| On Oct. 3, Brett Favre tied Dan Marino’s NFL record for
nine consecutive seasons with 3,000 yards passing. This accomplishment is amazing not just
from a statistical standpoint but also because each quarterback was able to remain
injury-free throughout his career. With two rookie tackles starting on the Packers’
offensive line these days, it is even more remarkable that Favre continues to answer the
bell every single week.
With the 44th overall selection in the draft last April, Green Bay selected Chad
Clifton from Tennessee. The size of Clifton — 6-foot-5, 325 pounds — was very
attractive to the Packers’ front office, and Clifton has started eight games at left
tackle this season going into Week 16.
However, nobody expected Mark Tauscher to be starting. Tauscher was selected by the
Packers with the 224th overall pick in the draft. Yet the unheralded Tauscher has started
12 of the Packers’ first 14 games this season.
"At first the pressure I felt protecting Brett was a big issue for me,"
Tauscher said. "Once I stopped thinking about who was back there and concentrated on
my responsibilities, I became more successful."
Clifton said, "I felt the pressure for four years at Tennessee, so it didn’t
bother me too much when I got here. Protecting for (Peyton) Manning and (Tee) Martin,
there wasn’t much room for error."
After learning the ropes of the NFL for the first half of the season, the rookies faced
the Dolphins’ highly touted defense in Week Nine. Miami rushed Trace Armstrong at
Tauscher and Jason Taylor at Clifton. Needless to say, the two youngsters had their hands
full against two of the most productive sack artists in the league this season. However,
they came out of the battle relatively unscarred as each allowed just one sack.
"The Dolphins game was a huge test for me. I had to go up against the best pass
rusher in the league this year but I felt as though I made a statement and showed people I
can play at this level," Tauscher said.
Packers C Frank Winters said, "Tausch and Clifton are playing well. They have made
some huge strides for young guys. They have done a really good job and deserve a lot of
compliments."
The success of offensive linemen in the NFL can only be graded in a couple of ways. The
degree of success the quarterback and running back are having are key in determining how
well the linemen have played.
In terms of the quarterback's degree of success, Favre remains the team’s MVP. He
is having another outstanding season in 2000. Through 14 games he has thrown for 3,326
yards and has completed 58.4 percent of his passes while throwing for 17 TDs. Plus, the
Packers rank among the top third in the NFL in terms of QB sacks allowed.
As for the running back's degree of success, Ahman Green has put together a
surprisingly terrific season as well after replacing the injured Dorsey Levens. Green has
carried the ball 211 times for 940 yards, a very impressive average of 4.5 yards per
carry. Green has run for eight touchdowns and has two TD catches.
"They are doing a great job," Green said. "They are not playing like
rookie tackles; they are playing like seasoned veterans. They have been handling their men
well. It has been easy for me to run behind them once I talked to them to find out where
they will be on certain plays. We needed to know where each other was going to be so I
don’t misread a hole and make them look bad."
Look bad? Despite their inexperience, Tauscher and Clifton have been doing a terrific
job of making a lot of people in Green Bay (Favre, Green, and the scouting department, in
particular) look very good. |
