Rare Photos of Walter Payton wrote:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multim ... ent.1.html
***NFC North Thread***
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I am a idiot.. Are those pictures from now and from last year? I thought they were from the same magazine and they just photoshopped the hell out of the cover.capable_keL wrote:well, the HGH testing has affected his production... just 9 tackles and 1 sack thru 4 gamesnaturalborn103 wrote:difference between the first to second picture is pretty huge.. no homo
They're from the same photoshoot. Kel is just trollin'naturalborn103 wrote:I am a idiot.. Are those pictures from now and from last year? I thought they were from the same magazine and they just photoshopped the hell out of the cover.capable_keL wrote:well, the HGH testing has affected his production... just 9 tackles and 1 sack thru 4 gamesnaturalborn103 wrote:difference between the first to second picture is pretty huge.. no homo
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i 'd upon seeing this.
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/ ... 13158.html
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/ ... 13158.html
Packers receivers seek elusive 'YAC' wrote:Green Bay - Receivers coach Edgar Bennett loves drills. That was his time to get better as a running back 15 years ago and that's his time now to make his Green Bay Packers receivers the best in the game.
Off to the side, Bennett calmly, meticulously, works the wideouts: two hands in traffic, ball security high and tight, low pads for leverage, split the defenders, catch while distracted, block downfield.
And then, the favorite: The receiver takes a pass, turns up field and picks up a thigh, hurdling over an imaginary diving, desperate defender.
"You lift that leg up when they're trying to trip you up? It forces you to lift your feet up," said Bennett.
Lifting legs and feet - while maintaining critical balance - doesn't just show off the receivers' great agility.
It buys them YAC.
And other than winning, and staying healthy, the Green Bay receivers covet nothing more than yards after the catch. YAC is earned, never given, and is, to them, a truer indication of an elite receiver than height, 40-yard time or selection order in the draft.
"That's something we love - the ball in our hands and making the big play," said receiver Donald Driver. "We want to go back to being No. 1 in the NFL in yards after the catch."
The Packers are ranked sixth in the NFL in yards after the catch (according to statistics kept by the Washington Post) with 638. Jordy Nelson leads the Packers with 157, tied for 14th-best in the NFL; New England's Wes Welker is No. 1 with 306.
Rarely will you get a football player to admit to watching his personal stats, but this group enthusiastically tracks its team YAC ranking.
Greg Jennings rolled his eyes at the No. 6 ranking; not good enough.
Not long ago, this group was the best. In Brett Favre's last year in Green Bay, the Packers were No. 1 in YAC for most of the season. Favre threw pub darts 12 yards downfield and receivers would flee for their lives and 10, 20 or more yards.
One of Jennings' best displays of the YAC was in his rookie year in 2006 at Detroit, when he caught a short slant, pivoted back out, hit the sideline, took a block from Driver, stiff-armed Dre' Bly and sprinted 75 yards for the touchdown (Favre's 400th).
He did the same thing the next year against San Diego when he turned a short slant into a 57-yard touchdown - which gave Favre his 420th TD pass, tying Dan Marino's NFL record.
Last year, when Aaron Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 338 yards in the playoff game at Atlanta, he was nearly flawless. He also got a lot of YAC from his four receivers, who totaled from 75 to Jennings' 101.
Jennings said the key to getting YAC is football vision.
"It's not like, 'OK, I'm going to work on my leg strength and break more tackles.' That's true only to a certain extent," said Jennings. "That doesn't mean you're going to make a guy miss.
"YAC is really understanding the defense, but more than that it's trying to be instinctive. You can't have a premeditated move. It's seeing where they're running to, and going against their leverage to try to catch them off-balance and put them in a compromising tackling position."
Now, with Rodgers in full command of this offense and his enviable accuracy, the Packers don't have to rely on the YAC.
But they still aspire to it.
"Aaron takes the time, takes his reads, he's going to throw the ball to the best guy that's open," said Driver. "He's doesn't put all the pressure on us.
"But we want the catch and then 20 yards after. That's what we still want."
Rodgers' accuracy actually makes him an ideal quarterback for YAC, as well. There are better places to throw the ball to the receiver and Rodgers knows it, sees it and delivers it.
"It's his placement of the ball," said Nelson. "You want the ball out in front so you don't have to stop. You catch, don't break your stride and keep running.
"It's easiest when you're catching a ball moving forward. Sometimes you'll catch a ball coming back to the quarterback and your back is to the defense a little bit and that's a tougher play. You can catch a slant or a seam on the move and split a couple of guys and get out."
Sometimes the simplest routes make for the best YAC. On Nelson's 84-yard touchdown at Carolina, off a deeper slant in a one-on-one matchup, about 60 yards were after the catch. Jennings assisted by running from the other side for a block and Nelson beat three Panthers in a footrace.
"It's all about making people miss - juke him, stiff-arm or whatever," said Nelson. "Greg, James and Drive have more moves than I do; I usually do the stiff-arm. That's all I got."
The receivers also see opportunity when the defense brings a blitz.
"YAC comes when a blitz is coming and A-Rod throws it hot," said receiver James Jones. "He's expecting us to make that guy miss and get some YAC."
Looking at this receiving group, it's easy to see why it racks up the YAC. The receivers like each other and block for each other. They challenge each other. And they're not limited to plucking the ball out of the clouds and crashing down to earth. They're athletes and they're driven to get more - as long as they catch the ball first, on Bennett's insistence.
Perhaps general manager Ted Thompson even thinks of YAC when he drafts.
"I know this: He goes for a smart player," said Jennings. "(Rookie) Randall Cobb is our kind of guy. He's one of us because he's one of those smart guys, he's shifty, he can make guys miss.
"We all were punt returners, kick returners in college, and you have to have some elusiveness to do those things."
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Man.. This guy is the worst..Favre Talking about Rodgers wrote:"And so, he just kind of fell into a good situation. On top of that, he's a good player. I don't think there's any pressure on him now, the talent around him is even better than when I was there. So I'm really kind of surprised it took him so long.
Yeah that 1996 team was nothing but scrubs with the number 1 defense and number 1 offense. I hear that Reggie White guy was a bust as a free agent pick up.naturalborn103 wrote:Man.. This guy is the worst..Favre Talking about Rodgers wrote:"And so, he just kind of fell into a good situation. On top of that, he's a good player. I don't think there's any pressure on him now, the talent around him is even better than when I was there. So I'm really kind of surprised it took him so long.
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Aaron Rodgers says league deserves some of the blame for Johnny Jolly
Posted by Mike Florio on October 5, 2011, 3:03 PM EDT
Reuters
Over the weekend, Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly was arrested for the fourth time on drug charges. On Tuesday, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke out in support of Jolly, who has been indefinitely suspended by the league.
גItגs just disappointing,ג Rodgers told Jason Wilde of ESPN Milwaukee, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. גAnd Iגll be honest, I think the league deserves some of the blame in this case. When you look at some of the other guys that have been reinstated in the league after jail sentences, and justly, rightly so, Johnny didnגt serve any days in prison, sat out for a year and still couldnגt get his case heard, from what I was told. I just think that thatגs wrong. . . . I think the Commissionerגs done a great job of cleaning up some of the stuff in the league. That said, if you take a guy away from his support system . . . I donגt think thatגs helping.ג
Because the league attempts to maintain confidential on matters of this nature, itגs unclear why Jolly has been suspended indefinitely. Itגs possible that he tested positive for a banned recreational drug while in Stage 3 of the substance abuse program. Itגs possible that he failed to show up for a test while in Stage 3. Itגs possible that he otherwise failed to comply with the terms of his treatment plan while in Stage 3. Unless the league provides the details (it canגt) or Jolly chooses to do so (to date, he hasnגt), thereגs no way to know what specifically resulted in the suspension.
That said, Rodgersג point is a valid one ג and itגs one that his predecessor once made regarding former Packers receiver Koren Robinson. Banishing a guy from his team puts him in position to potentially get in trouble again. And thatגs what happened to Jolly.
Still, thereגs likely a lot more to the story. And the details may never surface.
Posted by Mike Florio on October 5, 2011, 3:03 PM EDT
Reuters
Over the weekend, Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly was arrested for the fourth time on drug charges. On Tuesday, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke out in support of Jolly, who has been indefinitely suspended by the league.
גItגs just disappointing,ג Rodgers told Jason Wilde of ESPN Milwaukee, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. גAnd Iגll be honest, I think the league deserves some of the blame in this case. When you look at some of the other guys that have been reinstated in the league after jail sentences, and justly, rightly so, Johnny didnגt serve any days in prison, sat out for a year and still couldnגt get his case heard, from what I was told. I just think that thatגs wrong. . . . I think the Commissionerגs done a great job of cleaning up some of the stuff in the league. That said, if you take a guy away from his support system . . . I donגt think thatגs helping.ג
Because the league attempts to maintain confidential on matters of this nature, itגs unclear why Jolly has been suspended indefinitely. Itגs possible that he tested positive for a banned recreational drug while in Stage 3 of the substance abuse program. Itגs possible that he failed to show up for a test while in Stage 3. Itגs possible that he otherwise failed to comply with the terms of his treatment plan while in Stage 3. Unless the league provides the details (it canגt) or Jolly chooses to do so (to date, he hasnגt), thereגs no way to know what specifically resulted in the suspension.
That said, Rodgersג point is a valid one ג and itגs one that his predecessor once made regarding former Packers receiver Koren Robinson. Banishing a guy from his team puts him in position to potentially get in trouble again. And thatגs what happened to Jolly.
Still, thereגs likely a lot more to the story. And the details may never surface.
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Dan Pompei's Bears Grades:
Bears' defense not as ugly on tape as stats suggest
They got stops against Panthers in key situations
Horrendous would be the best word to describe some of the statistics from the Bears defense Sunday: 29 points and 543 yards allowed, 6.5 average gain per run and zero sacks.
But the defensive performance didn't look as ugly on tape as it did on paper.
The Bears stopped the Panthers when they had too, preventing them from converting 11 of 14 third- or fourth-down attempts. In three of their red-zone possessions, the Panthers scored only three points.
It wasn't exactly artistic, but the Bears came at quarterback Cam Newton with a variety of blitzes and coverages that resulted in incompletions at key times. They didn't get sacks but did pressure him and forced throws that hit the ground.
The run defense was disjointed, in part because of the unorthodox offense and quarterback they were playing. Not knowing if Newton would keep the ball or hand it off out of the spread offense caused some hesitation on the part of defenders.
The Bears also got overaggressive and sloppy about edge contain and were burned for some long runs around the end.
This defensive performance was not indicative of the defense the Bears have; rather, it was an aberration against an unusual offense.
Here is what else we learned upon further review.
Grading key: Grades are between 0 and 10 with 0 being complete failure and 10 being perfect.
Defensive line
Grade: 4
Believe it or not, the Bears got good pressure on Newton 14 times. They just couldn't bring him down. But the pressure did affect the Carolina offense.
Defensive ends Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije both had multiple pressures. Tackle Matt Toeaina had his best pass-rushing game of the season, taking advantage of stunts, blitzes and his power moves.
The line wasn't nearly active enough in the run game, however. Linemen were in on only 24 percent of the team's tackles.
Linebackers
Grade: 3.5
Brian Urlacher was active, and Lance Briggs made some big hits. But there were no impact plays here. The linebackers have to take a good share of the blame for the problems against the run.
Safeties
Grade: 2
When a quarterback puts it up 46 times, Bears safeties need to get their hands on the ball more than once.
Brandon Meriweather's big hits are starting to make receivers look twice when they come over the middle, but unless he starts wrapping up, he is going to give up a lot of unnecessary yards.
On DeAngelo Williams' 26-yard first-quarter run, Major Wright could have had him after 3 yards and Meriweather could have had him after 12. Both missed. Wright also took a bad angle on Steve Smith after a catch, giving up 9 extra yards.
Cornerbacks
Grade: 3.5
The Bears had no chance of covering Smith, who had 181 receiving yards. He ate up their zones, and they had no one who could stay with him man-to-man. The team lined up Tim Jennings across from him almost exclusively, and that was their best hope given how Smith had abused Charles Tillman in the past.
Jennings struggled to keep up with Smith's quick cuts and appeared to have a mental lapse (sucking up on what he thought was a run) on Smith's 53-yard first-quarter reception.
It could have been worse. Smith dropped what should have been a 16-yard touchdown pass in the end zone.
D.J. Moore showed nice awareness on his interception and great instincts on his return for a touchdown. He nearly had another interception in the fourth quarter.
Jennings, Moore and Tillman all were guilty of helping the Panthers to long runs on the edges.
Special teams
Grade: 10
This was a dominant performance by the special teams with a 73-yard kickoff return, a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown and a blocked field goal.
There might not be another player in the league who would have broken either of Devin Hester's long returns. The blocking was good, but Hester was brilliant.
On his kick return, his hesitation caused a pileup, and while the bodies collided, he swerved into the open field. Rookie Chris Conte showed wisdom in not blocking Olindo Mare in the back.
The blocked kick was set off by a hard rush off the right edge. That helped create a crease for Peppers to sneak in and get his big paw up.
Adam Podlesh placed two punts inside the 20.
Running backs
Grade: 10
Matt Forte was outstanding, running with vision, playing off his blockers and cutting at just the right times.
He broke tackles and made defenders miss, sometimes on the same play. A reception for no gain on third-and-1 might have been his best play of the day. He could have been caught for a loss of 4 but spun out of the grasp of Charles Johnson, cut back away from Johnson and another defender and then bulled through Omar Gaither for another yard.
Fullback Tyler Clutts played a big role too, throwing the lead block for Forte repeatedly, including on his 46-yard first-quarter run.
Offensive line
Grade: 8
This was easily the best, most physical performance of the year by the line, and everybody contributed. Before he was benched, Frank Omiyale pulled and reached linebacker Jason Williams to clear the way for a 10-yard Forte run.
The linemen repeatedly got downfield on pulls and screens to help spring Forte.
Omiyale struggled with Johnson, who also gave Lance Louis a couple of problems. But overall the pass blocking was sufficient.
Chris Spencer toughed it out with a broken hand, pulling and wiping out middle linebacker Dan Connor on a 20-yard fourth-quarter run by Forte.
Tight ends
Grade: 9
Zero catches, but it was an outstanding blocking performance from Kellen Davis. He had key blocks on Forte's 46-yard run, Forte's 40-yard run and Forte's 17-yard touchdown, knocking defensive end Greg Hardy on his back and into Connor.
Quarterback
Grade: 5
The numbers painted a bleak picture, but the reality is Jay Cutler managed the game pretty well. He had one awful throw, a high, late pass over the middle intended for tight end Kyle Adams that was intercepted.
Other than that, Cutler did what was asked pretty well. He minimized the Panthers' pass rush by getting rid of the ball.
Wide receivers
Grade: 4
Aside from Johnny Knox, there wasn't much production in the passing game. Receivers did contribute with some downfield blocks, but Roy Williams failed to get to safety Charles Godfrey on a Cutler draw from the 4 that should have been a touchdown.
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Have Lions arrived as contender?
They're 1 of 2 undefeated teams in NFL as they prepare for Bears' visit
ALLEN PARK, Mich. ג Rod Marinelli won't recognize these Lions.
These Lions are 4-0, one of only two undefeated teams in the NFL. Dating to 2010, they have won eight straight, more than any team in the league. They can win on the road (five straight), and they can win after spotting you a big lead.
These Lions can't hide in the shadows. They are splashed across this week's cover of Sports Illustrated. They are being featured by Showtime's "Inside the NFL," the New York Times, the Washington Post and about 37 ESPN formats. They are placing in the top 20 searches on Google Trends.
These Lions are the darlings of the NFL. They celebrate with Bob Seger and Kid Rock. They are hosting their first Monday night football game in a decade. The game sold out in less than an hour.
And for all of this to continue, all the Lions have to do is beat the Bears.
The Bears likely will have to contend with a rejuvenated crowd at Ford Field, as well as a rejuvenated team.
Between the Tigers in the playoffs and the Lions having awoken from their coma, Detroit barely knows what to do with itself.
"It's a fun time to be in Detroit," said Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is a big reason for that.
The Lions, who last made the playoffs in 1999, are a little like the economically depressed city in which they play.
"Detroit is a blue-collar town," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "We like to envision ourselves as a blue-collar team. Our best players are our hardest-working players. That makes it easy to stay consistent. They have a belief in themselves, but they also have a belief in their teammates. ג¦ When you have those ingredients, you can bounce back from a lot of tough things."
In the last two games, Stafford has led the Lions to two comebacks after they trailed their opponent at halftime by a combined 44 points. The Lions became the first team in NFL history to have comebacks of 20 points or more in consecutive weeks.
Stafford, the former first pick in the NFL draft who played in only 40 percent of his games his first two years because of injuries, has come of age. But Schwartz contends that hasn't been about Stafford as much as it has been about what's around him.
"The only difference between last year and this year is we've added a few more weapons on offense and we've dramatically improved the defense," Schwartz said. "That helps our quarterback. From the very day he stepped on campus here he had great command. ג¦ What we've managed to do is put more talent around him."
Included in that new talent is first-round pick Nick Fairley, the defensive tackle who could make his NFL debut Monday night, and second-round pick Titus Young, who has given Stafford another receiving option.
He already had Calvin Johnson, who now is being acclaimed as football's best pass catcher. Johnson, who may be most famous for the touchdown catch that referee Gene Steratore said he did not make last September at Soldier Field, has tied an NFL record with eight touchdown receptions in his last four games.
The Lions also have an aggressive defense that plays with unusual passion and energy. It features three new starters and Ndamukong Suh, widely regarded as the most unblockable defensive lineman in the game.
But it's not as if these Lions have answered all the questions. There remain concerns about their offensive line, their ability to run and their secondary.
The comebacks have been spectacular, but no team can make a living coming from 20 points down. The Lions realize that.
"We have to start faster," Johnson said. "A lot of the assignments, we have to buckle down, get those things done early so we don't have to be in those situations late."
The Lions have played the underdog role perfectly. But they aren't underdogs anymore. Now they have to deal with media distractions and back patters everywhere.
The Lions are a different team than they were just one month ago.
They no longer are the hunters.
They are the hunted.
dpompei@tribune.com
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[quote]MINNEAPOLIS -- Benching a veteran quarterback in favor of a rookie usually is a sign the season is a lost cause.
For the Minnesota Vikings, benching Donovan McNabb may be their only hope.
No, they're not a playoff team, no matter how quickly they buried the awful Arizona Cardinals in a 34-10 trashing on Sunday at the Metrodome.
This season is beyond saving, but if coach Leslie Frazier really wants to try, starting rookie Christian Ponder next week at Chicago is worth a shot.
The Vikings raced to a 28-0 lead in the first 12
For the Minnesota Vikings, benching Donovan McNabb may be their only hope.
No, they're not a playoff team, no matter how quickly they buried the awful Arizona Cardinals in a 34-10 trashing on Sunday at the Metrodome.
This season is beyond saving, but if coach Leslie Frazier really wants to try, starting rookie Christian Ponder next week at Chicago is worth a shot.
The Vikings raced to a 28-0 lead in the first 12
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looked really bad, but nobody should worry about any injury to the pack, not even godgersan-also wrote:Newhouse looked pretty good at LT last night. TT has really stacked this team in all the key positions.McCarthy on Clifton: Suffered a significant hamstring, probably take a couple weeks to get hands around how significant. Will be out weeks
flynn >>>>>> romo, freeman, ponder
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After Cris Carter proclaimed that Calvin Johnson wasn't amongst the top five receivers in the NFL, Johnson went quietly about his business.
Four consecutive two-touchdown games later, Johnson has done something that only Carter was able to do and come Monday night, the receiver has a chance to make the former NFL great eat more crow. If Johnson ends up in the end zone twice, for the fifth consecutive game, he will achieve an NFL first.
Related: Short-Handed Bears Face Red-Hot Lions Team in Huge Monday Night Football Matchup
Carter, possibly starting the crow eating a bit early, "crowned" Johnson as the league's best, at least for the moment. Carter also said during an appearance on "Mike and Mike" this past Monday, that Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan should have taken a cue from him, before Ryan's comment about Johnson last week.
"(Ryan) said that on the Dallas Cowboys' roster, they have a couple receivers better than Calvin Johnson," Carter said. "Now he should have took note from me what I said before the season that Calvin Johnson wasn't in the top five.
"I didn't say that he couldn't play, though, he was right on the outside. But right now," Carter went on to say. "Calvin Johnson? There's a king in every crowd, and he's the king of the National Football League right now as far as wide receivers."
Carter's change in tone is an obvious reflection of the vibe Johnson and the rest of the Detroit Lions are sending across the league, they're for real, whether Carter or anyone else is willing to admit it.
Here are three keys to Monday's divisional clash between the Lions and the Bears:
Detroit's front four vs. Chicago's offensive line
Ndamukong Suh is going to hunting Monday, so Jay Cutler will do his best to avoid YouTube until Tuesday. But unfortunately for Cutler, the combination of Chicago's offensive line and their impending match-up with Detroit's front four, could result in a sequel of that Dick's Sporting Goods ad.
Chicago allowed 56 sacks last season and aren't off to a good start in 2011, with 15 sacks allowed, the second worst total in the league. Add Nick Fairley to a group that includes Cliff Avril, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams and a formidable foe could become an unstoppable one.
Related: Lions Rookie DT Nick Fairley Will Make NFL Debut Against Bears
Julius Peppers vs. Jeff Backus
A warning to Lions fans everywhere, this link should not be clicked. But for the rest of you, the incredibly painful video clearly illustrates what can go wrong when Julius Peppers beats your left tackle off the line.
That hit set back Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford another year, and if the Lions plan on continuing this impressive start, Jeff Backus needs to step up. Peppers is faster, stronger and eats most of the league's offensive linemen for breakfast but when push comes to shove, Backus needs to battle Monday night.
In the last year of his contract, Backus' career year in 2010 won't mean anything if he doesn't improve his play and most importantly protect his team's franchise quarterback. It won't be easy, but it's necessary.
Containing Matt Forte
Matt Forte is Cutler's best friend, especially when his best friend gets to tout the rock 25 times, limiting Cutler's dropbacks, therefore limiting the amount of times Suh gets to use Cutler as his personal punching bag.
Related: Bears Matt Forte's Monster Performance Against Panthers Shows Importance of Run Game
Forte rushed for 205 yards last week against Carolina, obviously Detroit can't allow similar results. If Forte is anywhere near as successful this week against the Lions as he was against the Panthers, Stafford and Co. will find themselves on the bench far more than they would like to be. Containing Forte forces the balance of Chicago's offense to disappear and when that happens, Cutler gets hit, a lot And when Cutler is under constant duress, he makes mistakes.
Considering the Lions' seven interceptions (third in the league) and six forced fumbles (fourth) have been a big key to their perfect 4-0 start, stopping Forte should be priority No. 1.
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making the playoffs is looking like a lock at this point so i'm alright with them being cautious with Bulaga and Clifton to make everyone healthy for January.an-also wrote:Newhouse looked pretty good at LT last night. TT has really stacked this team in all the key positions.McCarthy on Clifton: Suffered a significant hamstring, probably take a couple weeks to get hands around how significant. Will be out weeks
plus, Clifton is at the tail end of his career...getting reps for Sherrod is the silver lining.
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Word. Besides the first few possessions after Clifton went out, Newhouse and Sherrod played pretty well. Having said that, it was against Edwards and Bierman. I think with more practice reps, the tackles can hold up until Uncle Cliffy gets healthy. MM will adjust the game plan according to how they play in practice. I think we can play pretty much any style of offense.Dunnnnleavy wrote:making the playoffs is looking like a lock at this point so i'm alright with them being cautious with Bulaga and Clifton to make everyone healthy for January.an-also wrote:Newhouse looked pretty good at LT last night. TT has really stacked this team in all the key positions.McCarthy on Clifton: Suffered a significant hamstring, probably take a couple weeks to get hands around how significant. Will be out weeks
plus, Clifton is at the tail end of his career...getting reps for Sherrod is the silver lining.
Last edited by an-also on Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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