Hello Wisconsin: Welcome Back, Mike McCarthy
By TimBackes
This weekend, as you all know, is a big one for Packer fans, as Super Bowl XLV-winning head coach Mike McCarthy returns to Lambeau Field for the first time since his 2018 ouster. He returns as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who currently are one of the best teams in the conference.
I, for one, am thrilled to see Mike McCarthy having success, even if it’s with the Dallas Cowboys. There are very few hateable things about the Cowboys at this point beyond the ownership and the name, and McCarthy being there brings an extra element of intrigue in that team for me.
There was always a vocal contingent of fans when McCarthy was here who, to put it simply, despised him. It was understandable to be frustrated with his football acumen in the later stages of his tenure in Green Bay, but some of the vitriol got shockingly personal, which I never understood.
There’s no denying that at one point McCarthy was one of the finest coaches in the sport while with the Packers. Bill Belichick, the greatest NFL coach of the post-merger modern league, made a point in saying as much after the Packers defeated his Patriots in the 2014 regular season.
But Mike McCarthy clearly still loves Green Bay, and Green Bay should still love him.
love mike mccarthy. Forever a packer. pic.twitter.com/7QAUhoWJUj
— Tyler Herrick (@TylerHerrick) November 7, 2022
I mean seriously, how can you not love the guy?
First and foremost, every Packer fan should be grateful to McCarthy for helping bring a Super Bowl back to Titletown, and for helping to turn Aaron Rodgers into the legendary quarterback he became. There have been many instances over the years of people trying to downplay McCarthy’s contributions to the team, but that championship absolutely does not happen without him, and likely neither does Rodgers’ ascendancy.
Second, McCarthy has always been an outstanding leader. He never, ever threw players under the bus, and always took accountability when things went wrong. He kept a consistent message and was a consummate professional. He kept things in-house and created a strong locker room environment.
After 13 years, his scheme and message began to fade, and that’s only natural. But he is, without a doubt, one of the Packers’ greatest coaches, and yes, a “highly successful football coach.”
I’ll never forget when he was first introduced as the Packers’ head coach and, right after a 4-12 season, had the guts to say that the only obstacle the Packers would have to overcome was how they would handle success. There were a lot of raised eyebrows at that quote, but he backed it up in a big way.
It’s going to be really great to see him back in Green Bay this weekend, as weird as it will be to see him on the visitors’ sideline. I hope he continues to have plenty of success–and that he loses big this weekend.
Wisconsin Beer of the Week
I haven’t been drinking a whole lot of beer lately; my crazy schedule building up to this coming weekend has prevented my usual ability to just hang out and enjoy a couple here and there. But while watching the election returns the other night I did manage to crack open a Leinenkugel’s summer seasonal that was stuck in the back of my fridge still.
Canoe Paddler was added to the Leinie’s seasonal rotation in the not-too-distant past. I was first exposed to it when buying one of their Explorer Pack sampler packs a few years back, and enjoyed it quite a bit. Leinie’s has had something of a change up with its regular offerings over the last five years or so; back when I used to drink their stuff more frequently it was all about Honey Weiss, Sunset Wheat, and, of course, Summer Shandy.
They recently brought back Leinie’s Red, getting rid of that Wisconsin Red that they’d been brewing for a while, and Canoe Paddler was another added to their regular lineup. This kolsch is simply a crisp, refreshing beverage idea for summer days and outdoor exploration. I purchased it this summer when going up north with the family, and boy did it ever hit perfectly while sitting on the lakefront reading a book.
There’s nothing particularly special about it; just a good, crisp beer that tastes like beer. With a low 11 IBU and just five percent ABV, one could drink it all day.
You can find it pretty much any place where Leinie’s beers are sold!
When it rains, it pours.
Not only are the Packers bad this year; they’re also unlucky.
The team was losing players left and right on Sunday in Detroit, one of many reasons why I hate that so many teams are now playing on artificial turf.
Gone is Rashan Gary with a torn ACL. After a defensive player of the year start to the season, now the hope is he’ll be back in time for next year. And this comes right before he’s likely to be paid a huge contract. Can he be the same player? There’s always a gamble.
Eric Stokes is probably going to miss some significant time. Stokes has played poorly for much of this season so far, but there’s always the hope that a player with his talent can turn it around. Plus, as soon as you lose a guy like him who’s playing most snaps, you’re digging into your depth to cover it up.
Aaron Jones went down. Christian Watson went down (but is fine). Jon Runyan, Jr. went down, right after the Packers finally got all their preferred offensive linemen together for the first time this year. Romeo Doubs went down.
And on and on and on and on and on.
At least it’s not like this terrible injury luck is throwing off an otherwise promising season. I suppose if you’re going to be unlucky in this department, it may as well come in the middle of a lost season.
Still, it just adds an additional sour taste to an already unpalatable season of football for the Packers. You hate to see anyone get hurt at any time, and it just feels even gloomier given the circumstances of the season so far.
The Rodgers Watch, Part VI
Aaron Rodgers has not been good this year. This we know. Not only has he not come close to MVP or $50 million man form, but he’s also at this point well below the median of quarterback performance this season.
According to Tom Silverstein of PackersNews, though, the problems run even deeper.
Take a look at this selection from Silverstein’s Wednesday article.
“His terrible body language, sideline outbursts, and frequent looks to coach Matt LaFleur that come off as though he’st he only one who knows what he’s doing don’t play well with the public, and you can only imagine how they play with the rest of the team.
LaFleur has given him so much rein with the offense that there are defensive coaches around the league who aren’t sure whether the Packers are still running his offense.
‘No, it doesn’t,’ one defensive coach for a rival team said when asked if the offense looked anything like what LaFleur installed when he first came to town.
...
‘Their offense is way more stagnant with way less shifts and motions,’ [an] executive said. ‘The formations are much more spread out. Green Bay’s offense is shotgun and RPU-based, whereas others are under center and have more true play actions. Their offense has definitely changed over the years and I’m sure it is because of what 12 wants.’”
Hoo boy. Silverstein is not the kind to make stuff up for the fun of it. This perception is certainly out there around the league at the moment. And with the sheer number of guys in the locker room, it stands to reason that there are at least a couple who are not pleased with the leadership style of the team’s quarterback.
If LaFleur has a clear vision for what the offense should look like and Rodgers is simply ignoring it, it is LaFleur’s responsibility to make sure that vision is being carried out regardless .There should definitely be some collaboration, but if the offense no longer resembles LaFleur’s at all (and it truly doesn’t), then Rodgers has taken that leeway much too far and LaFleur needs to find a way to rein him back in.
There are also those who are saying that part of the reason the Packers are running so much shotgun is because of Rodgers’ thumb. But we’re rapidly approaching the point where if Rodgers’ poor play and the completely different structure of the offense this season are both due to the thumb injury, then Rodgers should step aside and let the injury heal for the good of the team, because what’s being put out there right now is awful.
Aaron Rodgers currently ranks 27th in QBR. He’s already thrown the most interceptions he’s had in a full season since 2016. He’s been bad, and he turns 39 in December, and the Packers gave him the richest contract in NFL history with massive guaranteed money.
Around the NFC North
Once again we’ll take a quick look around the NFC North at what the Packers’ rivals are doing.
- Don’t look now, but the CHICAGO BEARS are starting to figure it out on offense, and Justin Fields no longer looks like an irredeemable mess of a quarterback. Midway through year two he’s starting to show signs of putting it together. He’s coming one off the best single-game rushing performances of any quarterback in NFL history, showcasing his potential to be a dynamic playmaker. He’s still not the biggest threat in the passing game, but a player that can be that dynamic with their legs will get a lot of wiggle room. We’ll see how Chase Claypool continues to mesh with the offense.
- The DETROIT LIONS didn’t exactly play great football against the Packers; they never really managed to put them away until toward the end of the game. However, they played with passion and did enough to take down their rivals. It was great to see Jamaal Williams being relied upon as a bellcow back, even in another uniform.
- The MINNESOTA VIKINGS survived a scare against a Commanders team that’s got a better record than it has any right having. They’ve still got just one loss, and now they have a date with the Buffalo Bills. This is going to tell us a lot about how legitimate this team actually is. Are they going to continue to be a force into the second half of he season, or is this where the paper tiger starts to collapse?
What is left to look forward to?
The Packers’ season is almost certainly over. At 3-6, the Packers would likely need to win a minimum of six of their remaining eight games to get into the playoffs, and right now they don’t look capable of beating a single team in the NFL.
It’s been a very, very long time since the Packers were essentially out of it this early in the season. So at this point, you may be wondering what there is to look forward to for the rest of this season.
Here are a few ideas:
- Evaluation for younger players, including possibly Jordan Love
- The ability to see what this team and coaching staff look like when they’re playing for pride
- Hopefully a point at which Christian Watson is no longer playing injured and is able to be unleashed
- Kenny Clark
- Aaron Jones
- It’s still Packer football and that’s better than no football
That’s all I’ve got, I’m afraid. I’ll be watching every minute of every game like the sucker I am, and I hope you’ll be joining me.
Final look: Cowboys at Packers and Week 10 Picks
There’s not a single team in the league I’d pick the Packers to beat right now, let alone the Mike McCarthy Cowboys. This one could get ugly.
Cowboys 31, Packers 13
WEEK 10 PICKS
FALCONS over Panthers
SEAHAWKS over Bucs
COWBOYS over Packers
BILLS over Vikings
BEARS over Lions
DOLPHINS over Browns
TITANS over Broncos
GIANTS over Texans
CHIEFS over Jaguars
STEELERS over Saints
RAIDERS over Colts
RAMS over Cardinals
49ERS over Chargers
EAGLES over Commanders
LAST WEEK: 10-3
SEASON TOTAL: 78-58
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
__________________________
Tim Backes is a lifelong Packer fan and a contributor to CheeseheadTV. Follow him on Twitter @timbackes for his Packer takes, random musings and Untappd beer check-ins.
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Comments (36)
NickPerry
November 10, 2022 at 07:18 am
I don't think anyone can argue it was time for McCarthy to go in 2018, just not in the middle of the season. Throwing him aside like a piece of trash to bring in Joe Philbin? Common man, the guy had been here 13 seasons. He won a shit load of games and won a SB. He DESERVED better. BUT, it was a sign of shitty things to come by Mark Murphy, AND the start of Aaron Rodgers being a bitch, but that's a whole other thing. I just thought he should have finished the season out. Mike McCarthy was/is an excellent HC and I for one am happy for the man. I'd rather have seen him have success somewhere else because I hate Jerry Jones, but hey it is what it is.
I've become totally disgusted with Matt LaFleur this season and frankly, with the lack of testicles he's shown standing up to Rodgers, I'm 99.9% sure I sure in the hell don't want him leading this team AFTER were finally Rodgers free. It's really too bad because I think he's a great offensive mind, just not a great leader. IMO it's going to be tough to get EVERY players respect in that locker room after bowing down to Rodgers the way he has.
"The Packers’ season is almost certainly over. At 3-6, the Packers would likely need to win a minimum of six of their remaining eight games to get into the playoffs, and right now they don’t look capable of beating a single team in the NFL."
Hmmm...No Tim, the Packers season IS over. I give a damn about the mathematically possible part of it. The product on the field, with ALL the injuries they've had, Bakhtiari and Jenkins being NO WHERE close to their pre-injury selves, and quite literally no Wide Receivers on the roster READY and playing where they would need to be to win and actually scare opposing defenses and contribute consistently, THIS Packers Team season IS over. We actually do agree on one thing, they really don't look capable of beating a single team right now.
Razer
November 10, 2022 at 07:32 am
...I just thought he should have finished the season out. Mike McCarthy was/is an excellent HC and I for one am happy for the man. I'd rather have seen him have success somewhere else because I hate Jerry Jones...
So painfully true. The Mark Murphy influence on the firing and then on the gleeful hiring of a kid to handle Rodgers is the thread that leads us to today.
croatpackfan
November 10, 2022 at 07:47 am
But he is not idiot. Right?
Since'75
November 10, 2022 at 02:16 pm
"We're not idiots" - Murphy
.
A week before Team Murphy/Gute hand Rodgers 150 million guaranteed.
croatpackfan
November 10, 2022 at 07:46 am
Khm, khm... Samouri Toure?
All you wrote I agree with you Nick. No way. I can also see 3 teams from NFC east to go tp play-off. All of them with at least 10 wins. 49ers from west and possibly Rams as the lowest seed. No way Packers will be at 10 wins this year.
Some are cheering for give up and try to secure as high as possible pick in the next draft, I'm not for that. Installing losing culture not always corespodent with record, but with mental attitude. Once you hit accepting you are loser, you'll probably become like that.
Razer
November 10, 2022 at 07:19 am
Nice words about Mike McCarthy. He had a good run in Green Bay and it was time to move on. He surrounded himself with some coaches who didn't help the cause and he failed to get the right guys as OC and DC. Shedding the playcalling in Dallas has allowed him to focus on the coaches and overall state of the team - smart. In contrast, LaFleur is a young coach, over his head, who thinks he can handle the playcalling and overall team dynamic. Hasn't helped that his network of coaching resources had Joe Barry at the top of the list for DC. McCarthy coming back at the helm of a much improved Cowboy team will hurt even more as his former star QB tries to run a rouge offense that no one else on the team is in on. A sad last chapter for Rodgers.
T7Steve
November 10, 2022 at 07:41 am
McCarthy had the team ready to play each week and a 15-play script to start out with that they practiced all week. My problem with him towards the end was that he couldn't make adjustments to what the opposition did during the game and that most had figured out his plans. Sound familiar? Is it just coincidence? Who's the only player still left on the team besides the place kicker? Maybe the Ds just read him.
Razer
November 10, 2022 at 08:29 am
...McCarthy had the team ready to play each week...
Very true and evident as LaFleur's team repeatedly get outflanked by the end of the half. I almost feel sad for the team as coaches like Saleh, Shanahan, McVie and the likes school the Packers with scheme and grit. All too often we are unprepared and outcoached.
T7Steve
November 10, 2022 at 07:29 am
Too funny, too pitiful, too true.
Thanks Tim. From another transplant Utard.
PackerGravy
November 10, 2022 at 07:42 am
Should have traded the Diva and kept Big Mike, but of course hindsight is 20/20
Since'75
November 10, 2022 at 07:55 am
I don't love or hate McCarthy.
But he could be rude and highly arrogant at his pressers.
He also acted like he didn't have to be accountable, like he shouldn't be questioned.
But that may have been rooted in the organization, there were a lot of people, President down to the coaches, who weren't held unaccountable.
A lot of people kept jobs longer than they should have.
"...... but that championship absolutely does not happen without him, and likely neither does Rodgers’ ascendancy."
So without McCarthy...Rodgers couldn't have won a Super Bowl, or obtained his HOF status?
Interesting.
I will say this....I thought firing McCarthy before the season was over was Bush league, surely he deserved better than that.
With that said...this should have been a fun competitive game to watch.
Unfortunately, i don't see that being possible even if the Packers were healthy.
Not with the sometimes leaking O line, and certainly not having a true #1 and #2 receiver.
Now we have 17 players on the injury report, the majority of them starters.
Cobb is out, Doubs is likely out, and if Lazard is out, who are Rodgers "go to" receivers?
Watson, Winfree, Toure? Good luck.
Run the ball, and don't get behind.
Having a top playmaker in Gary on IR certainly isn't going to help us.
I agree with Tim that this one could get ugly.
I want the Packers to win as much as anyone.
But, at this point, i'm just hoping we don't get embarrassed.
Coldworld
November 10, 2022 at 09:32 am
It is ugly now. We should have had more faith in the rookies from the get go, despite the inevitable screw ups. Why? Because they have the physical talent we saw in camp. When you are in a hole talent wise don’t back the ones one knows don’t have enough. That’s just accepting failure before one steps in the field.
Lazard is what most of us really expected. A great piece but a good number 3 WR. Cobb is injury prone but a useful limited snap piece when healthy. Watkins has showed what he showed in camp. Fragile, slow and having questionable effort. Why did he get a free pass?
At this point we win if we use our rookies and do so genuinely, regardless of drops/errors. By win I mean in the long term and giving us the chance (not guarantee) to be the best we can be in the day, Rinse and repeat because when it works it may actually result in a worthwhile play. To Rodgers credit he’s realized that 100 passes behind 5 yards from the line of scrimmage is not going to get anywhere. I only wish LaFleur had. I’d rather be intercepted trying to score than fizzle out after 12 plays throwing yet another contested catch to defenders waiting for it.
LaFleur’s approach to personnel and game planning/calling this year has been pathetically timid and self-defeating. I don’t blame Rodgers for essentially ditching it. Sadly that leaves his own traits unmanaged. Sometimes even the greats need a coach that can help them overcome their worst tendencies. The last one that could and did is in town this weekend. Ironically it maybe that that was one reason he got pushed out. If so, that was the self-destructive side of Rodgers and he’s paying for it. LaFleur’s inability to help in that respect us a major reason why the last two years led to heartache and one reason why this one blew up so dramatically.
Since'75
November 10, 2022 at 02:12 pm
Watkins, Cobb, and to an extent Lazard, are nothing but band aids.
Here's where you lose me Cold....
If a team is relying on rookie draft choices to pick up the passing game, you probably have already lost.
.
Championship teams don't operate like that, nor have we in the past.
Instant playmaker receivers come by only so often, most receivers take time learning the NFL game and verbiage.
Nelson and Adams each took 2 years.
The difference then, is the Packers didn't have to rely on them, they had other veterans fully capable of making plays.
There are only so many Justin Jeffersons to go around.
If the Packers wanted the instant production of a Justin Jefferson, maybe...they should have traded up for him.
Our regular season right now...as we speak...is an extending training camp for Doubs, Toure, and Watson.
The Packers are trying to force feed rookie receivers, into being instant playmakers their rookie season.
Again...Championship teams don't operate like that
Coldworld
November 10, 2022 at 07:38 pm
‘75, you lose me because we differ in that this seemed by far the most likely outcome to me last season if we couldn’t keep Adams, knowing how we’d already didn’t future cap. It became a certainty with Rodgers contract. That left us with one, and I said it clearly and often, outside chance to salvage the season and that against the odds, long odds at that.
That option was to draft talent, develop a training plan to get that talent ready to contribute in defined roles and Rodgers comfortable with them and vice versa. Instead, we plodded into the season with a game plan built around Cobb, Lazard and Watkins and Watson, a guy who was super raw and missed alm preseason.
We trained our rookies as we do every year. No time with Rodgers in practice or preseason either. Then we rolled out a game plan so cautions that it not only relied on the vets but threw short and largely negated Doubs while ignoring Toure completely. In short we did everything as if nothing had changed. We walked in knowing we had no Adams and a bunch of rookies and some supporting vets.
We had no plan. We didn’t try to buck the odds. We essentially either mailed it in or were so deluded we actually thought Rodgers plus Cobb, Lazard and Watkins was a credible Super Bowl premise. It wasn’t. An O based within 5 yards was as futile as it was always likely to be and we imploded and still trotted out the same until at least Rodgers tried to change things.
It makes no sense because it never did make sense and we then made absolutely certain it wouldn’t. That’s why the extension was ridiculous and why LaFleur showed he’s simply the emperor in his new clothes. Well this season simply reflects that in all its gory truth. We’ve seen other teams see how denuded our O is. We got what we asked for and Murphy and LaFleur exposed themselves completely in doing so. Time for both to go. Past time.
EnemyTerritory
November 10, 2022 at 09:59 am
Maybe a truly embarrassing loss is what the organization needs to move on. To use QB1 term, being “exposed” on national tv may be the best thing for the team. Exposed as incapable of winning or being competitive. With the last hope of a playoff appearance extinguished perhaps the empty suit HC will find his gonads and use the last games as training camp. Evaluate Love in game situations with a game plan suited to his skills and the makeup of the team. A fifth year option should be based on real life game data not a hope and a prayer. If the GBP lose every remaining contest under AR12 and don’t evaluate Love then what do we do with the top 3-10 draft pick? If we lose all the rest under Love we have @ better idea of what to do with the top 3-10 draft pick. You can lose and win or lose and lose. Cap hell is here. There is a saying that when you talk retirement the decision is made whether you show up for the job or not. Regardless father time will impose the decision. Love (or hate) the future it’s coming and AR12 will be in the ring of honor not on the field.
RCPackerFan
November 10, 2022 at 07:57 am
I was a McCarthy fan and supporter. It was definitely time for him to go, however I didn't like how they let him go. To me it was distasteful and disrespectful that they didn't allow him to finish the year. For that reason alone I wouldn't be surprised if McCarthy is out for blood in this game. I am willing to bet anything that he wants to stick it to Murphy.
When it rains, it pours-
Just when they get a healthy team back together, it falls apart with injuries. I think on offense the biggest injury they couldn't overcome was Doubs. He is the one guy to consistently make plays. Rodgers was really building a rapport with him. Ohh and of course that happened on the first play of the game.
Add insult to injury, Watson goes out, then the OL has issues (thank god we have Tom), and all the injuries on defense. Just sucks.
The Rodgers Watch, Part VI
Tom Silverstein is a respected Packers reporter. And I take what he says and respect it. We all can see this isn't the same offense they had the first couple of years under LaFLeur. But why is Rodgers solely the blame for that? Why is LaFleur not taking blame? Why is Steno not taking blame? Maybe we should blame it more on Steno then anyone. The one change from last year that no one seems to talk about is Hackett left as OC. Steno is our new OC. Maybe he deserves a bit more blame?
I posted this yesterday but I think its a great tweet from Tom Oates. Oatsey is a guy that when he talks I like to listen. I have tons of respect for Oatsey. This is his tweet.
"No question Aaron Rodgers is showing his age. But in 2012, his WRs were Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Greg Jennings & Donald Driver. #Packers' current WR1 - Allen Lazard - wouldn't have even made this team. A front office needs to give an aging QB more help, not less."
This should tell us a lot. We are talking about the offense and why it had significantly declined. Sure we lost Adams. But we also lost MVS. How much better does our offense look if MVS is still here. There is the deep threat and a guy Rodgers had built a rapport with over time. In the early Rodgers years they drafted a lot of WR's. ANd hit on all of them. After Cobb though, they didn't draft another WR until they took Adams. And after Adams it wasn't until MVS. After MVS, last year with Rodgers and this year with the trio of guys. But they haven't been drafting and developing them at the rate they need to be. This is on Gutey.
What is left to look forward to? -
Until they are officially eliminated I'm rooting for wins. Once they are officially eliminated, I want to see as many young guys as we can. There are a number of 1st and 2nd year players that need more playing time. Right now a guy that needs more snaps is Wyatt. He has slowly and quietly been playing really well. Take Lowry off the field and put Wyatt on it!
This is my team. I will root and cheer for them no matter what.
Go Pack Go!!!
Coldworld
November 10, 2022 at 09:19 am
I give Silverstein credit for saying what many fans have been discussing for a while but most of the media have shied away from confronting. He’s got his own take on it, I may think it too Rodgers centric and avoiding how it was allowed to get to this point, but it’s a big step in the direction of elevating the discussion of what’s really behind this mess and how it came to pass.
As to MM. MM was a class act who changed at the end, becoming much more thin skinned and defensive. In retrospect I now believe that fighting a Russ Ball led FO, personal loss and probably Rodgers could reasonably have that effect. I think he was a scapegoat for the Ball/Murphy roster debacles as well. Based on what has happened since, it’s clear to me that Murphy is and has been the root problem after TT declined in the mid teens.
That makes MM a much more sympathetic figure. I do believe he needed a change of scenery. I think that would have come at some point, but I think he was badly treated to cover over the real problems, one’s that have led to Silverstein’s views and to where we are now: 1 Super Bowl and done for Rodgers and a cap burdened mess of a franchise flaming out in consequence of a thoroughly dubious string of decisions and hiring of which the treatment of MM was but one.
jannesbjornson
November 10, 2022 at 10:44 am
I will give Big Mike credit for usurping Low-Ball.
croatpackfan
November 10, 2022 at 08:02 am
I was bitching how Packers treat Mike McCarthy at the end. While I can understand the decision to chose ACR over Mike McCarthy they really had to let Mike McCarthy to go by himself from Packers (if only for public) after the season.
I have to say that I was not aware how deep was broken relationship between ACR and Mike McCarthy. Despite that, at the moment Mark Murphy fired Mike McCarthy I was really stunned how low was his move and how he can't show any respect to the man who brought SB back to Packers.
I will not coment ACR behavior to Mike McCarty, who should be very grateful that Packers hired him for HC. Ther is a lot of on what ACR should be grateful.
I'm still on side of Tom Clements. He is not OC, but, as close companion of Mike McCarthy he can help a lot Jordan Love.
Many here do not believe Jordan Love posses talent to be good NFL QB. I'm hopeful he is. Because.. at the moment he is one in QB room who shows adequate decency and humility to present Packers to the public. And, I would be really glad if Tom Clements install some useful knowledge in him how to play calm and compise QB.
Booner
November 10, 2022 at 08:37 am
Let's watch Murphy and Gute choke down a 50 burger that big Mike is fixing for them on Sunday!
BRUTAL!!!!!
Bitternotsour
November 10, 2022 at 10:03 am
"If LaFleur has a clear vision for what the offense should look like and Rodgers is simply ignoring it, it is LaFleur’s responsibility to make sure that vision is being carried out regardless"
that's hilarious. Aaron has MLF's balls buried in his back yard. MLF has to make an appointment with Aaron's management company to visit them.
#firemarkmurphy
LeotisHarris
November 10, 2022 at 08:41 am
It's good to see Mike winning again even if it is in Dallas. He took a heavy emotional hit with his brother's death so close after the Seattle loss. I don't think he was able to recover from that for the rest of his time in Green Bay. It had to be a huge emotional fog, depression, and grief all while trying to manage the demands of being an NFL Head Coach. And, no doubt 12 did everything he could to facilitate MM's departure.
So, good on Mike. I hope he gets a warm welcome and his team plays well.
T7Steve
November 10, 2022 at 08:56 am
Packer fans are generally good sports and revere Packer history. I'm sure they will show it to the world, at least to start the game.
Handsback
November 10, 2022 at 08:48 am
Most Packer fans in DFW area will tell you that at least in the printed, and live media, MM has been very gracious and appreciative of Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers. On the other hand he's human and may want to beat the packers by 100 points.
I don't see any way Green Bay wins, but on any given Sunday...it's possible.
Now let's talk about playoffs. I have to invoke the Jim Mora rule in all playoff discussions concerning the Packers. They are more aligned with the worst teams than any teams that will or could make the playoffs. The Packers have to find out who wants to play this season and increase the scouting budget to find every hidden gem possible for the next draft.
The good news, I think, is they have more talent than some of the playoff teams so a reset next year may not be that hard unless the stench from this season follows them into next year.
All of this is IMHO.
jannesbjornson
November 10, 2022 at 10:59 am
I attended Holmgren's homecoming game on MNF, as favre, coincidently, playing with a mangled thumb to protect HIS ironman streak , tossed Four INTs that changed the course of the Game. Will we see a repeat, Sunday, from the Guru?
TXCHEESE
November 10, 2022 at 09:27 am
Good article Tim. I don't wish injury on anyone, but with our current record, the only great way to sit our $50MM man, and him not be a locker room cancer, is for him to get injured to the point he can't play. Love needs the opportunity to start with a full week of preparation. Let him run the offense as MLF has designed it...motion heavy, run heavy, play action. Right now this offense shows little sustained consistency, so it really can't get much worse than it already is.
I've always like MM, and was saddened by the way he was shown the door. It was obvious AR was no longer happy with the offense, and MM had to go, but should have been at the end of the season. Unless GB can generate some turn overs and protect the ball, this game could get real ugly. Whether he will admit it or not, you can bet MM would like to hang 'half a hundred' on Murphy and Rodgers.
SinceLombardi
November 10, 2022 at 09:29 am
Yeah I agree , McCarthy should have finished out the season in18. Don’t worry he’s going to get his revenge this week.
Dragon5
November 10, 2022 at 09:31 am
Given our lack of depth, Sunday's game should quickly be out of reach, quite possibly by the end of Q1. From a competitive perspective, this unfortunately turns the balance of our regular season into an extended preseason eval. I'm having flashbacks of opening weekend deer rifle season 2017 cutting up our harvest watching the Pack compete with BAL in an act of futility with Hundley at the helm, losing 23-0. If the Cowboys D shows as good as advertised, wouldn't rule out a shutout. The blessing in disguise in '17 with Rodgers out was Tae. Despite emerging the year prior, he continued to do so with Hundley, and gave reassurance we had a star in the making. Pull the curtains back for Jordan Love, lets see what he can do.
Coldworld
November 10, 2022 at 09:54 am
I think Love deserves the chance to get meaningful playing time with a game plan tailored to him. The Rodgers plans are steeped in exactly the type of things you don’t ask a young QB to do. I don’t want us asking Love to make veteran calls, I would describe putting any young player in that position incredibly unhelpful.
Yet that’s what LaFleur did in his one start to date. I will never understand how any HC doesn’t have a plan prepared for his primary back up. Even more so in a Covid year. I therefore have grave doubts about LaFleur being prepared this time. A good way to ruin a career.
On top of that, LaFleurs timid plans this year have had to be increasingly thrown out by Rodgers as futility just became undeniable. Even if Love could function with in them adequately, if they didn’t give Rodgers a chance, what chance does Love have? It seems wholly unrealistic to expect Love to just override that rubbish like Rodgers. LaFleur still being here has not done biting us yet.
Point-Packer
November 10, 2022 at 09:55 am
Why no love for Mashed Potato Mike? Should have won at least two more SBs, but due to his coaching acumen (or lack thereof) only got one from some pretty primo rosters. The NFC Championship loss to the Seahawks being the prime example of piss poor coaching.
Coldworld
November 10, 2022 at 09:58 am
Holmgren had a similar melt down. No coach is perfect. Overall, MM was an asset till the mid teens.
13TimeChamps
November 10, 2022 at 10:26 am
I'm going to go out in a limb and guess that "Mashed Potato Mike" has accomplished way more in his life than you ever will. He probably makes more money in one year than you'll make in your entire lifetime.
But keep up with the immature, middle school name calling. It's shows your (or lack thereof) level of intelligence.
Packerlifer
November 10, 2022 at 11:30 am
McCarthy's time with the Packers is starting to get into the nostalgic phase now but nostalgia can warp recollection and skew perception. Especially when "now" is not going as well, or at least is so perceived,from "then."
MM's record, accomplishments and contributions to the Packers are a matter of record and duly noted and regarded. As are his shortcomings, errors and issues that resulted in his dismissal.
Until now, though, his replacement has been generally regarded as an advance for the club. There's been little criticism the previous 3 years as the Packers went from fading to flying under LaFleur.
Two years ago, in his return to coaching in Dallas, MM went 6-10 and the talk was of firing him after just one season. He took plenty of heat for his game management in their playoff loss to the 49ers last season. And the chorus of "get Sean Payton" was on.
McCarthy's "success" with the Cowboys reminds me of the success of 1950's Giants coach Jim Lee Howell. An NFL Championship Game win by 40 in 1956 and Championship Game appearances as Conference titleist in 1958 & 59; including the "greatest game played" sudden death overtime with the Colts.
But relatively few people remember Jim Lee Howell today because his success occurred while he had Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry as his assistants. MM's Cowboys run on defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and are built by ego-maniac owner Jerry Jones who brings in the players.
I wouldn't go so far as to suggest MM is just a prop but there's something to be said for being in the right place at the right time to be looking good. Or better than you really are.
Because of the state the Packers are in now and because it appears likely McCarthy will get his "sweet revenge" with the team he is riding now there may be some second guessing being done about the past. It's too bad the schedule didn't have MM's return to Lambeau last year. Anybody speeculate on how that game could have been?
splitpea1
November 10, 2022 at 12:42 pm
I am also happy to see McCarthy having success. He's won four games with a backup QB, made a smart hire in DC Dan Quinn, and his team has cut down on the penalties that plagued it in the past.
Still probably a bit of a long shot, but if he has the team peaking at the right time and avoids strategic goofs in the postseason (like last year), he could be the first coach to win Super Bowls with two different teams. The Cowboys are talented.
Packerlifer
November 10, 2022 at 01:32 pm
The Dan Quinn hire was done by Jerry Jones the owner. Same with oc Kellen Moore. Jerry found and signed Cooper Rush. To his credit MM said yessir, thank you sir and got out of their way and let them do their jobs.
stockholder
November 10, 2022 at 01:04 pm
I still say MM should never have been fired. And I dropped enough support to feel good about it.
The Friction was at the Top. And MM got hosed. Next up was the answer. And so was a better roster.
Kurt Warner's Break -down; was a perfect example of what Rodger's is going through, with his receivers..
And while his relationship with others might be stormy. Maybe a screw loose here, or there, can benefit everyone.
I'm referring to his collar -bone and why he's more jumpy than normal. Because this OL must do better, as the schedule gets tougher. .
Rodger's was here before anyone. He is the MVP. If they have a problem with him. Thats on them.