Taking The Best And Worst Of McCarthy
By Aaron Nagler on Dec 21, 2010 with 195 Comments
I really liked this post from Gene over at Ol’ Bag of Donuts. I don’t endorse everything he’s saying there but there’s definitely some good food for thought.
Money quote:
By most accounts, the Packers played admirably without their franchise quarterback in a game no one thought they could win. Once again, they proved they had enough talent to overcome the odds and get to the brink of victory.
The Patriots had enough gumption to win, in spite of whatever talent gap they had. That’s what counts, and that’s why the Packers are continually wishing and hoping they could get to where the Patriots are. And with McCarthy charting the course, I’m not sure they’ll ever arrive.
Like I wrote last week, I completely understand where Gene is coming from here, but I’m not ready to make that final step into “The’ll never win it all with McCarthy” Land. (Not saying Gene is totally there either, though it does sound like he’s booked his flight)
What gets me a tad upset is the attitude on display in this post from Adam Czech over at AllGreenBayPackers.com. Basically, Adam wants to throw the entire Patriots game in the dumpster, throw some gasoline on it, and throw in a lit match and watch it burn.
The game was not the blowout everyone expected it to be. The NBC crew after the game said the Packers have nothing to hang their heads about. Fan reaction split into two factions: Pride in how the Packers overcame injuries and almost beat the New England Patriots and hostility for losing yet another close game.
I’m siding with the angry crowd. If the Packers want to make the playoffs, they will treat Sunday’s loss the same way they treated the Lions’ loss.
Yes, the Packers played well, but losing is nothing to be proud of. The only sport where moral victories count is youth soccer. If the Packers are seriously patting themselves on the back after this game, the season is as good as over.
I don’t know why, but that last paragraph really pisses me off.
First of all, go look at this video of Donald Driver after the Patriots game. Does that look like a guy who is “patting himself on the back”? Hell no. This loss hurt these guys worse than you and I will ever know. Fans love to rail on and on about the Packers record in close games under McCarthy – how in the hell do you think the players feel about it? They don’t get to turn off the computer and go back to their daily lives – this IS their daily lives. While you and I are on the train to work or in a meeting going over the latest projections or on another boring conference call – these guys are in a dark meeting room going over that game play by excruciating play. Oh sure, some of us like to bust out our DVRs and play pretend, but these guys do it for real, day in and day out. For any fan to think that the players are “patting themselves on the back” after that game is misguided at best and close to offensive at worst.
As for McCarthy, I understand why Adam, Gene and others find certain plays on Sunday night “unacceptable”, to use Adam’s phrase from his post. But what I don’t get is the complete dismissal of the positives we saw on Sunday. All over the Packers blogosphere, in their haste to damn McCarthy, bloggers sweep everything that McCarthy did well out of the way to focus on the things that went wrong.
Look, McCarthy is never going to be a great game manager. He’s struggled with clock management from the beginning of his tenure as head coach. I’ll never forget a sequence toward the end of the first half against the Cardinals in 2006 when McCarthy completely butchered the clock. Favre had wanted to take a time out and McCarthy wouldn’t let him and I remember turning to my wife and saying “Of course. Favre’s been doing this a hell of a lot longer than McCarthy. He’ll learn.” I am, of course, still waiting on that one…
He has improved in other areas. He has a great feel for his team and tends to push the right motivational buttons. The man went into the Patriots’ house and almost pulled out a win when the entire football world (and most Packer fans) thought the score would be 58-0…by the end of the first half. But rather than give the guy any credit whatsoever – fans want him fired. It’s ridiculous.
“They have no chance against the Patriots. They’re nowhere near as good”
Packers play the Pats tough, losing on the final drive.
“The Packers had a chance to win! McCarthy sucks!”
Well, there’s a reason they had a chance to win – and that reason is Mike McCarthy.
Good coaches are hard to find – just take a look at the turnover each year around the league if you don’t believe me. McCarthy is a good coach. A great one? Not yet. But a good one who is getting better. Remember Bill Cowher? There was a two or three year stretch where Steeler fans wanted him fired too – and then he went and won a Super Bowl and now all anyone talks about is “Super Bowl winning coach Bill Cowher” He was a good, not great, coach who was allowed the time to grow and improve.
Last week, when the Packers lost to the Lions, was the time to be mad at McCarthy. Not after a hard fought game against arguably the best team in the NFL.
Vince Lombardi was famous for getting on his players after they played poorly but won and for pulling back and even giving praise when his team played well but lost. That’s exactly where I am with the Packers today. They played well, very well, on Sunday night. Better than almost any Packer fan expected them to play. Yes, I’m proud as hell of the Pack and I hope this loss provides a spark for what turns out to be a deep playoff run.
Because make no mistake – the playoffs, for the Packers anyway, start on Sunday against the Giants.
Filed Under: Coaches • Featured • Mike McCarthy • Packer Blogs
Well boys…Looks like Rodgers will be playing Sunday. I love in NY so please, please Pack win this game.
McCarthy will figure a way to choke and end our season, just watch and see.
[...] by Chad Toporski on Dec 22, 2010 in Games, News | 0 comments No matter what you thought about the Green Bay Packers’ most recent loss to the New England Patriots, one thing is for [...]
For those comparing McCarthy to Cowher, please remember that Cowher led the Steelers to the postseason every year in his first six seasons.
1992 – Loss in AFC Divisional Game
1993 – Loss in AFC Wild-Card Game
1994 – Loss in AFC Championship Game
1995 – Loss in Super Bowl XXX
1996 – Loss in AFC Divisional Game
1997 – Loss in AFC Championship Game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.....ing_record
I’m not pointing that out to say that McCarthy has to go, but the similarities are not as close as you’d like to think.
Sure, Cowher didn’t actually win the Super Bowl for over a decade, but he did make it to one in his fourth year.
And that’s close enough to me.
McCarthy is the only coach that was able to rein in Favre after nearly a decade of allowing him to do anything he wanted.
The result? A 13-3 record, first round bye, and a home field NFC championship game that ended in overtime and an interception that may have cost Brett his career in Green Bay.
McCarthy can take the Packers to the Super Bowl. The problems he has are not insurmountable.
Consistency is key in this league. If McCarthy takes a healthy Packers team and finds a way to lose 6 close games to terrible teams next year – off with his head. But, for now, there is no reason to assume that he can’t get it done in Green Bay.
We have a stellar QB and a brief window of opportunity. I don’t trust MM to get it done anytime soon. Too many close games lost, too many bad calls in close games, too many penalties over the years. He is not a good coach.
Why waste time? Packers win a SB if Cowher, Billick or Gruden are here within 3 years.
“Never argue with an idiot. They will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
You accomplish nothing by resorting to name-calling …… Make your argument & move on …. If you can’t deal with a civil differing opinion, you shouldn’t be posting.
Clay..You have a big mouth. Anytime you want to step outside and settle it you let me know. I’ll drive/fly to you house beat your brains in, Anytime tool.
Internet-tough-guy threats? Come on Ed. Keep it cool.
Im not sure Billick or Gruden is an upgrade, they both inherited theyre teams, then fell on theyre asses.
Gruden and Billick both won the big game. Something McFatty is incapable of.
So if preparing your team an for teh big game and winning it is falling on your ass I’ll take it anytime.
Gruden did not inherit great talent in Oakland, nor did he inherit great talent in Philly. His body of work as an offensive strategist when given talent is quite good. Also, I would hardly call the Tampa Bay offense as talented as the current Packer team. They had some good players on offense….Johnson, Alstott and a few others. Brad Johnson didn’t put up awesome numbers year after year but he was better than average and could run the system. The problem with Gruden’s run in Tamapa Bay occurred post Johnson when they couldn’t settle on a quarterback.
Say what we will about MM..at least he’s not a foot fetish pervert like big mnouth Rex Ryan…
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....erson.html
Interesting post and some curious replies in favor of MM but with out logic and history backing them.
Mike Sherman had one losing season in GB; a season in which the Packers were crippled all over with injuries.
This losing season and firing came after he’d strung together five straight winning seasons, four consecutive playoff appearances, and three consecutive division titles.
Before it comes up let’s leave the GM issue out of it, The Packers and TT set the bar high and Thompson stated at the time that injuries are not an excuse.
My point is don’t think that injuries save MM, should this team falter and quit( don’t think they will) then MM job is very much at stake.
Nice read Aaron well done.
Ted Thompson needs to go too, he’s just collecting a paycheck, nothing more.
If the offene lost Driver, Jennings, Rodgers in addition to Grant and Finley McCarthy might have an argument and a leg to stand on. Fact is, they lost two players. There is enough talent on this team to be at least 11-5 or 12-4. Patriots, Falcons I’ll give him those. Dolphins, Redskins, Lions….absolutely not. Those are on McCarthy and his inflexiblity as a play caller. From a talent persepctive, those were inferior teams and he flat out was outcoached.
I love how long the comments are getting for this post. Say what you will about us, but we cheeseheads take the destiny of our football team very seriously.
GO PACK GO!!!!!
[...] I’m not in the fire McCarthy camp. McCarthy is a good coach. As Aaron Nagler said in this article: [...]
This coach is just like Childress, has no relationship with the fan base. He has no clue on coaching a championship team, every close game he is out coached by far. He needs to go!!!
[...] matter what you thought about the Green Bay Packers’ most recent loss to the New England Patriots, one thing is for [...]
[...] else to consider in the great should we or shouldn’t we be “proud” of the Packers after losing to the Patriots debate. According to Football Outsiders, the Patriots [...]
I agree with certain aspects of both sides of this argument. It is clear that McCarthy has begun to build himself a history of being outcoached in close games. In a league where talent is growing so equal and games are truly living up to the “any given sunday” type atmosphere, close games are where a coach would like to make a name for himself…in that respect, its obvious, Mike is epically failing. As a fan anger, among other emotions are natural and warranted. He has shown flashes of brilliance in his play calling and it is clear he has an offensive mind, but in trying to both manage the offense and the team as a whole in-game, its proving to be too much, at least at this point. He is more often than not left mismanaging the final seconds of games and giving “how we lost” speeches.
With that said I also agree that the grass is not always greener on the other side. We have an extremely talented team and there are plenty of coaches that would do the same if not worse job with them..and only a select few that could and would make an immediate impact. My suggestion- Let mike coach the team and relieve himself of calling plays. He does do a great job of “pushing the motivating buttons” as Aaron stated. He also has made a massive improvement in the penalty column thus far this year which was somehing fans NEED to notice. He has has consistently been in the right side of the turnover column. Overall, he is a likeable coach and it seems the players enjoy playing for him which is important in Green Bay. Were a unique team in a unique city..Packer football is something unlike any other and in that sense I think McCarthy is a good fit for the city. I also think he has a lot to offer in the way of offense and needs to be a large part of installing the offense for the week, just let Philbin take on the responsibility of calling plays so MM can focus on the big picture of the game…
Lastly, in response to Aaron’s views on how the players feel about the game vs. how the fans feel… I agree whole heatedly that the players are feeling it, and to my previous point, in such a close knit and unique place as Green Bay, where the only way to be on the team is to play with heart, class, dignity, etc..These guys are the best. But we can not forget that as we set the scene of them sitting in a dark and gloomy meeting room, watching the painstaking game film, they are making millions to do just that. Further more, they ONLY get paid to play because there are fans to watch. So who should be more hurt? Again, I know as a life-time fan there are no players like there are in Green Bay and I know they arent about the money as much as some others, but at the end of the day it is what it is…something else to chew on anyhow.
Moving on, we have a monster game Sunday. If we beat the Giants I have no doubt we can take Chicago at home(their less than stellar team is another whole debate) and as Driver stated in his post-game, if they get in teams should be scared because they know what they can do..
GO PACK!!!