Seriously.
The guy is out of work after one season in Denver where he was working with completely inappropriate personnel. (Note how his departure has made the Bronco defense even worse?)
I know Bates declined to be on McCarthy’s staff because he felt the head coaching job should have been his. That was four years ago. I’m sure if the Packers made a strong offer they could get Bates to join the team as Defensive Coordinator. There is enough talent, and what is lacking can be masked by someone of Bates’ caliber.
Because right now, the Green Bay Packers, a professional football team in the National Football League, are relying on a defensive line coach who got lucky and found himself in the right place at the right time. Last season, he rode a relatively healthy squad and a schedule that featured a lot of mediocre quarterbacks to the NFC Championship Game. But this season, with some key players missing, but with enough talent on the field for a competent coordinator to hide their deficiencies, Sanders is being exposed as being in waaaaayyyyyy in over his head. One need look no further than the offensive series where rookie quarterback Matt Ryan basically acted like Peyton Manning in his pre-snap adjustments and drove the ball 90 yards down the field for a touchdown. Oh, and by the way - the real Manning comes to Lambeau in two weeks.
Today’s game taught us one other thing - we found out why Sanders doesn’t like to blitz: Because he has no clue how to coach it or when to call it. He has absolutely no idea how to disguise the blitz or how players should be aligned pre-snap. Not to mention the fact that he seems to think the rules state that the defensive backfield is not allowed to blitz. I mean, when the same 8 yard ‘In’ route is being used against you to beat your blitz, but you keep calling the same linebacker blitz, and the receivers keep coming WIDE OPEN for first downs, it’s time to rethink your profession.
So throw Jim Bates a lifeline. Call a professional. Because right now, Aaron Kampman, Charles Woodson and company are being coached by an amateur. And it’s killing the Packers.
