McCarthy is an elite QB coach, but when do we start to legitimately question whether Mike McCarthy is a good enough head coach to win the Super Bowl? I ask anyone to show me where he has improved as an NFL head coach in any meaningful way since he took this job five years ago.

For once I totally agree with Brian`s article, plus McCarthey is still going to tolerate false starts and holding penalties by his "veteran" tackles.

I have to disagree.

I think if you get players too worked up over certain penalties (especially in the linebacker position), then they could easily end up restraining the fire that gets them to the hit in the first place.

In other words... would you want McCarthy to say the same thing to Matthews about his facemask call? I know I wouldn't.

Some penalties are completely flagrant, some are a result of poor concentration, and some are accidents - friendly fire if you will.

There is a line to draw, but McCarthy doesn't need to excuse the ones that happen from just being aggressive in the game. He needs to address the other kinds.

The penalties I wish he *would* show some more ire over are the lapses in concentration: false starts, unwarranted holding, illegal formations, etc. In those instances, yes, he does need to threaten pulling the player.

In fact, I really wish he would have pulled Tauscher for at least a few plays after he committed back-to-back penalties. Let him get settled down and refocused, then put him back out there.

But to get all worked up over this Zombo hit is to focus on the wrong kinds of penalties. I know it was in a dire situation, and I don't have the capability to watch the play again, but I can't really fault the guy for going after the quarterback on that drive.

In short, that particular penalty needs to be addressed, but not dwelled upon. I'd rather them slam the book down on the O-line.

Agreed Ruppert. On that particular penalty, I kind of side with MM. HOWEVER, those idiotic holding and false start penalties are not penalties resulting from an aggressive and intimidating defense. They are just drive killers, plain and simple. How many interceptions are they going to cost us? How many points are they going to take off the board?
Another issue with MM is the offensive line. EVERY SINGLE YEAR, it takes them until week 8 or 10 for them to show up. This year seems to be no different.
And special teams. They look so "special" they should arrive on the short bus.
One of my biggest criticisms of Sherman was his loyalty to his friends over the good of the team. It was more important to him to make the team a country club for the employment of us dumbass buddies like Tom Rosseley and Mike Stock than it was to hire competent people. Kurt Schottenhiemer, for instance.
Well why are James Campen and Slocum still on the staff? Slocum has gotten it done for exactly TWO games out of his entire career. Which is I suppose more than we can say for Campen.

My Favorite Quote on Lombardi

"When Lombardi said 'sit down' we didn't look for a chair." -Forrest Gregg

Cripes, the seat's already getting hot for McCarthy?

C'mon Brian. Let's wait for next week before you can adequately say McCarthy's returned to his nonchalant attitude towards flags.

once again Cheeseheadtv shows its the Fox news of Packer Nation putting fear into everyone after only one lose today I have read how Woodson sucks and now the Head coach who willed his team at half time of the Bills game it now become Wade Phillips and running camp happy guys I just don’t get it. You cant tell you think all of those 18 were 100% correct calls can we just calm down please you are scaring the children.. Plus Mike has dome some things to help with the penalties he brought refs in during all special teams practices to help cut them down

you tell 'em brian!

Brian, I truly appreciate your work, but I have to disagree with you on this one

..."Even more troubling is the way McCarthy refuses to take responsibility and actions to correct this disturbing trend...."

The first fallacy in your article is taking anything a coach says in public at face value.

MM is not going to rip his players in public, nor is he going to lay out in great detail what goes on behind closed doors.

Its kinda silly to use coach-speak comments to a reporter to indict an NFL Head Coach.

Andy Reid swore on a stack of bibles that McNabb was his guy... 24 hours before he was traded to the skins.

So lets dispense with that right off the bat and look at actions instead of words

Your article suggests that MM hasn't done anything about it or accepted responsibility for it.

I disagree with that assessment as well

You covered training camp and you know that the Packers spent more time on special teams and penalties than they ever have before. It was an area of major emphasis since March and continued through the summer.

They brought in referees to practice to assist the players in teaching them what is legal, what is not and what they are looking for on each play.

They spent extra time on both of these areas at nearly every practice, film review and during OTAs.

At some point, the players are responsible for executing their jobs correctly. Their coaches aren't teaching them to commit penalties, they made that choice on their own

As far as accountability, what is it that you suggest the HC do ?

Clifton, Tauscher, Woodson, Collins all committed penalties on MNF- are you suggesting they should all be benched to prove a point ?

And you are going to threaten to cut them too ?

I understand fans concerns and complaints, but I disagree wholeheartedly that the Packers/McCarthy have not done everything in their power to correct it.

I am still waiting to hear somebody tell me just exactly how you would hold these millionaires starters "more accountable"

Gripes are fine, let's hear a viable solution and let's give credit where credit is due.

Is MM the greatest or best HC ever, no. Does he have flaws, yes.

Remember a lot of people where critical of Grant (can't break tackles, pass blocking, etc) 3 games without him and I am sure missing me some Grant.

One bad game, let MM clean this up, remember he cleaned things up last year.

The only thing "the referees agreed on" Brian was that they would call the game in the Bears' favor. 18 penalties to 2? C'mon.

This is the NFL .... Not HS ....

AR was flagged for intentional grounding on the play before James Jones's fumble ..... Let's suspend AR for the Lions game & if he does it again at anytime during the season ..... Cut him ..... LOL.

You & Nagler need to get together and at least attempt to get real.

I don't put much stock into what coaches say in rationalizing wins and losses as the stupidity/validity of what a coach says depends largely on whether the team wins or looses. I don't see the point in getting upset now because I don't know how the team is going to respond. Believe me, I am worried the team is going to take this lightly. After they beat themselves the way they did, they should be having a come to Jesus meeting.

The majority of the penalties were in fact penalties on the packers. My beef is that two touchdowns were taken away and the Bears were given the go ahead score. That's 11 points taken from Green Bay and 3 Given to Chicago.

Even though the referring was one-sided, they shouldn't have committed THAT MANY penalties. It's like the more important the game got, the more stupid the mistakes got. Sure they had rookies on the field and people get tired, but these are mistakes a veteran team should not be making.

I think MM is doing what he can behind closed doors. I would just really like to see if he has any other facial expressions. I want to see some emotion, just like every other Packers fan I'm sure..

McCarthy was right to not punish Zombo on that play. His reaction was spot on. I know you've got a blog to write but c'mon, man.

I think you are way off focusing on the Zombo penalty here! MM takes the right approach i think with these "effort" penalties. It would make more sense to bench Aaron Rodgers for his stupid intentional grounding penalty than Zombo for his personal foul. (Not that I am advocating benching Rodgers) There were plenty of stupid fixable penalties that need to be focused on. Chewing out and threatening a young player for a strong play that earned an unlucky penalty is exactly the wrong focus.

Bottom line, McCarthy needs to ask these guys, "Do you want to achieve something special this year? Do you want to earn a playoff check? Then pull your heads out of your asses, because penalty-ridden games like this will keep us home in January." Oh, and he can work 'pad level' in there somewhere too if he wants.

Hey Nerdmann...you forgot Sherman's other buddy Bob Slowik

i disagree with this.. pass interference calls. u can come down hard on when its blatant... but roughing the passer gets called one day not called another.. zombo is a rookie.. those things will happen with a rookie..

as for veteran tackles going offsides and holding.. that is unexcusable.. but defensive penalties are not something you can really get mad about...

and i would be upset if MM got mad about that kinda stuff in public.. but in the locker room i would hope he was furious..

Thank you, Brian. This post means a lot to me. It was one thing to lose to the Bears 26-0 in 2006. It's another thing entirely to lose this way now. This hurt worse than even the Tampa Bay game last year. It's awful and McCarthy has to actually be a head coach and learn to YELL.

It's inexplicable that Tom Crabtree could say that McCarthy wasn't angry after that game. I wish I could believe he was lying to be polite. I can't.

McCarthy needs to change or he needs to get the hell out.

Bulaga and Lang need to be on the field before postseason. Another game like Chicago is going to ruin the reputation of two great Packer players. They just don't have legs to be starters anymore.

I think it's great that the coaches have the players playing with reckless abandon. It's a lot better than a players being conservative ("assignment sure" Hawk). The Pack will settle down and have a good year.

I am a McCarthy and Thompson backer but I am beginning to think that this duo is limited. TT will never become a risk-taker (and go after high-profile free agents); and MM is not likely to change his ways, either (his tolerance of penalties, poor clock management,
dumb challenges etc..)
If the Packers fall short this year and don't make it far in the playoffs, Mark Murphy will have an unenviable decision to make. Let's hope he has the good judgement--not to mention cojones--to choose the right path for the organization.

I think and have always thought that maybe they should penalize these players with fines. It may just help to minimize especially the flagrant fouls if they have to reach into their pockets.. Just my opinion..

I hate stupid penalties and repeat offenders.

I can forgive penalties like Morgan Burnetts pass interference or lack thereof, Matthews face mask and Zombo's crushing blow but they need to learn from them and not make the same mistake twice.

I really don't know what else Burnett could do to avoid his penalty. I thought he was in great position and even turned his head to locate the ball. The ball was underthrown, that should be like a tipped ball, it should have never been called, Collins made a great play and the refs cheated him out of it.

Still I feel your frustration, if it was one game fine, but this has gone on for too long now. I thought he had a handle on it this season, until Monday night.

Time will tell if that game was just a fluke or an ongoing problem.

Anyway you slice it, the Bears and their fans are downright lucky to be 3-0. For those that watched their games, anybody that says any different is either blind or in denial.

The Bears ARE who we thought they were...if you want to crown em, then crown their ass.

The great John Mckay--Reporter asks- Coach, what did you think of your teams execution today---Coach Mckay--I'm all for it.
Bring them dam kitty's on, and de-claw them son-of-a bi*&%^es

Wow, there's a lot to swallow on this topic. Funny, isn't it, the things being vented on in here? The undefeated teams are Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Kansas City. Not names I've heard or considered myself in Super Bowl chatter. Everyone else has lost this year, already. I thought there was a lot of sloppiness in all three games, but the team is looking so talented and good, that despite the mistakes, the offensive line troubles, the penalties, etc., they've pulled through, and almost had this game won DESPITE the 18 penalties. If James Jones switches the ball over, we're upset, but praising how they overcame the sloppiness to pull out the win. We're good. We're really, really good. And there's a lot of season left against some pretty strong clubs. Thing is, I think they're all worried about us. And they should be. We'll be fine. The boys'll pull it together. We won't be perfect, we won't go 15-1. But we will make every team this season play us for the full 60 minutes, and if they're the better team that day, they'll have to have earned it. dundun, du dun dun dun...GO PACK, GO!

Look, I'm not saying McCarthy should be fired. But after seeing a couple chronic problems rise up and cost us a game, I think it is fair to question if McCarthy is capable of finally correcting these things before they rise up again at an inopportune time (read: Playoff game) and shoot down the entire season. It's a question, not a call for someone's head. And it is a fair question.