Confessions of a Polluted Mindset - It's Super Yawn Week!
The Weekly Packers Brain Drain from Jersey Al.
By JerseyAl
Ok, so maybe I'm not exactly excited by this year's Super Bowl. Two teams that are easy to dislike. The Chiefs are going for an unprecedented championship three-peat... what? Did I say something wrong?
Anyway, I'd say that 98% of the country is rooting against the Chiefs, even if not rooting for the Eagles. That's kind of where I am - rooting for the Chiefs to lose more than rooting for the Eagles to win. Although, I have to be honest, I'd be very happy for Saquon Barkley, who lives several towns over from me and by all accounts of anyone who has met him around town, is a genuinely nice guy who signs autographs and takes pics with all the kids who encounter him. And how can you not root for a guy who can hurdle defensive players backwards? What I will not be rooting for is more of the tush push from the Eagles. I am in solidarity with Mark Murphy on that one. We don't watch the games, pay the high ticket prices, buy the jerseys, etc. to see that.
The week leading up to the Super Bowl is always silly season, where everything about the game gets blown out of proportion and fans of teams that didn't make it, dream of how to "fix" their teams. Packers fans are surely up near the top of the list in that category, with trade proposals and free agent signings galore flowing like mercury from a broken thermometer. Tee Higgins, DJ Metcalfe, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack and the latest infatuation, Myles Garrett. I would guess Mack would be the only one of these with a chance of happening, but he falls into that "end of his career" category of player the Packers don't chase. The foaming at the mouth over Myles Garrett, however has been way over the top. Comparisons with Reggie White are being thrown around way too carelessly and without much thought. But, hey, it feeds the content machine, doesn't it?
Mason Crosby finally retired? What was he doing the last two years, waiting for a call from the Jets? (aka, the Home for Wayward Boys and Disgruntled Former Packers). But seriously, Crosby had a nice career in 16 seasons with the Packers, although the first four seasons, his field goal percentage was in the 70s, worse than Anders Carlsson's 81% average that got him canned after one year. But the Packers stuck with Crosby, gave him salary increases and failed to bring in competition for him to battle - all things that had me a totally flummoxed. I wrote about it, and became known as a Crosby hater simply for questioning why Crosby was being treated as if he were one of the league's best. Long story short, Crosby eventually found consistency later on with hitting goal percentages in the 80s, but was never a top-echelon kicker percentage-wise. What Crosby did become was a clutch maker of field goals in the big moments, making 31 of 35 field goal attempts in playoff games.
I've told this story before, but if you missed it, here goes. Several months after my written diatribes about why the Packers were treating Crosby like a much better kicker than he actually was, I'm on a connecting flight from Detroit into Green Bay. I'm in an aisle seat (four seats across in a small plane) and a woman sits in the seat across from me on the other side of the aisle. She's rather friendly and strikes up a conversation with me. We're chatting and I ask her if she is flying in for the Packers game, That's when she tells me yes, she's Mason Crosby's mom. I tried to disappear into my seat but she just kept talking and telling me all about Mason as a child and his High School playing days and how wonderful he was, etc,, etc. She was just as lovely as can be and a Mom that was so proud of her son and what he has accomplished, pouring this all out to the guy who thinks he hasn't been very good at his job. If only she knew who she was talking to. It was funny, but it wasn't, if you know what I mean. Kind of surreal and I really could not wait for that plane to land so I could stop feeling like such a jerk.
ADDED: Oh, and if you want to go down memory lane with me, I just found this article I wrote when I first started blogging at Bleacher Report. This was written after Crosby's first three seasons when his field goal percentages were 79.5, 79.4 & 75.0. It's about Crosby and the theme is "Mediocrity Rewarded." Sorry Mrs. Crosby.
I'm pretty bummed that the Packers lost linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, my fellow foul-mouthed Jersey boy brethren who brought a Hafley-like passion for his job (For the record, I was not born with the Jersey foul mouth gene). Anyway, Campy comes from a family of football coaches here in NJ, from his father to all his brothers. He was so beloved by the Packers players he coached, they made up a bible verse and called it Campy 3:16 - God loves those who run to the ball." Going to miss you Campy!
So Xavier McKinney McKinney was asked during an interview on the NFL Spotlight Podcast with Ari Meirov. who he thinks deserves to be put in the spotlight and recognized more than he is. McKinney surprisingly chose Quay Walker. "I think he’s one of the best linebackers in the league,” said McKinney. “There are a lot of things he can do that a lot of linebackers cannot do. I think he’s going to continue to keep getting better. I think he’s going to continue to grow as a player. In the future, he’s going to be the best linebacker in the league. You can write that down.” Well tell us how you feel, Xavier. Now I understand what he's trying to do here. It's been well documented and stated (even by Walker himself) how he's his own harshest critic. Lack of confidence in what he's doing shows in his decision-making on the field sometimes. Although it was much improved the second half of this season, you saw many examples in 2024 of Quay trying to cover all the bases as a running back approached and ending up covering none. He needs to free his mind and self-doubt, stop over-thinking and just be aggressive, a trait you see in rookie Edgerrin Cooper. As I mentioned previously, Walker did start to play freer the last half of the season - perhaps seeing how Cooper plays unlocked something in Walker's head and with the two playing side by side, we have something to really look forward to next season.
Here's the full interview. The Walker part is near the end of it.
🚨"NFL Spotlight" featuring #Packers safety Xavier McKinney:
Pod links:
A: https://t.co/dKGmnIqOco
S: https://t.co/oEYx8F5bQUFULL VIDEO + TIMESTAMPS👇
(0:43) Intro
(2:21) Start of Xavier McKinney interview
(3:00) Watching playoff games once eliminated.
(4:12) Early career and… pic.twitter.com/wpCZDEKQfd— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 28, 2025
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
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"Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of various hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He's a lifetime Packers fan living in the land of the Giants (and Jets). Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP.
__________________________
Comments (53)
T7Steve
February 05, 2025 at 06:16 am
Thanks, Al. Good confession today.
Hope Mason has a great retirement. Maybe he can become a kicking consultant or something. That's a funny story about meeting his mom. I thought that kind of stuff only happened to me, so I didn't have to try put myself in your shoes. That story reminds me of the time I was sitting in an airport somewhere waiting for a connecting flight and watched the Packers playing the Lions in Detroit and Mason missed about 15 field goal attempts in a row and the Packers lost.
I think Quay played better and freed up his game because he had Cooper to trust beside him and didn't think he had to cover up for and worry about LBs who had more weaknesses. I've probably been one of the few here that have defended him and think he has a great future. I'm surprised he's made such an impression on X.
GregC
February 05, 2025 at 06:57 am
Couldn't agree more about the Super Bowl matchup. Ugh. And the tush push. Ban it, please!
Xavier McKinney's comments about Quay Walker remind me of when Jaire Alexander said that Romeo Doubs is the second-best receiver in the NFL (after Davante Adams). That was at the beginning of training camp last summer.
A few years ago, somebody on here used statistics to show that Mason Crosby was basically an average kicker. I think they were right. I hadn't realized he was so good in the playoffs though. My wife always had maternal feelings for Mason Crosby, in spite of his gray hair. He was her favorite player. He's a likable guy. How fitting that his mom was chatting people up on airplanes, telling them how proud she was of her son.
JerseyAl
February 05, 2025 at 10:12 am
That "somebody" was likely me! Take a look at what I added to the article after the Crosby section...
SicSemperTyrannis
February 05, 2025 at 08:47 pm
GREAT article!
Hopefully we get to see #7 and 56 playing together, both playing lights out. I want to see neither in the Mike position or with the green dot; maybe Cooper can grow into that but not starting week 1. #45?
T7Steve
February 06, 2025 at 07:20 am
One of them has to have the dot because allot of the time there're only 2 LBs on the field.
Maybe give the dot to X but it's hard to switch up plays and adjust from back there. Quay doesn't have to play MIKE to have the dot though and he's been calling plays since his rookie season when he pushed Campbell down the road.
TKWorldWide
February 05, 2025 at 07:12 am
I always look forward to your pollution, Al!
All Packer kicker stats should include a tundra asterisk. There is a difference between an established kicker with the yips and a young guy who just doesn’t have it (or have it YET.) You show patience and stick with the first one, and cut loose the second one. (Crosby, Carlson, cough cough)
Nobody has ever doubted Walker’s tools, and not all young players blossom immediately. Everybody seems to agree that Walker would be much better if he just played with more confidence and more decisively. Can he do it? Danged if I know, but I do think he was showing improvement before that ankle injury. However, seems to me that Cooper is already ahead of him. To think that Cooper will continue to improve and that Walker might also gives the Packers two nice players in the middle of their D. Packers version of Warner and Greenlaw.
The offseason is all about the fun of playing GM: who to draft, who to trade for, who to let go, who to re-sign and at what price. It will be interesting to see what the Browns get for Myles Garrett. My guess? A lot!
Oh, and while we’re at it: GPG!
JerseyAl
February 05, 2025 at 10:32 am
"All Packer kicker stats should include a tundra asterisk." That was the predictable response I received, so ended up doing a study comparing him to other cold weather kickers in the league (Buffalo, Chicago, NY, Philly, etc. ) and he was still outkicked by the others.
TKWorldWide
February 05, 2025 at 02:20 pm
Ouch! Now THAT is more telling, for sure.
In addition, I’ll try to be less predictable in the future, such as submitting a draft related haiku, like this:
Draft choices are like
Lottery tickets, we want
More hits than misses
Booyah!
davekenya
February 07, 2025 at 03:15 pm
Another way to look at how accurate a kicker is...is to compare head-to-head kicking percentages in the same game by the opposing kickers...for all games. This would help account for weather and field conditions to a degree...as both kickers are facing the same factors.
HarryHodag
February 05, 2025 at 07:46 am
Except when the Packers were playing I've always viewed the Super Bowl as a parody on the NFL. It's closer to something P.T. Barnum would have thought up during his time. The football game has evolved into a sideshow, replaced by all the freakishness one could imagine.
It's just the Chiefs vs. the Eagles. Good game on paper but really no different than any other NFL game. I've never figured out why the NFL doesn't scrap their scheduling and make it an NFC vs. AFC contest. With 32 teams you could have each team play one game each in the NFC or AFC and a couple inter-league basically what Major League Baseball does. That would make it a true championship, but the NFL has been successful with the current format so who am I to complain?
This is my Super Bowl routine: I do other things on Sunday until 5:25 p.m. That's usually when the singer they've hired to mangle the national anthem croaks out a song 'they wanted to make theirs', then the extended coin flip and then...finally...the game begins. At halftime I shut off the TV for half an hour then turn it back on to see the second half and then it goes off at the end. Doing this I still can experience an NFL game.
Crosby's career is a good example of the 'fire everybody' mentality that has amped up with the growth of social media. Misses a kick, 'cut him'. In Crosby's case, for the core of his career he was a marksman. We forget how good he was for so long. But the start and end of his time at Green Bay is what people remember. As we saw with Anxious Carlson and Nervous Narveson it is hard to find an accurate NFL level leg. The Packers were fortunate that McManus(a good kicker on the scrap heap for non-football behavior) was around.
GregC
February 05, 2025 at 08:30 am
It's nice to be able to skip the halftime show, although I did regret missing out on the wardrobe malfunction. In recent years, I've watched the game with other people, so I'm stuck watching the halftime show, and I can't mute the commercials. It is something to be endured rather than enjoyed. We always have good food though!
Packers0808
February 05, 2025 at 08:36 am
Exactly what I do for the SB but keep mute on for the Anthem and wait for KO and do same come half. Kinds figured others who did the same and I wasn't totally nuts!
Bitternotsour
February 07, 2025 at 04:06 pm
I disagree with your assessment of Crosby - the guy has huge goodwill and is regarded as a high quality kicker in Green Bay. The reality is a little different. He was decidedly mediocre his first four years. Many other teams would have booted him by the wayside, but Ted Thompson was patient (as was his style). That is a testament to Ted. Crosby came good.
The same level of patience was not extended to either Narveson or Carlson despite the fact that their success rate exceeded by almost 10 points beyond Crosby. Such is life.
McManus is a very good kicker. He couldn't carry Crosby's shoulder pads as a person. That is undeniable.
i disagree with the super bowl read as well. It may be high spectacle, but it's for the most important trophy in sports. That game matters.
Since'61
February 05, 2025 at 08:22 am
Good article AL . I remember your original article about Crosby's mom on your trip to that Lions game. As for Crosby I always liked him and felt that he was a solid, reliable kicker for the Packers. He was clutch in the playoffs.
As for the Super Bowl hype and off season speculation I don't pay much attention to any of it until something actually happens. I haven't even watched an entire Super Bowl since the Packers last appearance in 2010. I will probably watch at least part of the Eagles/Chiefs game because I'm hoping for the Eagles to keep the Chiefs from a 3 peat and preserve the Packers record.
I hope that Walker does continue to improve. He has the tools he just needs to get his head on straight. Time will tell. GPG! Thanks, Since '61
Starrbrite
February 05, 2025 at 02:10 pm
Right on ‘61
TXCHEESE
February 05, 2025 at 08:30 am
Agree with the comment above regarding Mason and his FG percentage, and taking into account of attempting half (approximately) his kicks in GB and Chicago.
As far as the Super Bowl goes, I'm rooting for KC. Only good things to come out of Philly are Dr. J, Mike Schmitt, and cheese steak sandwiches. Love Andy Reid and how he has developed an offense that can shape shift to take whatever the opponent is giving. Anyone who watched Mahomes play in college appreciates the road he's taken to where he is. Dude was basically a one man gang many times at Texas Tech. Here's hoping KC tush pushes for the winning TD with about 10 seconds on the clock.
I really like Walker. Al is right in that he was thinking way too much early on last year. GB may end up having the best linebacker duo in the league if he figures it out and Cooper continues to ascend.
Razer
February 05, 2025 at 08:33 am
I’ll never forget the Packer victory over the Cowboys. Great sideline catch to whats his name from our super smart QB, who I can’t quite remember that set up a field goal attempt. Crosby sent a low leaker through the uprights for the win. It was all worth it. If there is a Packer way it does involve patience with player development. Aside from a select few, we wait on a guy to bloom into a true NFL calibre player. Quay Walker is just one in a long line of guys who are coming off their rookie contract who we still don’t know if they are worth resigning.
I wish it would have been Buffalo vs Washington this weekend. A change of faces would have been nice. I hope Philly runs through the Chiefs and Terry Swift or whatever gets to see what old time football looks like.
RCPackerFan
February 05, 2025 at 09:18 am
"McKinney surprisingly chose Quay Walker."
I thought Walker was playing his best ball of his career until he got hurt. I think he fits really well in this defense. We barely got to see him and Cooper together this year. I am excited to see those guys next to each other more. I think they could form one hell of a duo.
LambeauPlain
February 06, 2025 at 08:47 am
My thoughts as well!
Walker's ankle injury was severe and stopped him just as the lights came on. And I think he played through the injury and was not 100% when he returned.
I expect him to have a big year with Cooper.
Starrbrite
February 05, 2025 at 10:17 am
I’m not watching the SB for the first time since the Packers beat the Raiders in SB II.
I’m not a Chiefs hater (I like Reid and Mahomes), but I dont want them to 3-peat. I dislike the Egeles cartel fan base and their smart@$$ coach Siriani; And, I hate the tush-push.
But I’m not watching mostly because of the deplorable officiating; it’s nauseating. I believe the perception that the officiating is bias, is a legitimate issue. When fans are questioning and/or don’t trust the outcomes, that is serious problem.
I agree with Jersey Al (from a previous post) that full-time officials would alleviate some issues, especially the inconsistencies of between crews. Al mentioned officials training , which begs the question, how much training do they really receive? Every profession requires continual training. In my former law enforcement career, training was a vital component. And as we always stressed, under pressure, you revert to your training.
Have a good SB y’all—the NFL won’t miss me, but it’s my own form of protest.
The draft won’t arrive soon enough.
Go Packers!!!
davekenya
February 07, 2025 at 03:23 pm
Re: read the new 'The Ringer' research article on officiating. BUT...pay attention ONLY to the stats in the playoffs (when it matters) and appreciate that KC plays fewer playoff games (~3/year) versus 16 regular season games...so the bias really stands out there.
A big takeaway is the amazingly high defensive holding calls KC's offense benefits compared to the next nearest team (89 KC benefits from; next closest team was in the 50's) for the last 6 year (Maholme) period...
Starrbrite
February 10, 2025 at 02:57 pm
Thanks Dave—that’s an excellent review.
Bitternotsour
February 05, 2025 at 10:25 am
i'm so confused, there are so many on the site who tell me Walker is a wasted draft pick, another Gutekunst fail who will surely not get his option picked up. And yet, our all-pro safety Xavier McKinney says he's about to be best linebacker in football. What does this say about the ability and judgment of the keyboard GM's, the PFF accolytes. Is Xavier saying PFF is completely full of shit? Someone fetch Andy some smelling salts.
MitchAnthony
February 05, 2025 at 11:11 pm
Not so much a wasted pick. He's got some great attributes in speed and athleticism. But he has really only had three really good games in three seasons from a first round pick. That's not worth a fifth year option at what that would cost. Now could they do an extension restructure that would be incentive laden? Yeah, I'd be down for that at the right price but I've seen $13, $13.8, or even higher for a fifth year option. That's a really big ask.
I would add that those three games also had Cooper on the field helping in the task. Cooper looks so very much better in a rookie season than Walker has looked up to this point. His learning curve has been much better and it doesn't have episodes of low impulse control smattered in.
So yeah, now we can hear how he was the leading tackler. Fine. Look at all the NFL stats on leading tacklers and you'll find that there are a couple few safeties in there and the rest are all - linebackers. He's playing the position in which he should be the leading tackler on the team. Plus, he was tasked with wearing the green dot so he was in on almost all the defensive snaps. He damn well should be the leading tackler on the team just because of position and opportunity. I wouldn't let that cloud the judgement on extending him to an expensive fifth year based on three good games over the course of three seasons. Prove it year please. I want this guy to succeed but I'm not there quite yet.
I give little to no value to the McKinney comments. Players talk up their buds all the time. It could be sincere praise. It could be pumping up confidence and looking out for a friend, teammate, a mentor move, whatever. I remember Aaron Rodgers talking up Jake Kumerow and Jared Abbrederis as well. You wanna take that to the bank?
LambeauPlain
February 06, 2025 at 09:00 am
X is evaluating Walker based on playing with him 2024. In '22 and '23, Walkers talent was mostly wasted by Barry, having him play soft zone and too often having to cover WRs flying through his middle zone.
Halfley and Campanile unlocked his talent and finally corrected the bad habits acquired playing Barry Ball.
I give far more value to McKinney's comments than you do...because he knows football better than either of us. It was not fake praise...it was recognition of what he sees and knows...good football being played IN FRONT of him.
Walker's ceiling remains high.
MitchAnthony
February 07, 2025 at 01:05 pm
Ya okay. Joe Barry's system got him ejected from two games, not his impulsivity. Got it. That was just a trait that showed he was not quite as ready as some believed. He needed refinement and was maybe over-drafted as a first rounder.
I'm not arguing that he's not really fast and athletic. Because he really is. I'm not saying that I don't want him to succeed, cause I do. I'm not saying I don't want to see him as a Packer, because we are finally seeing some upside in those three games out of his first three years. I'm just saying that a fifth year extension is much too high of a price to pay for what has been seen thus far. If GB can work out a much better plan with a restructure and some incentives that the player earns it is a much better option in this case.
I will agree with the point that he is much better attacking near the line versus playing in space. That was something that got "unlocked" but that was also more of what we seen when Cooper was on the field with him. Cooper on the field with Walker makes Walker look better. There were plays where Cooper literally shoved Walker into the correct gap. If you watched Mike Wahle's film breakdowns week to week there were a lot of Walker moments that were pointed out. But yes, toward the end of this season it did start to get better.
TheBigCat
February 05, 2025 at 10:47 am
Al:
I am very glad the Packer's GM treads lightly into free agency. W free agency, you run the risk that, while all indications are you will be signing a Reggie White or Charles Woodson, you could very well end up w/ Alvin Haynesworth.
ricky
February 05, 2025 at 10:56 am
Your airplane story with Crosby's mom brought back a memory.
Our small town used to have a semi-pro baseball team, and my wife and I went regularly. It was cheap, fun, and we support a local business.
We were sitting in the stands during a close game, when they brought in a pitcher to relieve the starter, and I commented, "There goes the game this guy (naming him) stinks. A woman in front of us turned around and introduced herself as the pitcher's mother. Sitting next to her was his grandmother. Unfortunately, the ground did not open up and swallow me whole, and I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the game.
True story. And the pitcher went on to become a respected manager at several Texas colleges. He just couldn't pitch very well.
JerseyAl
February 05, 2025 at 11:59 am
classic!
splitpea1
February 05, 2025 at 11:08 am
The Super Bowl matchup is fine with me, as the Chiefs and the Eagles demonstrated they were the two best teams in the league. I like the Eagles, and wouldn't the Packers love to have the players that they have on both sides of the trenches?...I don't see how you ban the tush push and don't really care about Murphy's opinion on the matter. He says there is no skill involved, but if that is the case, how come every other team doesn't do it or do it as effectively?
Myles Garrett--unlikely the Browns deal him, but even so it would require two first-round picks and more. Are we really interested in rebuilding the Cleveland franchise or would it be wiser to keep adding talent to our own? I say the latter. Garrett would make a huge difference for us (or anyone), but the Packers are likely more than one player away from being a top Super Bowl contender.
TXCHEESE
February 05, 2025 at 12:26 pm
Hate the Tush Push, but it probably won't be banned until there is a serious injury to a QB. I will say with the Philly push, they run it well and Hurts is a bull. Go out to you tube and watch that dude kill the sqaut.
T7Steve
February 05, 2025 at 12:52 pm
It used to be illegal to aid a ball carrier.
Tundraboy
February 05, 2025 at 11:53 am
Good stuff as usual and a refreshing change from SB week drivel which I avoid entirely unless there is a Packer involved.
Draft can't come soon enough!
Alberta_Packer
February 05, 2025 at 12:17 pm
The lead-up to the Super Bowl is merely an orgy of hype (an underpinning of the NFL). That being so, I'll be better entertained researchin' and scoutin' potential draft picks for the Packers during this time.
Starrbrite
February 05, 2025 at 06:25 pm
I’m always interested in your take, et al, concerning draft analysis. I don’t follow college football close enough to make informed ideas about most players.
stockholder
February 05, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Winning at all costs!
The Tush push will never damage football.
Money will.
Giving up the # 1 pick.-
Personally I think it might be worth it.
Alexander and the #1 for Garrett?
It might just keep Murphy under wraps.
Congratulations to Crosby.
"Talk about a memory Lane trip"
Going in one ear and out the other.
Gute did, when he didn’t bring him back.
I did agree with X Mckinney on Walker.
And if you sat down with AC.
IMO- he would have said the same thing.
Regardless-
X- still thinks they're 3 players away.
I still think Gute is rebuilding.
packer132
February 05, 2025 at 02:17 pm
You should know that Gute has a 3- year and 5-year plan. Crosby had many good years as a solid kicker, but Gute was smart not to bring him back. He kicked in 3 games in 23 with the Giants though no other teams signed him. He had lost leg strength and Packers made the right move again.
Dragon5
February 05, 2025 at 12:51 pm
I will be rooting for all the Packer picks that weren't😞
Creed Humphrey
George Karlaftis
Rashee Rice (bench guest)
Quinyon Mitchell
Cooper DeJean
stockholder
February 05, 2025 at 01:16 pm
Missed Leo Chenal ILB.
Dragon5
February 05, 2025 at 01:19 pm
Nick Bolton too...but I don't know if Gute had any interest in him.
Alberta_Packer
February 05, 2025 at 01:44 pm
May the ghost of Creed Humphrey forever haunt the Packers draft room. In hindsight - certainly Cooper DeJean over Jordan Morgan. However, I'll wait another year for the final grade on Morgan. As for Quinyon Mitchell - so close yet so far.
jannesbjornson
February 05, 2025 at 08:43 pm
When he fell past Indianapolis, the trade UP for Q. Mitchell should have been in the works. So it goes.
Starrbrite
February 05, 2025 at 06:27 pm
Good post Dragon
Bitternotsour
February 07, 2025 at 04:08 pm
Basically, you're rooting for everyone not previously on our roster. An interesting pov.
egbertsouse
February 05, 2025 at 03:21 pm
I was kind of hoping for some new teams in the SB, maybe the Bills versus the Lions or Commanders.
Watching this Super Bowl will be like watching Casablanca, it will be good but you already know Bogie and Bergman will not get back together in the end.
Matt
February 05, 2025 at 05:32 pm
What do I know comparing to Al? My opinion means nothing but I only want people to remember. Crosby:
- #1 all-time Packers' scorer,
- #11 all-time NFL scorer,
- SB champion,
- 2020 season - 16 for 16 FGs,
- all this when kicking outside on Frozen Tundra in wind, rain and snow.
You can multiply and divide arguments, you can be not amazed by him, but all these accomplishments don't go together in a medicore career. You can blossom in one season and disappear, but you don't become 11th scorer in league history by accident. If medicore guy scored the most points in Green Bay the next competent kicker should beat him easily. I'll wait. I understand opinions, but I don't like arguing with facts.
JerseyAl
February 05, 2025 at 06:07 pm
Cumulative stats over a very long career are great, but for me it comes down to overall field goal percentage made and clutch kicks, especially in the playoffs. The former was just average, the latter was very, very good. And your opinion is just as valid as mine or anyone else's.
LambeauPlain
February 06, 2025 at 09:17 am
I agree with Matt here...and I also have great admiration for Mason the Leader on the field, in the locker room and off the field as the generous humanitarian. And a great family man.
To be the leading scorer for the storied Packer franchise who has had so many prolific scorers is amazing.
One of the best "Packers" during my years watching Packer Football
Matt
February 06, 2025 at 02:50 pm
The point is we often devaluate cumulative stats and value bright periods more. What about “Availability is the best ability” - isn't it a value of a player that he played so many games straight? In my opinion it is. On the other end of the stick you have e.g. Jaire Alexander. More talented than Mason for sure, but is he a more valuable asset? I don't know.
The next aspect of the subject is - in the NFL they don't let you play because they like you. 16 (or maybe 17) offseasons he beat the competition in one of the most successful franchises in the league.
To sum it up, if there has always been conversations: is Mason better than this or that great kicker, this is the best proof he was not medicore. If he was from the lower league nobody asks the question.
Cheers!
Bitternotsour
February 05, 2025 at 06:39 pm
that career was obviously aided by the packers not quitting on him in those first four years of benign mediocrity. Brandon McManus kicked outside at Lambeau and had a damn near perfect season, for comparison's sake.
that said, Crosby did stick around, and he did get a lot of opportunity to get that ranking. Imagine where he'd be if he'd connected on 85%+ of his opportunities...
This does not discount his all-around nice guy-ness and stellar representation of the city, and the team, nor the fact that he just seemed an excellent type.
TKWorldWide
February 06, 2025 at 07:10 am
Your opinion is certainly more valid than mine!
T7Steve
February 06, 2025 at 07:40 am
Isn't everyone's'? HA!
Had to squeeze that into the opening you left out there.
One thing with Al's research into outside kickers is that outside elsewhere is NOT the same as the wind and weather at Lambo or Chicago. Also, there were some bad seasons with snap/holder issues that are hard to account for.
Ferrari-Driver
February 06, 2025 at 06:56 pm
Matt. Nicely stated. Also in all the years that Mason wore the Green and Gold he represented the Packers, the community, and fans as a gentleman both on and off the field.