Clay Matthews: “You look at the key to Super Bowl championship teams, it’s an MVP-caliber quarterback and an elite defense. We had both and won a championship. Last year, we had half of that. We picked the most inopportune time to play our worst ball. The fact is, [the Giants] didn’t beat us; we beat ourselves.“

Justin Tuck: “Thank you for giving us the game, Clay. I appreciate it a lot. Obviously you’d believe that success would breed reality, right? I guess people love living in Fantasy Land and want to make excuses for the situation. When they fumbled the ball, I think it was us that stripped it out. When we sacked them, I think it was us who beat their O-linemen and got to Rodgers. So, I don’t think they just ole’d everything and gave us the game. I think they were trying to win. Did they play their best ball? I don’t know. But we won the football game. Talk is cheap. Play the game. We’ll see Green Bay again this year so we will see who lays down that week.”

What are we even talking about here, Clay? You didn’t lose in the Super Bowl. Wasn’t the NFC Championship game, either. You were the #1 seed who almost got doubled-up at home in your first playoff game after a bye. Even if you’re right, there were 2 more games left to play. You’d need a lot more fantasy land assumptions panning out to justify whining about getting your ass whipped almost 7 months ago. Are you forgetting that, when the Pack & G-Men squared off in December, both teams went toe-to-toe before GB squeaked out a last-second win? NY hung 35 on you then & did the same thing in the Divisional Playoffs. Should’ve seen it coming.

Eli Manning & his 114.5 QBR beat you, Clay. Hakeem Nicks shit all over your yellow domes. Osi led the defensive charge that resulted in 3 sacks & 3 turnovers in the second half. The Packers got beat any way you slice it, and it wasn’t even close. Was Green Bay a better team throughout 2011? Obviously. Ask the LA Kings if the regular season means a god damn thing though as long as you get a ticket to the dance. Give credit where credit is due. Matthews & Co. ran into a Big Blue buzzsaw who already had what equated to 3 playoff wins under their belts before getting to Lambeau & blowing them out. Continued their march with two more much harder-fought victories to become the champs. No flukes. Nothing was given. And regardless of the hype that’ll surround their November matchup, winning or losing won’t change a thing.

@610Barstool