Accountability

Mike McCarthy has talked a lot about ‘availability and accountability’ and the need for his players to be those very things - available (ie not hurt all the time) and accountable (ie if you screw up you will not play/be part of the team)

So it is more than a little surprising that Jarrett Bush, a man who the entire world of football fandom would tell you gave the Packers just about the worst performance in a defensive backfield since the glory days of Ahmad Carroll this past Saturday, was not only still in the dime package in practice this week, but was the nickel back when Al Harris sat out to rest his ailing back.

So what McCarthy is telling us is that if you get burned repeatedly by second and third string wide receivers, and not just in one preseason game, but repeatedly over the course of your two years in the NFL, you will still keep your job from scrimmage because of your value on special teams? I mean, that’s it. That’s the only way that makes sense. And even that doesn’t really make sense. Not unless you’re a crazy person. And let’s face it - McCarthy was party to getting rid of a legendary quarterback - so perhaps that is the case…

Because Jarrett Bush is awful. Just plain awful. Corey tried to back up McCarthy last year when McCarthy explained that every NFL team goes after the third corner, and that went doubly so for the Packers because of the strength of their starters. And to some extent, that’s true. But teams are specifically finding Bush, not a position. Sanders moves Woodson inside to the slot on third down, leaving Bush on the outside, exposed to the onslaught that is sure to come once the quarterback finds the welcoming numbers 2 and 4 on his jersey.

It took Carroll one truly horrible game for Thompson to cut him, a game the Packers were still in at half-time and that was blown open in the second half by the Eagles when Carroll couldn’t cover any receiver to save his life. A good part of that loss was directly attributed to Carroll. The Packers can not afford a repeat with Bush this year in a season where wins will be much harder to come by than a year ago.

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