GREEN BAY, Wis. — With something less than pride, Packers punter Tim Masthay said he was 1-for-2 trying to tackle Devin Hester of the Bears.
In the second quarter of his third NFL game Sept. 27 at Soldier Field, Masthay booted a line drive that Hester took back 28 yards before the punter brought him down. Masthay was not as fortunate after booming a 57-yard punt with good hang time from his own end zone in the fourth quarter. Hester escaped the coverage and ran 62 yards for a touchdown, finishing it off by hurdling Masthay just before the goal line. It was a game-changing score in Chicago’s 20-17 victory.
“He kind of hopped over me,” Masthay said. “I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that.”
So what will be on Masthay’s mind during the NFC championship game Sunday? Dropping the ball flat on his foot, which is vital to successful directional punting and no cinch in the winds at Soldier Field.
The forecast for Sunday calls for light winds with a high of 21 degrees, according to . But Masthay is preparing for worse conditions.
“Obviously, this is an entirely different weather deal than it was back in September,” Masthay said. “Learning how important ball placement can be, especially against a guy like Hester, I’m kind of mentally gearing up to that.”
The Packers kept Hester quiet in their 10-3 victory at Lambeau Field on Jan. 3, partly because of good coverage and because Masthay placed four punts inside the 20-yard line.
Scott setting tone for Jets
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Jets linebacker Bart Scott’s unedited on-field interview with ESPN after Sunday’s 28-21 win over the Patriots has taken on its own life, getting more than 350,000 views.
Scott, however, insists he hasn’t viewed the footage, which easily could be transformed into a beer commercial, for one simple reason.
“I’m not really savvy on the technical tip,” Scott said. “My wife has teased me a lot. She’ll use that in case I ever get mad at her or something. She said she’ll get me locked up. She’ll use that video as a reference.”
Denver Post wire services
