games of underperformance. We’re Gonna Kick Your @$$ – predictions for the upcoming game Quick Jimmy, what’s the reward for a 3-game losing streak? Yes, ding, ding, winner, winner, chicken dinner! We get to the play the best team in the League! The Bills have the No. 2 Offense, the No. 1 Defense and are 1st in Point Differential. If you consider that we are playing in Buffalo and the difference in points, we “should” be a 20-point underdog, not the 11-point dogs that Vegas has assigned us. Historically the Bills are one of the few franchises that has an overall lead on us, 8 games to 5 with a 2-point average winning margin. During the Fraudgers era we are 2-1 against the Bills. And they’re supposed to get out of that funk – with a game at the powerhouse Buffalo Bills coming up on Sunday night, no less – without two of their top three veteran receivers and their rookie home-run threat? “Yeah, you know, it’s definitely not where we want it to be in terms of that room, but injuries are a part of this game. You’ve got to adjust, you’ve got to adapt,” LaFleur said. “It’s not the first time. We’ve gone through this before here.” Last year, the Packers were without Davante Adams (COVID), Lazard (COVID) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (hamstring; injured reserve) for their Thursday night game at the undefeated Arizona Cardinals. With Equanimeous St. Brown, Cobb and Amari Rodgers starting, Juwann Winfree coming off the bench and tight end Robert Tonyan suffering a torn ACL, the Packers stunned the Cardinals 24-21. That game was supposed to be the blueprint in this post-Adams world. Instead?? (See above.) Acknowledging that they have some pretty good players, LaFleur predicted that they might be able to slow-down Jake Kumerow, but they won’t be able to completely stop a powerhouse like him. The difference in this game will be how well Amarone Rodgers plays. Is he a bust? No (well not technically yet) … “We’ve got to get some guys ready to play. Bottom line,” LaFleur said. Ready or not, your top receivers for this game will be Sammy Watkins, Romeo Dubbs, Amaroni Rodgers, and Samori Toure… yup, and the guy they snagged in the 7th round from some-where-or-other-State. Here’s betting LaFleur and Rodgers figure it out (mainly because Coach always predicts a win) … Packers 24 Bills 23 JB – Packers you forgot about, but stories you’ll remember about them Not may Packers defenders had memorable enough plays to have earned nicknames for them. Going into Buffalo, Coach reminds you of the Paup Smear, named for fan favorite and stand-up guy OLB Bryce Paup. The 6’5” farm boy came to the Pack in Round 6 of the 1990 draft, which was the same year as Round 2 selection, Hall of Famer, LeRoy Butler. Despite his tutelage under incompetent head coach Lindy Infante, Paup’s impact on the field improved as he gained NFL experience. In the first game of the 1991 season, Bryce was involved in a sack that sidelined Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham for the remainder of the season. His aggressive physical style on that play endeared him to fans, who subsequently referred to this infamous tackle as the “Paup Smear.” Bryce was a solid and dependable performer and clocked 11.5 sacks with a Pro Bowl appearance to boot in 1994. This sadly was his last year in Green Bay and off he went to Buffalo where he led the team in sacks in 1995 and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Despite wild spreading rumors, Bryce Paup is no relation to Micah Hyde. On December 20, 1997 Bryce made his return to Green Bay where he was greeted by a standing ovation before kickoff by Packers fans. I remember, because I was there. It was quite a moment to see such a welcoming ovation for an opposing player. Some of this may have had to do with the fact that Bryce had become a Green Bay resident in the off season, and the Packers just won the Super Bowl several months prior, and this was the last game of a season in which they dominated opponents en route to their 2nd consecutive Super Bowl appearance (remember the Super Bowls?). The Packers went on to beat the Bills that day 31-21.
After retiring from professional football, Bryce went on to coach High School ball in DePere and at Green Bay Southwest, while also being on the Green Bay Packers Board of directors. So this week we salute a most deserving Packers great, Bryce Paup. Now go remind your wife to make an appointment for her annual checkup. Welcome back to The Coach Clarahanson Show!!! In Coach’s Humble Opinion: No more lipstick on a pig… Coach likes the throwback jerseys as much as the next guy. By that I mean – take ’em or leave ’em, either way I don’t really care, same as everyone else. Just win the fucking football game. It seems like Green Bay Packers, Inc. is spending an inordinate amount of effort on things that have nothing to do with winning the Super Bowl, and more to do with attention getting splash. If Mark Murphy was from around here, he would get that, but he isn’t, so he doesn’t. He is investing a lot money into things that will return little revenue once the number of L’s we have starts flirting with our quantity of W’s, and we are on the precipice of that right now. Last year circa Week 8 somebody needed to tell Matt LaFleur that everybody except Matt LaFleur knew his Special Teams would be the downfall of the team unless a change occurred at the coordinator position. I knew it, you knew, EVERYBODY knew it. So someone, perhaps - like the guy who proclaimed himself the one in charge of communication, should have told Matt LaFleur to course correct. So fast-forward to present day and here we are again – it’s clear that several 1st round picks are not being used to take advantage of their skills and are unable as a group to achieve defensive greatness, or competence. So this time around, at the midweek point of this season, if Murphy won’t open his mouth then I will profess to Matt LaFleur that he must do that most difficult of difficult tasks, fire one of his buddies before the team reaches the point of no return – or limp along until his failure to do so brings an abrupt end to the season. Sure, the Packers looked swell in their fancy schmancy bright green uni’s during warmups last week, but that didn’t hide my ability to see the crappy product on the field once the game started. The need for a new defensive coordinator is hard to miss. …at least, in Coach’s humble opinion. Create A Seam Here – X’s & O’s about the game or a scheme Proximate Cause vs. Ultimate Cause WTF Coach? A proximate cause is an event which is closest to, or immediately responsible for causing, some observed result. This exists in contrast to a higher-level ultimate cause (or distal cause) which is usually thought of as the "real" reason something occurred. Hang with Coach here Jimmy. The proximate cause is that we didn’t block or tackle as well as the Jets. Are you sensing a theme yet Jimmy? You might think that some of Erin Fraudgers low passer rating is that he was battered around like a cheap pinata at a meth-head’s birthday party … and that is not really very far off the mark … …but the truth is that he was throwing the ball very poorly right off the bat … you know, like he has been doing all year. Well Coach, Offense and Special Teams stunk it up … but what about the D? The apologists for Defense point to their good play for 21/2 Quarters. As former D-Coordinator Poutine once said: “there is a word for almost winning, it’s called ‘losing’” … and losing we did to finish out the game on D. One of the better defensive plays of the game was DT Lowry batting down a pass on 2nd & 7 … and thank goodness he did! The Jets were running a crossing route that would have gone for at least 25 yards if he didn’t knock it down. I’m not saying we got lucky, let’s just say 99 times out of 100 the play goes for at least 25 yards … and it’s obvious we have not “fixed” the crossing pattern yet. Not to be out done by the Pass D, the Run D had its share of complete SNAFU’s as well. “The Dagger” was the Jets' six-play, 55-yard touchdown drive that was capped by Hall's 34-yard rushing touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. When asked what happened on the play, Adrian Amos said: “Somebody wasn’t in their gap up the seam and he just took off”. The Proximate Cause, Jimmy, is that we played like shit… The Proximate Cause, Jimmy, is that we played with no heart. One of the most telling moments were the opposing Coaches’ view of the game. Jets Head Coach, Robert Sahleh, and best friend of Petite LaFleur, had this to say when recounting his half-time speech: “just keep giving the Packers body blow after body blow, keep hitting them in the mouth, we felt like if we kept taking them down to deeper water, they’ll find out they can’t swim.” At the same time in the Losers-Locker-Room, Petite LaFleur was saying: “Ultimately, you hate beating up on your buddy in this league.” LaFleur is soft and so is our team. Guess which Coach Vince Lombardi endorses from Heaven … hint: Vince didn’t believe in “having fun*” and feeling bad about winning. *LaFleur put an emphasis on players “having fun” in practice this week. According to Fraudgers and Petite Fleur we did not execute well. Once upon-a-time there was an NFL expansion team in Tampa Bay called the Creamsicle Buc’s. They were coached by one of the most successful College Football Coaches ever, a guy by the name of John McKay. McKay had a 74.9% winning record at USC, won nine Pac 8 Titles and won 4 National Championships. He immediately knew that he made a mistake in leaving USC … and he was extremely frustrated with his 0-26 start an NFL Head Coach. John McKay was asked after yet another loss: “What do you think of your team’s execution?” McKay replied: “I’m in favor of it!” The Ultimate Cause, Jimmy, is a bit less visible, but very easy to understand. Lack of Leadership When asked if he needed to play better, Fraudgers replied: “maybe a little tick”. Leaders take accountability, Losers shift the blame to others. In the wake of the disaster against the Jets, Rodgers made one thing very clear … Aaron Rodgers said some derivative of “simplify the offense” over 30 times during his 15-minute presser after Jets loss. But what exactly does that mean? Don’t ask Matt LaFleur, when Matt LaFleur is asked about that, he says, “I don’t know what that means.” When Mark Murphy was asked what went wrong, he replied: “Don’t you fret, Erin and I will leave no stone unturned this week when we go looking for who’s to blame, I just know that it’s not me.” As much as we all want Erin Fraudgers off the Team, he aint going nowhere. As much as the crowd cheered when Jordan Love entered the Jets game in the 4th Qtr. … Fraudgers is here for the foreseeable future. If we cut him today, we’d have $151 million in dead cap money … and if we cut him in 2023, we’d have $100 million in dead cap. Like it or not, we have him for 2022, and you’d better hope he comes back next year. If he doesn’t, we will be screwed and we will have to essentially fire the whole team to get under the Salary Cap. Oh, BTW, this is also the reason nobody will take him in trade … Lack of Leadership … and how the hell did we get here?? Let’s take a stroll down Memory Lane Jimmy … you see for 30 years we had one of the best organizations in the NFL. Bob Harlan put in place a structure and system of accountability and inserted Ron Wolf in the role of General Manager. Sensibly, when Mark Murphy took over for Harlan, he kept the structure and tabbed Ted Thompson to play the “Ron Wolf Role”. This worked extremely well up until the point that, sadly, Ted fell into dementia. Murphy waited about 4 years too long, but eventually he pushed TT into retirement… …and the restructuring he did along with that has caused the vast majority of today’s problems. In 2018 Murphy fired HC Melissa McCarthy (also 4 years too late) … but the real sin was confusing the lack of talent with a problem in the organizational structure. Murphy effectively eliminated the GM role and inserted himself. Gutey was hired as “GM” … which in reality is now “Head of Scouting” … while assumed most of the GM role. A bit under the radar, but just as importantly, he also gave Erin a monster contract in 2018, and effectively made Fraudgers the Offensive Coordinator when new Head Coach Little Flower was hired. That structure worked well enough until the Packers had the “audacity” to draft a replacement QB for the aging QB in the 2020 draft. The move prompted an MVP Season in 2020, but then Erin threw down his toys and started crying on the floor. In response, Murphy rolled over again and gave Fraudgers a promotion to Uber Head Coach. The consequence is that he ceded more control to Fraudgers; and Erin got control of more of the team and specifically got more control of the way the Team is run. Not satisfied with the control he gained in 2021, Erin Fraudgers held out again in early 2022 and demanded the franchise-hostage-holding-contract that Murphy eventually gave him. And, as you know, as part of that latest contract, Murphy gave up his title of CEO and ceded it to Fraudgers. After years of posturing, posing, and pushing the blame onto everyone else, Fraudgers runs the Packers. Much like the dog chasing the car, Fraudgers is now in the position of “WTF do I do now?”. He has no one else to blame, no one else to point the finger out … he’s in charge and he’s the one f’ing it all up. It’s just too bad that Fraudgers, Murphy and Petite Fleur can’t man-up like the 33rd President of the United States. WTF – Coach’s take on football news that’s messed up Washington Commanders Unveil New Mascot ‘General Custer’ SUMMERFIELD, MD - The Washington Football Team changed its name this year, finalizing a multiple years-long transition from 'Redskins' to 'Commanders.' Along with the shiny new name, the team announced a brand new mascot: General George Custer. "We wanted a mascot that would represent the ultimate commander," said team owner Dan Snyder. "Someone the fans could rally behind as we make our last stand on defense." General Custer, who famously said, "There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat the Seventh Cavalry," will be on the sidelines every game to cheer on the Commanders with the crowd. Native American leaders have been critical of the new mascot. "Commanders is vague enough to be inoffensive, but this mascot makes everything worse. Custer was famous for reveling in the slaughter of native tribes," said Chief Rolling Hamster. "I'd prefer they call themselves the Redskins at this point." Notable Indigenous Person Elizabeth Warren also expressed her disgust. "That you would parade a white man mascot around instead of a Native American is abhorrent. Are you saying Native Americans can't be commanders? I'm tired of rich white people making these decisions!" she lamented from her mansion in Cambridge. According to sources, fans in and around the nation's capital just want to enjoy some football for once in their lives. The Bears Still Suck – Coach has proof Sure, the Packers look like crap to us this year, but – ask any Bears fan, it could be worse. It pains us to see the Vikings at the top of the division (although it is still pretty early), but we should find solace in the fact that, no matter what the Bears do, they can’t seem to get out of their own way and get up to 0.500. Last week they lost 12-7 on Thursday night to the 1-4 Washington Commanders (aka Redskins) – our opponent this week. The Commanders are sort of the Bears of the east coast … just a fucked up organization that has its head up its ass. Hell, they can’t even pick a new team name within a reasonable time frame and, when they finally do, it is widely regarded as very stupid. To be honest, I would not have been surprised if that sad excuse for a game last week ended in a 0-0 tie. Alas, however, the Bears, and the scoreboard, proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they suck even worse than the lowly Commanders, lest there be any doubt. Udder Stuff – Commentary from the Badger Underground Jimmy Leonhard out, Paul Chryst Reinstated The Jimmy Leonhard internship has been abruptly terminated following the drubbing in East Lansing, culminating in the immediate reinstatement of Paul Chryst as head coach on Monday. An alternate ad hoc committee of Barry & Ginni Alvarez, Paul Chryst’s neighbors, and his Diet Coke valet ruled 6-3 that athletic director Chris McIntosh and their radical socialist athletic department administrators overstepped their powers in removing Chryst as head coach. Supported by a few big dollar unnamed athletic supporters, the quick re-re-org was surprisingly put in place with little fanfare. Chryst in need of new blood, cleaned house. Leonard who had at first had been busted back down to DC , was sent packing. Jimmy was last seen packing his bags and muttering something about moving to LA to become a Hollywood stuntman or maybe a rent-a-cop in charge of crowd control at the Rose Bowl parade. The reason for the firing was made clear. Congrats to one below average and mistake-prone football team (Sparty) beating another below average mistake-prone football team (Bucky). Hard to believe these two teams were ranked at one time, this season! This loss was a season killer. We were favored by 7 against a team that had been giving up yards in bunches, losing four in a row. Bucky exhibited the same inconsistency, lack of focus, lack of discipline and lack of scoring that we saw prior to the Northwestern game. Just when we were beginning to believe in Graham Mertz, he threw three passes that rank with his career worst. The first was thrown behind his tight end, letting Michigan State back in the game emotionally as they had just been stood up at the goal line. The other two passes hit MSU defenders between the numbers in the hands, only to be dropped. There were no Badger receivers in the same zip code on the last pass, which should have ended the game. To Mertz’s credit, he hit Chimere Dike for a TD pass a play or two later. After letting MSU back in the game with the pick, MSU outplayed Bucky for the remainder of the game. Superior athleticism and size took over. Fortunately, MSU repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with dumb penalties, before handing the gun over to Bucky during the second half for their share of foot shooting. Freshman ball boy Fred Malugnut was installed in Leonard’s place: This team has flaws that may not be resolved this season, short of guys coming back from injuries. It is hard to expect the flipping of the switch that we saw last year starting with the Purdue game. There is no pass rush, with the exception of Nick Herbig. To paraphrase Coach Klein from The Waterboy "Guys, Herbig can't win this game by himself". Then, pulling Herbig aside, whipers in his ear, "Herbig, you're gonna have win this game by yourself." Even with Bostad back coaching the OL, turning that mess around may be too much to ask in one season. When Mertz did have time to throw, he either couldn’t find open receivers or there were no open receivers. During his first day back in office, Chryst was quick to take action. Calling his inner Woody Hayes, and very unlike his previous incarnation, Chryst opened Wednesday’s practice by kicking center Joe Tippman and punching Graham Mertz under his facemask. Who better than Paul Chryst to fire up a team and Camp Randall crowd that can be expected to be flat as a pancake at kickoff on Saturday? Purdue’s passing game is flourishing, which is bad news for a Bucky defense lacking pass rush and lockdown coverage. Purdue’s defense is much stronger vs. the run than the pass. Bad matchups on both sides of the ball for Bucky. On paper, Bucky loses. On the field, they find the grit that has been missing this year to grind out a win 21-17. We’re Gonna Kick Your @$$ – predictions for the upcoming game Coach has had all he can take looking at Stats and film … ultimately this Sunday will boil down to the question: “Can Erin Fraudgers and Petite Fleur get their collective heads out of their collective asses?” Never mind the very confusing allusion and the picture it may form in your head, here is why we will win: 1. Redskins’ owner Dan Snyder. He’s f’d up the talent for years and now he’s in legal trouble and it looks like he may be kicked out of the NFL Owners Fraternity. 2. Redskin denial. Yeah, there’s a PC argument for changing the name and adopting, literally, the dumbest looking logo in the history of the NFL. Looks like Darth Vader at a Medieval Reenactors Guild meeting. 3. Tell Coach again what the problem is with the original, respectful representation of a brave Brave? 4. Last year we handled them 24-10 at Lambeau and QB Taylor Heinicke was the leading rusher … crappy run defense and all we will stop them. 5. All-time, we have a winning record and we average a 3-point win. We’ve also got a 4-3 record against them in the Fraudgers era. 6. Our Offense is (slightly) better than their Defense. Our D is slightly better than their O … overall that gives us about a point advantage at their place … but Vegas knows we are coming back and has set the line at 5 ½ points. Plan on the Pack finally showing up … with a score that echoes the 1996 Packers averages! (O 28.5 ppg, D 13.1 PPG) JB – Packers you forgot about, but stories you’ll remember about them Born in Los Angeles on October 14, 1908, Adolph Schwammel, known as “Ade” or “Tar,” graduated from Freemont High School in Oakland and then entered the Navy. Eventually, he made his way onto the football team at Oregon State College in 1930. A tackle, he lettered on the gridiron in 1931, ’32 and ’33 at OSC, earning All-America status as a senior. Ade famously invented the “Pyramid Play” in college to block kicks. OSU utilized the play several times until it was banned subsequently by the NCAA. Schwammel joined the Packers in 1934 and appeared in all 13 games, starting ten. In 1935, he appeared in 11 and started eight and was named All-Pro. Unfortunately, that season his 16-yard missed field goal with 55 seconds to play against the Cardinals on Thanksgiving cost Green Bay a victory that may have propelled them to the Western crown. The following season, the Packers won the championship, and Schwammel appeared in all 12 games, starting seven, and was named to the All-Pro second team. When Ade and Curly Lambeau couldn’t agree on a contract in 1937, the burly tackle retired from football. Six years later at age 35 he returned to the Packers during World War II. He played in two games in ’43 and eight in the championship year of ’44. At that point, he retired from football for good. Schwammel went pretty much under the radar in the years that followed until Oregon officials seized thousands of donkey penises that were about to be exported to Hong Kong as aphrodisiacs. Sacks of the donkey male genitals were seized at the international airport in Portland, the Customs Service area commander, Harold Pye, told reporters. The consignment was “falsely declared by Adolph Schwammel of Corvallis, Oregon… as cow male genitals (but) after due examination, my export officers discovered they were donkey male genitals.” A total of 16 sacks of the genitals were seized, he said.
That’s a lot of organs from Oregon. So today we salute you, Ade Schwammel, for Pyramid Plays and Donkey Dicks. What the hell? Go Packers. Welcome back to The Coach Clarahanson Show!!! In Coach’s Humble Opinion: …LaFleur doesn’t realize he’s a head coach. Somewhere along the line, somebody told Matt LaFleur he was a good play caller. …especially when he uses motion to confuse defenses, which results in a completed pass. The problem with that praise, however, is that it now negatively affects him as a head coach. Case in point: 3rd & 8 in field goal range, up by a touchdown, with 10 minutes left in the game. The Belichicks (or even lowly armchair coaches) of the world recognize / appreciate the unlikelihood of converting this down and distance, and value the opportunity to go up by 2 scores at this late phase of the contest. Rather than call a safe run play to take the easy 3-points, LaFleur commits the cardinal sin and calls a pass play that ends up in a sack – out of field goal range. It’s not like our run game wasn’t working (nor was it like our pass blocking was working). Shoot, our RB’s averaged almost 5 yards/carry against the Giants! To make matters worse, following the ensuing punt, the defense gave up a 91-yard scoring drive to the Giants – tying the game, and our defense was gassed / jet lagged / on their heels – you name it. So the head coach of an NFL football team should know to negotiate some ball control at that point in the game. But that’s exactly when LaFluer again ignored his head coaching responsibilities and became a subservient play caller. Point numero B: three consecutive “chuck it, Aaron” pass plays resulting in an immediate 3 & Out. When challenged by reporters this week about those head-scratching pass play calls, LaFleur said they were good plays and he would be praised if they would have worked. Huh? He then explained he was taking what the defense was giving him, “They were daring us to pass.” Again, he did not act like a head coach with strategic means to an end (victory). He acted like a pass play caller with no regard for how tired his defense was, or how effective the run game had been all game long, which is what the head coach should be focused on. LaFeur went on to say he wished the RB’s would have gotten more touches, and that was on him. No shit, Sherlock. Running the ball won’t ever get you praise as a play caller. So what’s really more important to you, Matt? Time to decide. You’re not a bad play caller, but it comes at the expense of making good, “higher level” head coaching in-game decisions. If you want to be known as a genius play caller, that’s a fine goal – but you’re in the wrong role … at least, in Coach’s humble opinion. Create A Seam Here – X’s & O’s about the game or a scheme As Coach famously wrote in the opening of his classic novel: The Tale of Two Games (Think hard, you probably read it in H.S.) It was the best of times As you know, the “London Game” was a home game for the Pack; with Packer’s paint in the EZ and very familiar opening ceremonies. The U.S. Military Honor Guards were joined by their British Counterparts and both the Star-Spangled Banner and God Save the Queen King were lustily sung by all. Coach was also very pleased and impressed that the standard Go-Pack-Go prompt was played throughout the game with a loud and enthusiastic crowd response each time. (Albeit the first time was when we were on Offense, which somebody corrected immediately. Man, why the hell don’t they play it at Lambeau anymore??) The crowd included enough Lambeau regulars to quiet the crowd when folks wanted to cheer while we were on Offense … a very disciplined and impressive display by the crowd of ~70% Packer fans!! Plenty of beer was consumed and the Packer fans were gracious and friendly hosts to the Giants fans, pretty much like Lambeau! Oh yeah, there was also a football game. The first half felt a bit choppy and uneven, but when we went up 17-3 with 7:25 left in the 1st-Half it felt like “game over”. With a lead of 20-10 at the Half it looked like we would cruise to victory. It was the worst of times The NFL wants Europe and the rest of the World to embrace NFL football. For all that was done properly to make it feel like Lambeau, they could not help themselves… T-Shirt Cannons? Yeah sure, at a Minor League baseball park to get families to come out and enjoy an affordable night at the ballpark and get the kids a cool souvenir. Kiss Cams? Arghhh, yes, just like at an NBA game between two 3-12 teams. Sponsored by the Tourist Association of Kissimmee, Florida with prompts to “come visit”?!?!? For the sake of Vince, I sure hope he had already rolled on his side and couldn’t see the game from his perch up there in Football Heaven. Another feature during very TV-time-out were live, in-game-analysis by Brit TV Hottie Sam Quek. Primarily the interviews were with “NFL Legend” Maurice Jones-Drew (not kidding, that’s how she introduced him). The insightful analysis was along the lines of “Maurice, was that a cool touchdown?” and “will scoring a TD have an impact on the game?” Coach can only guess that these “explanations” the game were to help explain the game to the “dumb Euros”. Honestly, Coach does not understand for one second who the NFL thinks they are attracting. The stadium was full and the scalped ticket prices high-enough that it was clear they could have filled the stadium several times over. The Euro-Packer-Fans that Coach met understood the game at least as well, if not better, than the average schmoe at Lambeau. Sitting right behind Coach was a German family that went to the Packers-Bucs game two weeks ago, then went to Disney and then travelled onward to England for the Packer game. The whole experience was a very, very cool opportunity to meet Packer fans from around the World, too bad the morons at the NFL think they need to “manufacture fun” to attract fans. Summary learning children? Euro-NFL-Fans = Cool NLF Marketing = Inane Morons Oh yeah, back to the bad news, we also had to play the 2nd-Half. The Packers obviously thought the game was over at the Half. It could not have been more painful … 4 drives, 10:25 TOP, 25 plays, 88 yds and ZERO POINTS in the 2nd Half. Last episode Coach predicted pretty closely the Offensive output (blue below); but the D continued to be a sieve against the run game … which has gotta stop!! The Packers D and Special Teams will again be the difference as the Offense continues to play Preseason Ball and is trying to figure itself out! Coach sees a foreign exhibition of American Football at Tottenham Stadium. Packers predicted 24 actual 22 G-Men predicted 17 actual 27 Ironically, the Special Teams did in fact do their job, but the “Top 5 Defense” has yet to appear. We need the Offense to sustain drives to keep the team in the game, we led time-of-possession at the half, but only kept the ball for 10:25 in the 2nd. So, back to the future, we need to Offense to keep the D off the field until Petite Fleur grows a pair and fires D Coordinator Chuck Berry. As pathetic as 2nd-Half performance was, there was still a chance to tie the game at the end. Late in the 4th Quarter the Pack drove 69 yards down to the Giants 6-yd line with 1:11 left in the game. With 1:05 left in the game and the score 20-27, we made it to the Giants 6-yd-line with 1-yd needed for a first down. On both 3rd and 4th downs Rogers checked out of run plays into passes, both of which were batted down. The well-coached Giants D put in 8-in-the-box and Rodgers took the bait; runs would have worked extremely well both times. The shot above shows the hole that “didn’t exist” on 4th and 1 … clearly Dillon would have gotten the 1st if not a TD. Coach went looking for answers and direction, so he contacted his old buddy! Former Packers Guard and Pro-Bowler, TL Jang. When asked for his analysis of the game, he said: “it’s simple, fun the rucking ball!” Coach thinks that ole TL Jang may be onto something. Rodgers’ EPA-per-drop-back is at a level like his 2015-2018 late-McCarthy-era period. Rodgers average depth of target has moved up from lowest to fourth lowest and he leads the league in the percentage of his attempts going behind the line of scrimmage (26.2%). Despite the modest efficiency on these pre-dominantly RPO/designed passes, the real problem is when Rodgers tries to throw down the field. Rodgers ranks 23rd in adjusted completion percentage (which counts drops as completions) and 26th in yards per attempt. Rodgers said after the game: “We wanted to come here and put on a show and win a football game, the crowd was outstanding. This was a fantastic experience for all of us. Very clearly Fraudgers is not focusing on winning football games, he wants to “put on a show” … which explains the psychology of checking out run plays to weak pass plays. The confusing thing is that Fraudgers is just missing passes downfield, what the hell is going on out there? Coach did some undercover work and discovered that Rodgers skipped all team practices this week and was interviewing for the prestigious job of Manager of the famed soccer club Richmond AFC. So, the MVP quarterback is not playing like an MVP and is skipping practices and missing throws during games? The MVP quarterback who talks all off season about being “all-in” is interviewing for other jobs? Maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit, time to rattle #12’s cage? Maybe time for a little bit of Jordan Love? Coach recommends giving Love a spin around the block, give him the 2nd quarter against the Jets. Sure, it will piss-off Rodgers … but does Coach care about that? No! Coach doesn’t care about “putting on a show” … Coach cares about winning the f’ng game. On the defensive side, it is clear to see how poorly coached this team is. D Coordinator Chuck Berry had zero track record of being able to put together quality defenses. Berry is a prime example of someone who has failed up through ‘who he knows’ rather than earning the promotions he’s given, a reality we are paying for. Green Bay continues, week after week, to post bad rush defense performances and week after week the team continues to operate within the same structure with the same errors and the same breakdowns. If you’re a coach who can’t adapt scheme to personnel, you’re a bad coach, and have no business at the highest levels of football. The Packers are not only getting beaten in the run game, but their structure is handing offenses easy yards. The Packers have given up the 2nd-fewest passing yards in the NFL through 5 weeks (885), yet somehow, we've allowed the most yards of any defense on crossing routes by FAR in 2022 (327). Time for Petite Fleur to prove the NFL Coaching Ranks are not just a fraternity, not just a revolving door of re-treads. Time for Petite Fleur to prove that DC Joe Barry is not the 2022 version of 2021’s ST Coordinator Mo Drayton … that is the Coach who is simultaneously incompetent and untouchable. Mike Zimmer is out there … just saying … WTF – Coach’s take on football news that’s messed up Rams Yell At Cooper Kupp From Sidelines As He Sits In Endzone Playing With Ladybug He Found INGLEWOOD, CA—Shaking their heads in frustration as the team lined up to take a first-down snap, members of the Los Angeles Rams were overheard yelling at wide receiver Cooper Kupp from the sidelines Sunday as he sat in the endzone playing with a ladybug he found. “Hey, Cooper! Cooper! Eyes up, we’ve got a game to play,” shouted head coach Sean McVay, waving his arms in an attempt to get the attention of the 28-year-old who was plucking individual blades of turf from the field and shouted back that he was busy building a home for his new best friend. “We talked about this in practice, bud, you need to stay alert. Until the whistle blows, the play is still going on—stand up! Put your friend down and get in the game, please—if you do, there’s a Capri Sun with your name on it. Oh, great, now [Cam] Akers is skipping over to join him.” At press time, Kupp was reportedly inconsolable after the ladybug’s house was carelessly crushed by an opposing player. The Bears Still Suck – Coach has proof Bears Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory MINNEAPOLIS—The Bears played one of the worst halves in the history of sports that use halves, and they lost a game they could have won if not for another knuckleheaded play late in the 4th quarter that proves they just suck. It’s hard to understand how Chicago could have come out so flat, especially against a team that played in London 7 days before. The Bears started with a delay of game penalty on their first offensive play, as they only had 10 men on the field (doh!). Teams rehearse their first 15 plays or so in the days leading up to a game, like a Broadway cast going over its lines. You English majors will appreciate that reference, and also recognize this as foreshadowing. What followed was a mess, a mess that would lead to a 21-3 hole. That’s when the Vikings let up, got hit by jet lag, took pity, or maybe a little of all of those, and the Bears slowly crawled their way back to within the point spread as the clock ticked closer and closer toward zero. But this is the Bears we’re talking about. Down 29-22, the Bears had every reason to think they could score on the Vikings again, grab a two-point conversion and sneak out of Minneapolis with a victory. Then Bears receiver (and former Viking) Ihmir Smith-Marsette, after a 15-yard reception, inexplicably tried to get more yards rather than get out of bounds to stop the clock with about a minute left. Minnesota’s Cameron Dantzler pulled the ball out of Smith-Marsette’s hands and – BOOM, game over. Justin Field, Matt Eberflus or not, the Bears still suck. Some things will never change. Thank God we play them twice each year. Udder Stuff – Commentary from the Badger Underground “Air Wisconsin” goes 1-0! Bucky put out a dominating performance with 6 touchdown passes, 299 yards passing, a career day for Chimre Dike and some serious injury bullets dodged. This was a good start to the Jimmy Leonhard era. Do note that this Northwestern team is so bad that the refs didn’t even bother with phantom holding and pass interference calls. “We have to play off our passing game,” said Leonhard. “Teams are going to stop the run. They are going to load the box and dedicate a lot of attention to our running backs and o-line. We have to be able to balance that a little bit.” Ya think? Here at BU, we welcome this obvious piece of insight. Our title is tongue in cheek, but with hope opposing teams see a lot more of our Dairy Air! i.e. chasing derriere’s into end zones. Fans like us have been screaming for more first down passing. We got it during the first half as WI built its lead. Same goes for play-action passing and RPO. Mertz was 7/10 on play-action on Saturday, and that previously he'd been 6/9 FOR THE YEAR. You may ask, is there a reason that an offense predicated on being able to run the ball would not run play-action a lot every game? Answer: bad offensive line. Play action takes a bit longer to develop. It is a ton easier and a ton less risky to pass on first down when the defense like Northwestern’s has zero pass rush. In contrast, the OL was not good against Illinois and Mertz was under siege all day. Against Northwestern, nobody was putting any pressure on Mertz. Compounding matters for Northwestern, nobody could cover in the secondary with or without 8 men in the box. Who knows what the final score would have been if Chryst were coaching, but likely it would have been a win. It's safe to say that Chryst would have run a RB into the 8-man box for little-to-no gain 10 more times, and then put our QB in must pass situations 10 more times, and then made it much easier for the NW defense to make a big play 10 more times. It was refreshing to watch an offense that for a change did not look like a constipated old man attempting to drop a deuce. We think Jimmy may have left the O Game Plan to OC Bobby Engram who finally released the pent-up hounds. We can’t wait to see how this continues with more formidable foes. Mertz seems to relish it with just one guy whispering in his ear. Jimmy Leonhard in some ways is the anti-Chryst. His press conferences are insightful. He tells it like it is. One tidbit of note was a comment that players had fallen into a pattern of folding as soon as anything went wrong. This began taking shape as far back as the 2018 season when the defense collapsed following turnovers by Jonathan Taylor and Jack Coan after blowing a big lead. The defense similarly collapsed in the 2019 Rose Bowl vs. Oregon following a Danny Davis fumble. This weekend’s tilt in East Lansing has the Badgers favored by 7.5 points. Fortunately for Bucky, Michigan State is in the midst of their own tailspin. Rushing totals for the last four games were 42, 38, 100, and 7 yards for an average of 66.8 yards per game. Not surprisingly, the Spartans are riding a four-game losing streak. The line play hasn’t been great. With a strong rushing attack as an ally last season, quarterback Payton Thorne passed for 248.7 yards per game, with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His numbers this season: 205.7 yards per game, with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. Defensively, they are allowing 292.0 passing yards per game, the worst mark in the Big Ten and 445.5 total yards per game, the No. 13 mark in the league. Their scoring defense (27.0 ppg) is 11th in the Big Ten. Twelve times in 26 games, the Spartans have allowed at least 300 yards passing. This season the Spartans have intercepted one pass and have allowed 14 touchdown passes. Too bad the Badgers are not a good enough passing team to take full advantage of this. Michigan State might get star senior safety Xavier Henderson and defensive tackle Jacob Slade back from injury this week, but there still are significant issues on the back-end UW might exploit. This game likely comes down to how well the Badgers can limit MSU's passing game. Thorne will test the Badgers cornerbacks deep, and the Spartans can put up points in a hurry if they don't hold up. Pressure up front and smart play outside will be crucial for UW. MSU likely won't be able to stop UW on the ground without committing extra bodies, but that will stress an already struggling secondary. We expect Graham Mertz to have another strong day and the Badgers win a tight one 31-26 Bucky. We’re Gonna Kick Your @$$ – predictions for the upcoming game J – E – T – S ... Jets, Jets, Jets As explained in X&O’s above, the NFL Coaching Ranks is not a revolving door fraternity of buddies getting jobs cuz they know somebody. As of this writing, Coach cannot confirm that Petite LaFleur will have a sleep over with his brother and best buddy when they come to town this weekend. After a nice plate of warm pancakes together on Sunday morning … Coach is sure that they will do everything possible to “go to war” against each other and then have a nice BBQ over at the LaFleur’s afterwards. The Packers and Jets have only played 13 times and the Jets are one of the few teams that have a winning record vs. the Pack. We are 5-8 against the Jets and lose by an average of 5 points. However, during the Rodgers era, we are 3-0, including the memorable 9-0 slug fest at the Meadowlands during the 2010 SB Season and the 2018 44-38 OT thriller. With Rodgers we average a 28-21 win. Vegas must be looking at the historical margin as the betting line is Packers by 7.5 points. However, during the Rodgers era, we are 3-0, including the memorable 9-0 slug fest at the Meadowlands during the 2010 SB Season and the 2018 44-38 OT thriller. With Rodgers we average a 28-21 win. Vegas must be looking at the historical margin as the betting line is Packers by 7.5 points. It turns out that we are evenly matched. Looking at Avg yards gained vs. avg yards given up on D, the two teams are also evenly matched, with a slight advantage to us. Looking the same numbers from a ranking standpoint, you see the same thing, but with a slight advantage to the Jets.
Assuming the standard:
This one will boil down Erin Rodgers finally having a good game in 2022 and the D starting to round into form. Coach bets we will, finally. Packers 24 Jets 17 JB – Packers you forgot about, but stories you’ll remember about them Carlos Alan Autry was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on July 31, 1952. When he was two, his family moved to the San Joaquin (Joe-a-kwin) Valley in California where they picked cotton to make a living. His parents divorced, and Carlos grew up with his mother’s name, Brown. At 6’3″ 210 pounds, he earned a football scholarship to Fresno State and became the first person in his family to attend college. In 1975, the Packers picked him in the 12th round of the draft, and he made the team as a third-string quarterback. Carlos wore #19 and barely played in his rookie year, but when starter Lynn Dickey went down to injury in 1976, Brown started three games late in the season and proved he was overmatched in the NFL. He completed 26 of 74 passes for two touchdowns and six interceptions in those three games, all losses. He was cut in 1977 and later played a year in the Canadian Football League. Through some Hollywood people he had met, he started acting in movies in the late 1970s. He appeared in North Dallas Forty, Popeye and Southern Comfort as Carlos Brown. However, in 1981 Carlos met his father for the first time as an adult and went back to Autry, Alan Autry. He continued acting in movies like Brewster’s Millions and Amazing Grace and Chuck before hitting it big on television. In 1988, he landed the role of Captain Bubba Skinner on the new television series “In the Heat of the Night” and stayed for seven years. From there he starred on another series, “Grace Under Fire,” for two seasons and then formed his own production company. In 2000, he followed in the footsteps of fellow actor/mayor Clint Eastwood by being elected mayor of a California city, in Autry’s case Fresno. He was then reelected in 2004, but term limits ended his political career in 2009. He still makes occasional film and television appearances. From growing up as the son of divorced farm workers to the NFL to Movies and Television to Politics, Carlos Brown aka Alan Autry has lived the American Dream through hard work and dedication and, for that, we salute you Carlos / Alan!
Welcome back to The Coach Clarahanson Show!!! In Coach’s Humble Opinion: we underestimate the Brits… It’s fair to say things didn’t start out so well with jolly ol’ England. What, with the tyrant King George III and all. But we kicked the Red Coats’ ass back across the pond and, after another brief scuffle in 1812, we became the best of friends. We even mourned with the Brits when the celebrated Queen of England, Elizabeth II passed earlier this year. Coach likes the Brits. They are tough sons of bitches. Geez, they held off Hitler’s Nazis by themselves (for the most part) for almost 3 years. Recall that England only had 47 million people back then, and the German territories had 87 million. What the Brits lacked in tanks and Percocet they made up for with guts and ingenuity. Coach won’t get into all the WWII details, but – long story short, the Brits won (with a little help from us and the Ruskies). Benny Hill and Monty Python. As a young lad Coach would stay up late to watch these classic rebroadcasts on PBS and L'dMAO. The Benny Hill Show was a series of live skits that more or less spent an hour objectifying women. No surprise, it was one of the most watched TV programs in British history. Monty Python episodes were uniquely hilarious, topped only by their classic feature length films like The Holy Grail and Life of Brian. If you haven’t seen these, or don’t find them funny, I do not want to meet you. Coach knows you readily recognize the Brits for their significant contributions to Rock ‘n Roll. You know the bands … Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Sex Pistols, Queen, The Kinks, and of course, Herman’s Hermits. OK enough on that. Now let’s talk beer. Newcastle Brown Ale, Boddington’s Pub Ale, Old Speckled Hen, Harvey’s Imperial Extra Double Stout, Fuller’s ESB, and Coach’s personal favorite: Robinsons Trooper Ale. All made in England, and all delicious. Go get yourself some of these and you won’t regret it. Cheers! So, in summary, the Brits may have bad teeth and their chicks might be homely, but admire their stiff upper lip, enjoy their sense of humor, sip their delightful ales, crank Stairway to Heaven and Bob’s your uncle you’ll have a dench time … at least, in Coach’s humble opinion. Create A Seam Here – X’s & O’s about the game or a scheme Yes Jimmy, we won. Winning is good. 3-1 is better than 1-3. And you are what your record says you are … … but even Erin Rodgers said that this is not sustainable… …beating a 3rd String QB in OT? Yeah, winning is good, but as the greatest Coach of all-time said: “You are what your point-differential says you are”. It’s early in the Season, we’ll come around, yada, yada, yada. In a mind bogglingly confusing analysis of the NFL … The EspiN has us ranked as the #4 team. Really? While we all want to win our last game of the Season, we aint that good yet. So far, based on 4 games … we’ve outscored the opposition by 6 points, in total … Is this important? Does it matter? What does Coach mean by Point Differential? Well Jimmy, it means scoring more points than the other Team … and yes … scoring more points than the other guys is important. Let’s have a stroll down memory lane. 2019 – for the Season we were 100 Pts behind the Niners and they kicked our asses in the Playoffs – no surprise. 2020 – We were basically tied with the Buc’s and Saints for the Regular Season … and managed to pee away our chances at home (see Season ending summary). 2021? Yeah, we won 13 games … but we were well out of the money. The point is … that while Coach is convinced that we will be good by the end of this season … we are a lucky 3-1 and it don’t look very good doing it … 3-0 against shitty teams and 0-1 against mediocre teams … The summary of the game is that Rodgers sucked in the 1st Half, and then made it look like he had the sun in his eyes when catching a routine fly-ball. Rodgers had an 11.2 passer rating while completing 4-11 for 44 yds. and a pick-six late in the first half. It was 2nd second-career pick-six at Lambeau and it gave the Patriots the lead at the half. What was wrong with him? Bellycheckenvy… … yes, sorry guys, Erin has Bellycheckenvy. Rodgers did everything in his power to give the game to his biological father, William Bellycheck. After some post game slathery on the field, Erin followed up by wearing his best Bellycheck Monk cloak to the post game presser. Erin admitted that he "missed the throw so badly" on the pick-six that Patriots rookie cornerback Jack Jones actually had to come back to make the play. "If I had thrown the ball where I was supposed to, he probably picks it in stride," Rodgers said. Not that length always matters, but Erin has suffered George Costanza level shrinkage recently. According to official statistics, Rodgers’ completion length is last in the league at about 3 ½ * ... a mark that continues to shrink with each passing girlfriend. One would think that with Jameis Winston’s completion length at 9 *, Rodgers would man-up and rise to the challenge. (* Of course the measurement is in yards you fool! You got lost in inuendo, didn’t you?) So how did it get this way? Who did we struggle against? Starting QB, 2nd stringer Brian Hoyer was knocked out in the 1st Qtr.; “You can't be 2-2 losing to a third-string quarterback" Rodgers muttered uncharitably from the podium. Hoyer was replaced by rookie Patriots 3rd string QB, Francis Zappa. Give Coach Hoodie some credit, he drafted this kid out of Western Kentucky in the 4th Round of the 2022 Draft. The Zappa kid was running and passing all over the place and in the end had a 107.4 passer rating compared with Rodgers paltry 89.1. Hoodie gave Zappa a fairly simple offense and he played it largely mistake free, handing off regularly to Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. They combined to gain 152 yards on 32 carries, with 105 of those coming after contact. Even with little threat of the passing game, the backs continually gashed us on the ground. New England basically ran the classic UW Offense, only unlike the Badgers against Illinois, the New England version was successful against our pathetic run defense. Our passing D was pretty good, and we had a Pro Bowl performance by Defensive-End Rashan Gary. He had two stops in run defense, but that was nothing compared to what he did as a pass-rusher. He had three sacks — one knocking Brian Hoyer out of the game and another forcing a fumble that he recovered — and two more pressures on only 21 pass-rushing snaps. Late in the 4th Qtr. our D finally took control. New England failed to get a first down on any of its final three possessions, including the key one in overtime. With the Patriots taking over on the 49-yard line and needing just a field goal to win, the Packers got a three-and-out with two run stops and a pressured incomplete pass. "That was huge," LaFleur said. Yes Coach, thanks for the insight. The mediocre run defense caused us to slip back one spot to #7 in PPG allowed. WTF – Coach’s take on football news that’s messed up ‘Let’s Clear Some Cap Space,’ Says Stone-Faced Bill Belichick Watching Players Dig Own Graves FOXBOROUGH, MA—Standing in the misting rain at a site adjacent to Gillette Stadium, a stone-faced New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was heard to utter, “Let’s clear some cap space,” on Friday as he watched players dig their own graves. “This is always a difficult decision, but we’ve got to make some cuts and look to the future,” Belichick said while over a dozen dirt-covered Patriots veterans, including wide receiver Nelson Agholor, tight end Jonnu Smith, quarterback Brian Hoyer, and guard Shaq Mason as they stood waist-deep in holes they’d been digging for hours. “This is what’s best for the team. We’ve got to get younger, and that means freeing up some roster spots. We don’t have room for all of you—c’mon, Kendrick [Bourne], keep digging!—and so your time here must come to an end. We thank you for your hard work as a member of the Patriots family, and we wish you the best of luck down there.” At press time, a satisfied Belichick had reportedly returned to the bowels of Gillette Stadium, where he began asking several high-profile Patriots chained to a radiator what it was going to take to get them to return on team-friendly contracts. The Bears Still Suck – Coach has proof Andy Reid Slams Soldiers Fields Eating Conditions KANSAS CITY—When asked if starters should play during the preseason, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on Thursday pointed to his team’s preseason matchup with the Chicago Bears and specifically criticized Soldiers Fields eating conditions. “It is absolutely inexcusable to have to play in a stadium with such low standards for burgers and pizza,” said Reid during a press conference, adding that Soldiers Fields had been for years one of the worst stadiums to eat a bucket of nachos during halftime. “Frankly, it’s dangerous—I was trying to get an Italian beef sandwich, but the concession stand was so far away that I nearly pulled a muscle walking there. The eating conditions there have always been terrible, but this year it almost got to the point where I would’ve rather forfeited the game than force my guys to go out there and play the second half while I was still so hungry. They were out of a bunch of items, and the beer guy kept ignoring me. It’s a disgrace.” Reid stated that he had no choice but to file a formal complaint with the NFL over Soldiers Fields inferior pretzels and disturbing lack of barbecue options. Udder Stuff – Commentary from the Badger Underground The Paul Chryst Era—A reflection Here are the highlights: 1. 2017 Orange Bowl victory over the punks from Miami. “Turnover chain, my F’ing Axx” were the words read from the lips of Paul Chryst late in the game on the sidelines. Alex Hornibrook played lights out and Jonathan Taylor carved up the much-hyped Hurricaine defense. Though we ended the season 13-1, a late collapse vs. Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game cost us a trip to the playoffs. 2. Beating #5 LSU at Lambeau (2016). Unranked Wisconsin avenged the 2014 defeat in Houston, resulting from Gary Anderson refusing to run Melvin Gordon during the second half, triggering a 17-point LSU rally. This win legitimized the Paul Chryst program and was accomplished after Melvin Gordon had moved on and with Bart Houston at QB. Not even the unexpected Packers’ release of Josh Sitton during the game could kill the buzz from this one. 3. Crushing #11 Michigan at home (2019) and Michigan on the road (2020), and prevailing 24-10 at home (2017). The Badgers built a 28-0 lead on Michigan in the 2019 game before a national TV audience, with a 312-96 yardage advantage in the first half, then led 35-0 with 5:13 left in the third quarter. Michigan came into the game ranked No. 11, with Wisconsin at No. 13 in the AP poll. 4. Bowl victories. Chryst teams went 6-1 in bowl games, with the next-most notable win coming against Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl. Though a lesser bowl, the Joel Stave-led team beat USC in the 2015 Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Most agonizing was turning over the ball to Oregon late as we were going for a two-score lead vs. Oregon in the 2020 Rose Bowl. 5. Rallying to beat Purdue 47-44 in 2018. The Badgers were sliding after three losses in the previous five games, then found themselves on the ropes. Jonathan Taylor racked up 321 yards on 33 rushes. Danny Davis also caught two touchdowns, including a one-handed catch in sloppy conditions. 6. Beating PJ Fleck & his cult followers 38-17 at their place (2019). Jonathan Taylor, Jack Coan & Quintez Cephus brought the axe back to Madison, following a bitter defeat the year earlier. The Paul Chryst Era—This Was the End Maybe Jonathan Taylor covered up other deficiencies that were the seeds for decline. Maybe Graham Mertz is a coach killer. Maybe there was too much turnover on the defense and among the assistant coaches during the offseason. We had been through down periods before during Chryst’s tenure, only to bounce back. We lost 3 in a row before beating Purdue in 2018 and bounced back the following year to narrowly miss the playoffs. Following the no-show in Columbus, this team was in trouble going into the IL game last Saturday. Even the ESPN Gameday panel were all picking Illinois, talking about UW in “used to be“ terms. The final tally of 16 carries for 21 yards says it all. Braelon Allen running for all of 8 yards? A year ago--not 10 years ago or 20 years ago--but just a year ago, the Badgers had 61 rushes for 391-yds vs. Illinois. What happened to that offense and team? The Badgers trailed 14-10 at half. Players said Chryst invoked his inner Barack Obama, telling them it was time to draw a line in the effing sand. Illinois took second-half kickoff + drove 75 yards for a TD, Guerendo fumbled the kickoff and Illini added a FG. 67-26 record or not, it was time. On to the Jimmy Leonhard internship and hopefully the Jimmy Leonhard era. We are 10-point favorites vs. a terrible Northwestern team. Don’t F it up. Culling lesser scapegoats from the herd here on out will have diminishing returns. We’re Gonna Kick Your @$$ – predictions for the upcoming game With the win last week, we now have 250 wins at Lambeau, most in any one stadium in the NFL and we are now tied the Bears at 785 wins all-time. Ironically, this weeks’ opponent is 3rd on the list. We’ve played the Giants 62 times, leading them by 6 wins and about 2 points/game. And … London is a home game … ergo advantage Pack!! Last offseason the G-Men blew away the Front Office and the Coaching staff. It turns out the new Coach, Brian Michael Daboll, is a Canadian! An alien for crying out loud! Coach knew we should have completed that wall. In a little-known part of his history, Brian Daboll was involved by his father in a plot for Canada to invade the U.S. Fortunately, Niagara Falls Sheriff Bud B. Boomer took matters into his own hands and was able to thwart the plot. Young Brian Daboll was released to the custody of his mother as he was a minor and could not be held responsible for his actions. In a bizarre scene at the court room for Brian’s trial, Brian’s mother repeatedly denied ever having met Sheriff Boomer. Given the proximity of Bud to Daboll’s family, there was constant speculation about Brian’s resemblance to “Sheriff Bud”, as Mrs. Daboll used to call him. Of course, every crisis reveals heroes among us, and Bud Boomer was no exception. You can find his heroics captured in a Michael Moore documentary (seriously, “that Michael Moore” was the film maker). OK Jimmy, on to the game. First of all, Coach will be there! B of all, what do the stats tell us? Well, we’re almost tied on Off & Def for PPG with the NY Giants. Throw in some home field advantage and we have about a 2 ½ point advantage, basically the same as our historical win margin. In the Rodgers era we are 4-3 against the G-men … so all the way around we look pretty even. The Giants started 2-0 for the first time since the 2016 season, and the schedule not been very tough so far … kinda like our schedule ... The Giants QB, Daniel Jones has been playing better this year under Daboll. He’s gone an injured ankle, but he did practice this week, so he’ll likely play on Sunday. Expect Rashan Gary to put Daniel Jones back on the bench this weekend. After Rashan Jones puts Daniel Jones out of the game, expect the Giants to lean even more heavily on Saquon Barkley. Barkley is leading the NFL in rushing-yardage, but he is well behind Aaron Jones in yards/carry. Despite Barkley getting back to form, Rodgers is still the best player in this game and the rushing duo of Jones and RB A.J. Dillon also more than make up what Barkley does for the Giants. Interestingly both the Pack and the Giants have very poor run defense. The Pack is at #22 giving up 5.0 yds/carry and the Giants are at #27 giving up 5.1 yds/carry. Everything points to this game being very close. If this game was not in London, it would be a simple choice to predict a Packers win. But with this being the first time the Packers have ever played overseas; it is difficult to know how they will manage the travel. Some teams manage it better than others. Coach predicts that this one will come down to Special Teams play and maybe a turnover. Rudy Ford has been nothing but spectacular on punt coverage this year, forcing fair catches on just about every punt. This game will be no exception. The Packers D and Special Teams will again be the difference as the Offense continues to play Preseason Ball and is trying to figure itself out! Coach is there now to see this foreign exhibition of American Football at Tottenham Stadium! Lots of Packers fans representing as I type this in the pub… Packers 24 G-Men 17 JB – Packers you forgot about, but stories you’ll remember about them What would a Green Bay visit to London be without recalling the story of a local boy who, after starring as a back for the Green Bay Packers, visited over there and by a twist of fate saved millions of lives. Myrton Basing grew up in Appleton and went to Lawrence University before playing for the Packers. He started 28 of his 41 games taking handoffs and catching passes from Curl Lambeau, which led to a career total of 9 TD’s. He retired from football a year before the Packers won their 1st NFL championship. After leaving football, Basing moved out to Colorado to run a hike and hunt outfitting camp. Myrton’s wife Mabel convinced him in 1940 to join her in visiting her extended family in England, having recently lost several male cousins fighting the Nazi’s in mainland Europe. During a long countryside hike along a rural stretch of the river Thames, Basing scratched his face on a rose bush. The seemingly harmless wound became infected, and the infection spread. Basing was subsequently transferred to the Radcliffe Infirmary when his infection became severe. On February 12 a young medical doctor named Charles Fletcher injected Basing with a top-secret concoction previously only tested on mice by Oxford Professor Howard Florey, with the intent to someday cure soldiers of bacterial infections resulting from battlefield wounds. This nicknamed “miracle mold” was later smuggled to the USA for mass production after it was fine-tuned by Fletcher for use on humans. Today we call it “penicillin.” As for Myrt Basing, he was injected regularly over four days with the first ever human-sized dose of penicillin , and within 24 hours he was greatly improved. But even though his medical team went as far as extracting the precious penicillin from his urine and re-injecting it, supplies ran out before his cure was complete. He relapsed at the beginning of March, and died a month later. Like leaving the Packers right before they won it all, Myrton Basing needed penicillin right before it was actually made good enough to work. He was at the forefront of football greatness, and at the vanguard of saving soldiers from infectious death (or at least painful venereal disease). For that, Myrt, we salute you!
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Author"Coach" is the insightful collective brain and funny bone of a few legendary Packer fans who provide everything you need to know (and what Packers beat writers often plagiarize) about the Green & Gold, plus a weekly guest appearance by The Badger Underground. Archives
November 2022
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