2007-10-08

Tackling Turnovers

While I couldn't have said I really expected the Badgers to lose on Saturday, it wouldn't have surprised me. After watching them play earlier in the season, I thought they were over-rated in the polls, only climbing up the rankings because the teams ahead of them were slipping. Saturday's loss to Illinois was likely inevitable given the way they've been playing. Their defense has been anemic this season, and it was only their offense that kept them in all the games they ultimately won this season. It was once again a suspect defense that led to their defeat, with poor tackling being one of the biggest problems. I'm hoping that they spend some time on it in practice.

Wisconsin sports fans were expecting some redemption Sunday night, though, when the Packers hosted the Bears. The Packers started out well -- really well -- but it's hard to win games when you lose the turnover battle. Green Bay turned over the ball five times by the end of the game, but most costly were the early turnovers the stalled and ended a pair of decent scoring drives early in the game. Still, they had some fire in the first half of the game, but I don't know if they just lost it in the second half, or the Bears got fire enough of their own to come from behind and win it. In the process Favre tied the all-time interception record, a record thankfully preceeded by his breaking the all-time touchdown pass record. There was no gutsy play-calling by McCarthy this time, and I'm hoping that after examining himself he works on protecting the ball.

Mood: Disappointed
Music: Mott the Hoople: "All the Young Dudes"

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