Green and Bold: Getting Stale

I've been on the record for a long time as saying that despite the Packers' recent struggles under head coach Mike McCarthy, it would be reactionary and foolish to sever ties with him at this point in his tenure. After all, we're talking about a coach that has led his team to the playoffs eight times in 10 seasons, including a Super Bowl win and two additional trips to the conference championship game. This is the same coach who arrived in Green Bay a season after Aaron Rodgers was drafted and dramatically adjusted his mechanics in his offseason quarterback school. A passer who used to hold the ball up by his ear and struggled to throw deep at Cal has now thrown some of the prettiest deep balls the league has seen, largely thanks to McCarthy's tutelage.  So maybe Mike McCarthy should be the team's quarterbacks coach. 

I've been on the record for a long time as saying that despite the Packers' recent struggles under head coach Mike McCarthy, it would be reactionary and foolish to sever ties with him at this point in his tenure.

After all, we're talking about a coach that has led his team to the playoffs eight times in 10 seasons, including a Super Bowl win and two additional trips to the conference championship game.

This is the same coach who arrived in Green Bay a season after Aaron Rodgers was drafted and dramatically adjusted his mechanics in his offseason quarterback school. A passer who used to hold the ball up by his ear and struggled to throw deep at Cal has now thrown some of the prettiest deep balls the league has seen, largely thanks to McCarthy's tutelage. 

So maybe Mike McCarthy should be the team's quarterbacks coach. 

...

That's obviously a joke, but, like any joke worth its salt, it stems from truth. And the truth is that for two seasons now, McCarthy has struggled to oversee all three phases of the Packers' game. In fact, there is a growing correlation between his public declaration that he was going to do more to prepare and oversee special teams and the defense and the subsequent decline of the offense. 

Then, of course, there is the growing discord between Rodgers and his coach. In a team that is so clearly lacking a single motivating force or cohesive leadership, this growing rift now seems toxic. The two appear to be targeting each other with their remarks in press conferences, a back-and-forth that has dragged the Packers' interior problems out into the court of public opinion. 

There's also the issue of staleness. Michael Rodney made a great point on Twitter on Monday about the potential relationship between coaches' tenure and the performance of their teams:

Of course, the immediate response to that theory is, "What about Bill Belichick?" The league's longest-tenured coach is also without a doubt its most successful. But then, one exception does not disprove a rule. 

But here's where my biggest problem with the idea of the Packers firing McCarthy, or any team firing its head coach: From where do you get the next one? It's similar to the futility of dreaming up wild trade scenarios; you have to find a team willing to trade with you first. 

Similarly, what is the point of kicking your head coach to the door unless you can find one who, at a minimum, can also get your team to the postseason 80 percent of the time, but perhaps can take that a step further and bring another Lombardi Trophy home to Lambeau?

It's no secret that Super Bowl-winning head coaches do not grow on trees. It's incredibly difficult to win a Super Bowl, and it's incredibly difficult to find a coach who can get a team there. 

Who, feasibly, could replace McCarthy? Obviously, the best candidate would have been former tight ends and quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo, currently in his first year as head coach of the New York Giants. (Whom, I might add, are 6-3.)

But that's not likely, so we turn to current offensive coordinators. New England's Josh McDaniels? He's proven to be a much better offensive coordinator than head coach, but certainly the itch to be at the helm of his own team is always present. 

Perhaps the Colts' Joe Philbin, former Packers offensive coordinator, would be interested in returning to his old team in a new capacity. The offense dropped off noticeably after Philbin's departure in 2012. 

The Packers can't send McCarthy packing without a well-thought-out contingency plan. Their investment in Aaron Rodgers is too high, and his remaining career too short, to waste time with someone who would ultimately be worse. 

But if the team can identify a successor who has a background in the West Coast offense, who can work with Rodgers, and who has a track record of success...it truly may be McCarthy's last season in Green Bay. 

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Comments (40)

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SpudRapids's picture

November 16, 2016 at 09:49 am

Why do we just choose to forget that the rest of the league has poached so much talent away from the organization? John Dorsey, Reggie McKenzie, Joe Philbin, Ben McAdoo, John Schneider... These are all Green Bay developed talent.

Why would we get rid of TT and company if that's the type of talent they are able to find and develop. Who says the next up and comers won't rise to the talent level of these personnel.

You can call for TT and MM to be fired but you have to acknowledge they have weathered more attrition of talent than most organizations.

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MarkinMadison's picture

November 16, 2016 at 10:04 am

I understand the sentiment, but teams go through life-cycles. TT is too close to retirement and GB's succession plan is too obvious for him to attract and develop new talent to the front office. He is going to retire within 3 years regardless.

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Big_Mel_75's picture

November 17, 2016 at 09:45 am

Wolf is a good option. Teams have asked to interview him for jobs so that is why he has been promoted lately. I think he is the next GM.... I think MM goes after this year...

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MarkinMadison's picture

November 16, 2016 at 10:25 am

Hey, the boy named Christine has been waived by the Seahawks. I know somebody here says he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Maybe the Packers should claim him off waivers for the league minimum. Couldn't hurt. Not like the Packers are drowning in RB talent right now.

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NickPerry's picture

November 16, 2016 at 10:49 am

I agree, Thompson should have him on the next plane smoking to Green Bay if they can claim him. Most importantly it wouldn't cost Thompson a pick so he could actually keep the guy MORE than 10 days to 2 weeks to see if he works out. I'd say he's probably better than Starks AND he's in football shape.

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RCPackerFan's picture

November 16, 2016 at 11:36 am

Well he is better then Lacy you know....

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MarkinMadison's picture

November 16, 2016 at 11:39 am

LOL. Yeah. I had that one coming. :-)

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RCPackerFan's picture

November 16, 2016 at 11:53 am

I'm just waiting for him to come back and let us know about it...

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Handsback's picture

November 16, 2016 at 10:37 am

In the pro league there are multiple levels of coaches. Green Bay and maybe the other teams Michael Rodney mentioned have become stale. Pre-season, Pittsburgh and Green Bay were the most popular choices to play in the SB. I respect Michael's opinion and believe there's something to what he's saying. I think instead of changing the HC...look at changing the team's identity. Seriously, both from a stale offense and defense performance. You can't keep going to the well when other teams know what your path is going to be.
So yeah a shake-up is needed. Just from a coordinator on down standpoint.

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Slim11's picture

November 17, 2016 at 04:45 pm

I discussed this on another site.

There is history during the TT/MM era where a coordinator, and his staff, were all fired and Capers was brought in as the DC. I suspect the same could happen this season should the Packers fail to make the playoffs.

There are several things about MM I don't like...inadequate adjustments during a game, time management and his willingness to move players out of position. His loyalty to his assistant coaches borders on insanity at times.

I won't shed any tears if Tom Clements, James Campen, Luke Getsy and the rest of the offensive staff gets pink slips early next year. Edgar Bennett might...MIGHT...survive. If he does, that's out of loyalty (bordering on insanity?) due to his time in GB as a player and as an assistant coach.

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Razer's picture

November 16, 2016 at 10:41 am

I am torn on McCarthy. While I think he can coach a healthy team, I don't think he adjusts very well to a shifting landscape. This team has been a 500 club for almost two years. We haven't used our personnel very effectively on offense, we haven't answered the league on how they play our offense. His inability to modify the approach on offense has been his biggest failing. I am giving him room because of injuries. That is his only excuse.

The other part of McCarthy that troubles me is the organization of this coaching staff. He made the right call in stepping away from the play calling duties. Unfortunately, he has Clements, Bennett and Van Pelt leading this offense. We need a real OC and a clean slate. There is no reason that this offense couldn't be top 5 in the league - with the right direction. When McCarthy says that he has 11 personnel packages on offense and Montgomery sees the field less than ten times then you know the cracks are too big for talent to cover.

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al bundy's picture

November 16, 2016 at 11:01 am

The dallas coach sucked, got better got bdtter got better. His teamsucked,got better... Are you seding the trend. The drafted well,. Uilt the team over the years with free agents and draft picks.
Ted has taken a decent team and made it worse over yhe years. Get rid of him and draft and develop. Mike is worse because the personnel is worse.

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Doug_In_Sandpoint's picture

November 16, 2016 at 11:40 am

Garret has probably grown as a coach, but you cannot ignore that draft position over the past 5 years has been in the Cowboys favor. They've averaged drafting about 13 spots better for the past 5 years. That's not just first round, but 13 spots better across all rounds across 5 years...adds up to potentially better talent if the GM is decent (arguable). Talent makes a coach look better.

While they were "building the team over the years" we were enjoying making the playoffs and winning a Super Bowl. Overall, the rules are made to put the best teams into decline while raising up the bad teams. Raising and falling fortunes are the norm. Staying consistently good is tough in this system and is indicative of good drafting and developing of talent (ie. good front office and coaching). It is also hard to be perennially bad. It takes below average management.

The Cowboys reflect the norm...the way the the league wants it. GB, Pitt, NE, have bucked this trend. Seattle is starting to do so as well as they should be in their decline by now.

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RCPackerFan's picture

November 16, 2016 at 11:35 am

This very well could be McCarthy's last season. The rest of this year will go a long ways in determining that.

IMO, the biggest failure for McCarthy is the reluctance to change and adjust. The failure to recognize players strengths and weaknesses also has hindered the offense.
This problem really started last year when they lost Nelson and teams learned how to play them, he never adjusted. Never tried to do other things. He stuck with what he has always done. The problem with that was he didn't have the players to do what he always has done. He needed to adjust. The WR position was very injured and yet they couldn't find a way to get Janis or Abbrederis on the field.

This year, they have been struck by injuries again. And I thought McCarthy was doing a good job adjusting for the most part. Unfortunately the last 2 weeks he has reverted back to his normal offense and it suffered. His failure to recognize that Richard Rodgers has severe limitations has really hurt the offense. He can not do the things that he is asking him to.

They have 7 WR's on the roster and against the Titans out of 78 offensive snaps they used Davis for 5 snaps, Janis for 10, and Allison for 18. Montgomery got 22 snaps and Ripkowski got 0 snaps on offense. Whereas they used Richard Rodgers for 65, and Perillo for 14.

I'm sorry but how does Perillo get 14 snaps and Ripkowski gets 0? I just don't get the decision making in this.

IMO the misuse of players and the failure to use the players strengths has really hurt this offense.
If you get your players in the right position to win their matchups, the odds go up that your offense will be productive. If you continue to put players in positions that they are weak in, the offense will continue to fail.

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croatpackfan's picture

November 16, 2016 at 03:00 pm

RC, you said: "The failure to recognize players strengths and weaknesses also has hindered the offense."
I would like to know what are those players strengths & weaknesses for every player on the offense, and how you think it should be adapted to that.
I asked that because we really do not know what Mike McCarthy sees during practices and during film analyzing with different position groups, how players react top game plan and their possibility to execute the same. We all lack that information.
I do not try to be MM's "attorney". Just saying that we are discussing about "facts" we do not know. We all try to understand what is going wrong, but, as I already stated I do not think that Packers problem lies in lack of talent, or strength, or experience or any similar issue. I believe it is mental in full capacity...
When you are inside, it is hard to see it. You work with people who you trust and do not question their mentality. Someone who would point that out from aside can help, but do Mike McCarthy has that kind of person? Probably not.

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RCPackerFan's picture

November 16, 2016 at 03:34 pm

I'm not going through the entire offense. I will go through a few of the players.

Richard Rodgers. My most hated player on offense right now. First off he is not good enough to play the amount of snaps he is in on. He doesn't block well, does not gain separation, and lately doesn't catch well. He is covered when no one is on him. His best role. Honestly is on the bench. Bring him in the redzone perhaps. He is a big guy, who could be effective down in the endzone where he could block out people for the ball.

Ty Montgomery. Dynamic type of player. Best used as a Receiver out of the backfield. Running routes out of the backfield, not just swing passes and dump offs. Also good on draw plays. They should not ask him to stand by Rodgers and blocking (which I saw them do against the Titans). Chip block and go out for a pass is one thing. To stand in there and block is another.

Trevor Davis. Speed. He is probably the most explosive WR on the roster. Find ways to use that speed. Jet Sweep, bubble screen, different stuff like that. Also take another deep shot with him. They have thrown 1 deep ball to him against Detroit, which drew a pass interference penalty.

Just a few players, I listed. But you get the idea. There are things that they can do with these players that would be better.

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Slim11's picture

November 17, 2016 at 04:58 pm

Here is a fact we do know...Mike McCarthy can be a very good coach or a very bad coach. The decision is up to him each week.

Let's go back to 2014. The Packers play the Patriots in what many believe is a preview to the Super Bowl.

McCarthy comes up with a very good game plan and beats the Patriots. Like many others, I look forward to a Super Bowl rematch but, like many others, the season ends with a huge disappointment.

Here's my question. Why doesn't McCarthy put in that effort every game? He capable. He's demonstrated that many times. His willingness to put forth such an effort is lacking more and more frequently.

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4zone's picture

November 16, 2016 at 12:43 pm

I agree with your main point Michelle about upgrading at coach, not just getting rid of what you might not like. Other intertwined aspects of the downward trend in GB are mentioned by a few commenters here as well. The loss of management and coaching talent to other teams is a big one. But one I haven't seen yet has to do with the longevity of coaches. You alluded to in Michelle but didn't connect to a conclusion.

My thoughts are that coaches have their philosophies and those drive their approaches. In the most tenured coaches, you indicated Bill Belichick as the outlier and I think if you look closely, you can see why he is. I believe it is his ability to adapt and not stay locked in to any particular philosophy, you could call that his grand philosophy. Always taking what he has and doing the best with it. Kind of like Badger basketball coaches since Dick Bennett.

I believe this is where Mike and the rest have troubles. They have developed their philosophy and get stuck in it. When injuries or talent changes, he doesn't adapt very well. BB is the master of this obviously, but its not that other HC's can't do the same, better than they are.

When a new generation of HC's come in, they have developed their own philosophies based on the opportunities they see when going against older school guys. They develop an approach specifically designed to overcome those old deficiencies and can be successful early on in the right situations. Al la Doug in Phili and Bob in NY.

Mike has had a very decent talent pool during his tenure, he has been able to lean on talent alone but now that the team is extremely young and now riddled with injuries, he can't adapt to leverage the talent he does have and the league is seeing this and taking advantage of it.

The young talent will come around in a few years but the experienced members of the team will slowly fade away and then the process will start again. Never reaching that optimal mix of talent and youth that challenges to win it all year after year. A fundamental change in approach is needed. Adaptation to meet the challenges in the league of today, not resting on what worked 6 years ago. Adapt or die Pack. It doesn't necessitate a change in staff necessarily, as long as they can rise to the challenge. My expectation though that such a change happens with the current regime, is low at best.

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Razer's picture

November 16, 2016 at 02:37 pm

Well said. Ted's approach, while business smart, is handicapping the overall usable talent on this team. MM's philosophy and approach worked for a developing Aaron Rodgers. Teams have documented and game-planned our tendencies and adjusted accordingly. McCarthy is still trotting out the schemes from 2 and 3 years ago hoping to achieve an ideal run/pass ratio. 'Stale' is being kind to this organization. Neither MM or TT have adapted enough to stay near the top of the league.

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Tundraboy's picture

November 17, 2016 at 06:47 am

Equally well said. For all the talk in recent years abut unscouted looks,not leaving anything on game film for other teams to plan for I find it sadly comical, because for the most part we have had only ONE look.

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Pack204's picture

November 16, 2016 at 12:52 pm

Very good article. When you look back around the years they won the superbowl they had some very good players that fit well into the system. Jennings, young jordy, DD, Jermichael. On defense they had C Wood, Collins, Matthews (before he always got hurt),Raji, Green, Tramon. They had the right leadership group of veterans and young players and the locker room was probably tight as ever. I am sure everyone listened when Woodson and DD spoke in that room and rallied around them and everyone fought for each other.

All that being said in professional sports coaches are hired to be fired at some point. Essentially that's just the way it goes the message becomes old and players need a new voice . It is a fact of the business in any of the major sports leagues. MM has done great work in GB and I am sure he will surface on another team very quickly if he were to be released and be successful.

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carusotrap's picture

November 16, 2016 at 01:12 pm

So, keep a coach and GM whose system and message is clearly well past its expiration date simply because we haven't hired the next guy? By that logic Mike Sherman is still the coach.

I'm not advocating firing anyone mid-season, but you also can't know anything about successors until the season is over and you actually need a successor.

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Razor's picture

November 16, 2016 at 01:16 pm

So wait - let's keep doing the same thing (MM & TT ) and expect different results - crazy!

#1 Folks we have to look at the big picture. MM & TT have had 11 years to work their magic. It's not working.

#2 Promote Elliot Wolf. He is a known quantity for the organization. (Retire TT now)

#3 I have heard various names mentioned as possible replacements for MM. The most interesting to me is Darrell Bevell. He is also a known quantity to the organization.

#4 The last three years with Favre made me feel that a 6-10 season with AR would be better than another year with Favre. I'm there again with MM & TT.

#5 Has this team improved since 2010?

Enough already - it doesn't matter if they win the NFC north. Remember it's the Lions, Bears, Vikings.

This year NFC stands for No F'ing Chance!

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Razor's picture

November 16, 2016 at 01:25 pm

Do you want to know what's wrong with AR? He's very, very frustrated.

Do I wish he was playing better - yes but I can certainly understand why he might be very frustrated.

Why is he frustrated - can you say MM & TT.

Same is probably true for other key players who might be tired of busting their butts to cover for MM, TT and a bunch of average teammates.

The jigs up. MM & TT is not working and it's dragging the team down. Is that what we want?

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egbertsouse's picture

November 16, 2016 at 01:34 pm

I don't think that MM is getting fired as long as TT is at the helm. Ted is unable to admit he made a mistake and he is rigid refuses to change his approach. In this case, Ted's firm belief is that stability and consistency wins championships so he will just plow ahead with the same old guys and approach.

It's a whole new ballgame if TT gets fired but, from what I read, that's damn near impossible. Ted doesn't report to Murphy but only answers to the Board. As long as the cash keeps rolling in, the BOD is reluctant to upset the apple cart. So they also put their heads down and just plow ahead with the same old approach.

I see the only scenario where Ted fires MM is if he feels the heat and fears for his future and serves up MM as a sacrificial lamb. Since Ted ignores the press and everyone else and is out of town a lot on scouting trips, I don't see this as very likely either.

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Razor's picture

November 16, 2016 at 01:36 pm

Mike McCarthy still sucks!

Winning isn't everything - a good image and lots of cash is the best thing. (Packer's Board of Directors)

Sign Blair Walsh and give him three years to prove that he really does suck - make that four years.

Nick Perry is regressing from average to below average.

In the Titans game - ball went through DA's hands like he was signaling a touchdown - yes right through, but not a touchdown. Give him at least two more years.

TT - let's find the players that no one else knows about or cares about and turn them (I mean develop them) into A players. Won't that be impressive!

Richard Rodgers and Micah Hyde injured - couldn't get out of their own way and ran themselves over!

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RCPackerFan's picture

November 16, 2016 at 03:28 pm

Cow will be happy.

Packers claimed Christine Michael off of waivers.

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egbertsouse's picture

November 16, 2016 at 03:51 pm

A real Tightwad Ted move, it costs him 0 draft choices and he only gets paid $280,000 if he finishes the year.

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RCPackerFan's picture

November 16, 2016 at 04:02 pm

This could end up being a great move. We shall see.

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Donster's picture

November 16, 2016 at 03:55 pm

I would imagine that Joe Kerridge will be the one cut? Who keeps two fullbacks? Oh, right. A desperate team.

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RCPackerFan's picture

November 16, 2016 at 03:59 pm

That is my guess. Either him or Don Jackson.

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Tundraboy's picture

November 17, 2016 at 09:25 am

Cow is never really happy. Just less miserable, unless we win it all, I guess.

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dschwalm's picture

November 17, 2016 at 12:45 pm

Cow is one of the few realists who seems to examine the facts, rather than a 'fan' who is merely a "pollyanna" who really HOPES the team will win.

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jh9's picture

November 16, 2016 at 04:14 pm

Mike McCarthy is not going anywhere this year. As much as I feel he should be replaced, I believe it would be wrong to do it now. Let this year play out.

However, if something doesn't drastically improve by the end of this year, IMO he should be replaced next year. Why do I say that? Let me count the ways:
1) He has lost the respect and trust of Aaron Rodgers. We have all witnessed this happen over the last couple of years. I don't believe it's coincidental that this loss of respect and trust has paralleled the decline in AR's play. If AR doesn't play well, this team doesn't play well.
2) MM's play book has gone stale. He has become too predictable in his play design and play calling. How many more times are we going to have to see MM trying to be clever by having AR in the shotgun and handing the ball off to Starks to run up the middle?
3) For the most part he is good at scripting the first series or two of offensive plays, but he has shown time after time an inability to make in-game adjustments to counter the opposing DC moves to stop our offense.
4) In BIG GAMES he gets cold feet and makes mistakes. He has been out coached in the playoffs by Tom Coughlin, Jim Harbaugh (twice), Pete Carroll, and Bruce Arians.

I believe his winning record has more to do with the play of Aaron Rodgers than his coaching. (Try this little thought experiment: Imagine MM coaching any other team in the NFL as currently constructed. Will that team have any better won/loss record just with him as the HC? Now put Aaron Rodgers on any team and ask the same question.)

And as for the question: Well, who would you replace him with? It is a specious question. All the coaches with great records aren't going anywhere and any other coach who hasn't established a great winning record can always be questioned. It's not the job of the fans to pick the next Head Coach. That job belongs to the GM. He is the one who has the connections in the business to know who a great coaching candidate is. I mean, did anyone know who Mike McCarthy was before he was named HC of the Packers?

All I know is that since game seven of last year this team has been awful. NFL fans pay a lot of money to go to the games and deserve to see a product worth all the money they're spending. Packers fans have been seeing a terrible product lately and that must change. I believe if things don't turn around right now and for the rest of this year, next year it starts with a new Head Coach.

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Donster's picture

November 16, 2016 at 04:17 pm

If you keep Thompson and let MM and all the other coaches go, you aren't going to fix the problem. It starts with TT. Hell, I'd even leave the door slightly to keep MM if TT got canned. Let young Wolf work at bringing in some FA's and draft picks, not leaning so much on UDFA's that no one else wants. But I feel MM and the current coaching staff need to go to the unemployment line, with TT.

You can't fix a car without the tools to do so. TT hasn't been supplying them. Being cheap doesn't get it done. If TT and MM get canned, it is going to take a couple of years to fix this car and get it back to perfect condition. But I can wait if both of them go, along with the rest of the coaching staff.

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Hematite's picture

November 16, 2016 at 05:42 pm

Well said!

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Tundraboy's picture

November 17, 2016 at 06:57 am

Spot on and fair assessment. Do not see how anyone could form a different opinion on team or disagree with you let alone dislike your post.

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Tundraboy's picture

November 17, 2016 at 06:58 am

"How many more times are we going to have to see MM trying to be clever by having AR in the shotgun and handing the ball off to Starks to run up the middle?"

God I hate that play!

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jh9's picture

November 17, 2016 at 08:12 am

And for no gain, I might add.

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Since'61's picture

November 16, 2016 at 09:15 pm

If we stop and take a moment to look back at the last time the Packers had a healthy team we would find the 2014 season. Compared with 2013, 2015 and this season we had relatively few injuries in 2014 and we came within 3+ minutes of the SB with a 13-5 record including the playoffs. Even with a one legged A. Rodgers we defeated Detroit for the division, Dallas in the division round and we had Seattle beat until the defense decided the game was won after Burnett's pick and never returned to the field allowing Seattle to win the game. To me that season is a decent barometer for what TT and MM can deliver with a healthy team. 2015 we lost Jordy, Adams and Cobb played hurt, Lacy was fat and then MIA and in most games we played without a TE. Then in the playoffs against AZ any one of the dropped picks could have elevated the Packers into the NFCG game. It wasn't pretty but MM and AR took the Packers pretty far with almost no weapons on offense. This season, since game 4 the offense is playing without a RB, without a TE, again, a sub-par Jordy, but an improved D.
Adams. The loss of Shields and CM3 has destroyed 2 levels of the defense (OLB and CBs). On top of everything Aaron Rodgers has not been playing anywhere close to his A game. We may go into this week's game with injuries to our OL. If we compare our current starters with the 2014 starters we will find significant differences. QB - 2014 Rodgers MVP, 2016 Rodgers = ??!, RB - 2014 - healthy Lacy, 2016 - Lacy IR, 2014 - healthy Jordy, 2016 - still recovering Jordy. 2014 LT Bahk, 2016 - Maybe Rookie Spriggs this week. 2014 - TJ Lang -, 2016 - D. Barclay. Defense: 2016 missing starters include Shields, CM3, Randall, Banjo, and possibly M. Hyde to injuries. T. Williams, House and Heyward all gone to FA since 2014. Not counting A. Rodgers that is 14 starters missing from the 2014 13-5 Packers team. The depth we had in 2014 was significantly better than the current depth in 2016. I'm not even mentioning that we still play w/o a TE. Our STs are still poor at best and that the coaching staff has been reorganized at least twice. Now, I'm not trying to use injuries as an excuse but the level of injuries that the Packers have endured have had an impact on the level of talent that the Packers can put on the field in 2016. Coaching can only do so much when they are forced to start players who probably should not even be in the league. The drop off in talent at OLB and CB is drastic and obvious. I'm not sure what can be done until our starters return and we know that Shields return is unlikely at best. On offense no RBs is an obvious major flaw and coupled with the injury to Cook has left MM and Rodgers with limited options. This does make an argument for giving Monty, T. Davis and Allison more snaps. Why this has not yet happened lies with MM. Injuries wreak havoc on STs and this has been obvious in recent weeks. While injuries are not TTs fault he is accountable for the lack of NFL level depth on this team. It was his decision to let House, Heyward and Williams go. Williams OK, but he should have considered keeping House or Heyward or both. How much better would our secondary look if we had even one of them now? Right now we can't compete at RB, TE, or CB. Our starting WRs are slow and for whatever reason we're not putting our speed (Davis, Allison, Janis) on the field and we're under utilizing our best receiver out of the backfield (Monty). We have more questions than answers, we're beating ourselves and we're running out of games. I don't see it getting better unless we get some of our players back. Can't give up on the season yet but we need a hero now, BIG TIME. Thanks, Since '61

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