The Packers Biggest Question Heading Into their Bye Week- Are They Contenders or Pretenders?

David Michalski shares some of his thoughts and takes on the Packers from the first six games of the season.

As the Packers celebrate a dramatic Monday Night win at Lambeau Field, I've managed to compile my completely raw takes from the first six weeks of play as the Packers head into their bye week and get ready for their toughest stretch of games this season.  Through these first six games, the Packers have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Sometimes they have managed to display all three of these characteristics in the same game which has certainly made their games must-see TV everytime that they take the field.  

Without further ado here are some of the storylines that have drawn me in and have been at the center of the Packers season thus far.  

Mike McCarthy:

A lot of the thoughts that I have had going into the bye week, revolve around my evaluation of the Mike McCarthy era, probably not from its entirety, but more from the frustration that I feel with each passing year.  A lot of the frustration that I feel regarding McCarthy is two-fold, first, is his never-ending stubbornness with certain things, and second, is the fact that he has only captured one Super Bowl championship during his 12-year tenure while coaching the likes of both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.  

The McCarthy era, in my opinion, will be one of the most difficult eras in Packer history to evaluate.  On one hand, McCarthy has achieved countless accolades as a coach including eclipsing Vince Lombardi’s win totals with the franchise, capturing a Super Bowl title in 2010, reaching the playoffs in eight straight seasons, and coaching two quarterbacks to Hall of Fame careers.  On the other hand, many have become frustrated with the countless January heartbreak and watching the team progress the same way year after year with slow starts and inconsistent and uninspired play.  

Although he ranks statistically as an all-time great coach, I find myself hard-pressed to think of a coach who has done less with the talent that was given to him than Mike McCarthy.  Ok, maybe I can, but please excuse me while my thoughts and frustrations regarding the McCarthy era as they run fluidly throughout these next couple paragraphs.

The Packers again have started the 2018 season much as they have in past seasons; slow out of the gate, playing inconsistent and uninspired football.  This slow start has left many to ask the all to familiar question of how does a team that was graded as the 7th best team in the NFL going into week 6, continually put forth inconsistent and uninspired performances?

The answer that I continually come up with is that McCarthy teams just cannot seem to get out of their own way. When it's not a penalty in a big spot, its a blown defensive coverage, when it's not a blown defensive coverage, it's a big punt return surrendered by the special teams, when it's not a big punt return surrendered by the special teams, it's the offense having to settle for a field goal in the red zone.  At this point, I will gladly settle for just one relatively mistake-free game of Packer football.  

Aaron Rodgers and the offense:

Aaron Rodgers knee is clearly affecting the way he is playing as is evidenced by some of the throws that he is missing that he routinely completes.  His lack of strength and trust in his knee has caused him to not be able to consistently drive the ball to his receivers on certain throws that have come to be routine for him.  All that it takes, is to have just one aspect of your game be just a tick off in order for it to disrupt all of your rhythms. Couple this disruption of game rhythms with trying to get familiar with new skill players and all of a sudden Aaron Rodgers is said to be mired in a major funk.  

There are many factors that have contributed to the offense's inconsistencies to this point in the season, however, when you are the highest paid player in NFL history, people expect results and do not have the time to care about injuries or listen to excuses. Plain and simple, the Packers offense has to rally around each other and find a way to get the job done on a more consistent basis coming out of the bye week and moving forward as the season progresses.  The final minutes of Monday Nights win at Lambeau, will hopefully propel the Packers offense as they head into their toughest stretch of games this season.  

Atrocious Officiating and Sloppy Play:

Unfortunately, as I recap some of my thoughts from the first six weeks of this season we have to go back and revisit all of the atrocious calls that the Packers have been the beneficiaries of.  The fun started when Clay Matthews became a wanted man at the NFL league offices after he put a late hit on Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.  In each of the two weeks that followed, Clay Matthews was called for roughing the passer penalties for making routine, form tackles on Kirk Cousins and Alex Smith which ultimately did cost the Packers a victory in their showdown with the Vikings.  

To make matters worse, the officials made one of their worst blunders of the season last week in Detroit when they awarded the Lions the ball inside of the five-yard line after they claimed that Kevin King was the first player to touch the ball while receiving a punt.  Replay showed that this was not the case, but the NFL’s finest let the play stand anyway after a mandatory booth review.  

In addition to these egregious calls, the Packers have played a sloppy brand of football and have not been able to get out of their own way.  They have committed penalty after penalty and have sacrificed field position on both offense and defense which has cost them dearly.  This brand of football simply cannot continue as is.  Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff must do a better job teaching technique and demand that their players execute these proper techniques for a full four quarters of football.  Ultimately, these careless penalties reflect on the coaching staff and it is crucial that the Packers clean things up in all three facets of the game in order to turn their season around.  

Mike Pettine and the defense: 

Going into Monday night's contest against the 49ers, the Green Bay Packers showed tremendous improvement on the defensive side of the ball.  They went from one of the leagues worst defenses just one season ago, to the 7th graded defense in the league allowing the 4th fewest yards per game thus far in 2018.  Last night, Mike Pettine showed the organization what he and his defensive unit was made of. After having his defense exposed and exploited for more than three quarters, Pettine and his crew dug their heels in and made stops when the game was on the line and came up with a gameplan that halted the 49ers offense for the remainder of the game.  

I believe that one of Pettine's best assets that he has shown us thus far is his ability to not only make in-game adjustments but to come up with a solution to remedy whatever is ailing the defense during that particular week.  We saw an example of this last night when Pettine was able to collapse the 49ers run block which closed up Breida and Mosterts’ running lanes and made the 49er offense predictable and one dimensional.  

There is no doubt that Mike Pettine will have his work cut out for him during the next two matchups against the Rams and Patriots in particular.  It will be interesting to see if Pettine will be able to help contain these two high powered offensive attacks and keep the games close.  Pettine will undoubtedly draw on his experience from his AFC East days to slow down the uptempo offenses of the Rams and Patriots, with the hopes that he can give Aaron Rodgers a chance to pull at least one more rabbit out of his hat in the fourth quarter during these two contests.  

Final Take: 

The next six games on the schedule will go a long way in determining whether or not the Packers have what it takes to be a playoff team come January.  They will be tested by some of the NFL’s most complete teams and will quickly learn where they stack up moving forward.  I believe that the success of the Packers over the next six weeks will be determined by how they control the point of attack, and whether or not they can start to play a complete sixty minutes of mistake-free football in the coming weeks.  The Packers will in all likelihood have to go 4-2 or 3-3 (at worse) in their next six games to keep any hopes of a playoff birth alive.  A split against the Rams and the Patriots would certainly go a long way in helping the team achieve that mark.  

 

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David Michalski is a staff writer for Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter @kilbas27dave 

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Comments (115)

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Hawg Hanner's picture

October 16, 2018 at 11:18 am

Nice article David. I agree with your concerns on McCarthy. I think the man is burnt out and we should be looking for his successor. With injuries the defense has been hampered. Tramon Williams looked like he doesn't belong on the field any longer. Losing Wilkerson was a big loss. Let's hope after the bye they can play ball in the first half.

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GBPDAN1's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:05 pm

Based on performance so far this year,I don't see this team doing to much in 2018. Even if we made the playoffs, I don't think we'd go far in the post season. TT left this team needing play making talent, especially on defense.

We will need another year, maybe 2, to add more talent

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KenEllis's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:18 pm

I agree Dan.

Every game makes it more clear that Thompson was God awful his last few years in Green Bay. (Take a look at his second, third, and fourth picks in 2017, ugly).

Gute did a really nice job adding playmakers this offseason at WR, TE, and CB, but he could not fill every void.

He needs to add some more playmakers before the team is a true contended, especially on defense.

Also time for overpaid and overrated "stars" like Matthews and Cobb to find employment elsewhere in order to free up $ that can be spent elsewhere.

2019 under a new coach, with

Ted really did leave

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Guam's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:59 pm

KenEllis: Agree that some (much?) of MM's inability to deliver another SB is tied to TT's poor drafting over the final years of his career. Even with a HOF QB, it is hard to win championships with holes all over the roster. If you are a draft and develop team, you must draft well...….

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Leatherhead's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:49 pm

Dan. We're 3-2-1. Only the Rams and New Orleans have fewer losses or more wins.

Totally disagree on the need for playmaking talent on defense or the general dismissal of a great GM, Ted Thompson.

You go through the offseason, the draft, free agency, training camp, etc. to get 21 game day defensive players, another 4 on gameday inactive, and another 4 on the practice squad.

From the 21 we started with, we've lost Wilkerson for the season. We lost House but he was replaced now by Breeland. Brown will be/should be cut. He's not smart.

Alexander and King have both missed time with injury. Jackson is a rookie. Brice is a UDFA who is being asked to cover good WRs deep downfield in single coverage. Why are we surprised that ends badly sometimes?

But as regards talent, I'll tell you this: Not a single defender....other than Brown, maybe.....would clear waivers if we released them. Not one. Every single one would be on some other team's Gameday 21, or at least the 53 man roster.

Matthews is overpaid and most of the time now he's Just A Guy. Perry was our best pass defender last night. Clark and Daniels are studs. King and Dix are above average players at their positions.

And then, we have results: 2nd in completions/game, 2nd in fewest penalty yards, 2nd in passing first downs allowed. 4th in sack %, 9th in yards/attempt, 9th in completion %, 11th in net yards/attempt.

You decry the 2017 draft, particularly the 2-3-4 picks.

Our 2nd was on Josh Jones. Fast and physical, he can't cover and the experiment at safety was destined to fail. But if you'd put this guy in as a weakside backer in a 4-3, he'd be a much better player, IMO. Right now, he's a player without a position on this team.

Then we took Monsteravious Adams, who was hurt as a rookie, but he's been a GameDay Active 21 in all six games. He's got Daniels and Clark in front of him and doesn't get a lot of snaps on defense but is on about half the special teams plays.

In the 4th we got Jamaal Williams, who had a very good rookie year and has played solidly for us this year but the fans want the flashy guy instead of the durable banger. Fine. Hardly a waste of a 4th round pick.

Here's some reality: Ted Thompson was a very good GM. We have a very good roster. There is plenty enough talent to win with. We have some youth and inexperience but titles are not won in September and October.

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Mojo's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:23 pm

Sounds like Old School's looking for a job in the Packers PR department.

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fastmoving's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:53 pm

totally agree…...

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dobber's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:15 pm

When Wilkerson went down, it was a prime opportunity for Montravious Adams to step into the rotation and establish himself as a key player for this defensive front. They NEED him to do so to take some of the heat off Clark and Daniels, who are getting run into the turf. Instead? 2 snaps last night. 3 last week. Something's wrong here.

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dblbogey's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:14 pm

I think what's wrong is he can't play football at the NFL level.

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dobber's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:28 pm

I think there might be something to that...

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Demon's picture

October 16, 2018 at 07:13 pm

Oldschool your point of view must be skewed with your lips firmly attsched to TT's butt.

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Skip greenBayless's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:03 pm

Because of this historic come from behind win, I have decided to offer free Bud Lights to everyone here and oh, one Mead for Taryn. Enjoy and go Pack.

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Skip greenBayless's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:05 pm

Cancel that mead.

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dobber's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:16 pm

Dilly dilly!

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PackfanNY's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:50 pm

What the heck is a "mead' anyway? Dilly, dilly.

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MarkinMadison's picture

October 16, 2018 at 07:54 pm

An alcoholic version of honey. I've tried it in the UK. Not my thing. It's interesting for about a sip. After that it gets really old. There are some in Wisconsin who make it.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

October 16, 2018 at 09:43 pm

You need better mead then.

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PackfanNY's picture

October 17, 2018 at 11:47 am

Thanks, Mark. I was serious I had no idea what it was. I looked it up after and it apparently is also known as "honey wine". Something about fermenting honey and water. I need to get back to talking Packers football!

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TKWorldWide's picture

October 16, 2018 at 09:02 pm

Is it autumnal?

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Skip greenBayless's picture

October 16, 2018 at 11:00 pm

lol.. I could have went on and added that TK but said the hell with it. I like Taryn but thought she was the perfect person for the bit and I am sure she would agree. Dilly Dilly!!

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Bearmeat's picture

October 17, 2018 at 08:46 am

This made my morning.

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Leatherhead's picture

October 16, 2018 at 11:41 am

A nice article with good balance....that's kind of ra-re to find these days.

We have been inconsistent the first 6 games. The team has not put a 60 minute game together yet but both units have shown some flashes that are encouraging.

We're going to have to disagree on McCarthy. I've been following the Packers since the 60s and this last decade or so has been a Green and Golden Era. We've won a Super Bowl, made it to the NFC Championship game FOUR times in 11 years, we had our best season record ever in 2011 at 15-1, and we've won our division about every other year. That's nothing to sneeze at.

I think he's a top tier coach, and that we were able to go 7-9 last year without a defense, without an NFL caliber QB for most of the season, and with a shaky offensive line.....well, that's nothing short of a coaching miracle, IMO.

And this year, to be 3-2-1 after our shaky play and some historically horrible Official Bonings….again, this could be a lot worse.

There are things about McCarthy I don't like, but don't kid yourself; we're lucky to have this guy. Yes, having Rodgers helps, but it also helps to have Brees, Ryan, etc. We're not the only team in the league with a really good QB.

Only time will tell if this team is going to get it together.....mid-season is starting and we'll see what our mid-season form looks like.

We're 3-2-1 and could easily be better if the officials just knew what roughing the passer was. The Rams are unbeaten (but not unbeatable). New Orleans is 4-1 and their defense is terrible.

So we're in the mix, my friend. Yes, this next 5 game stretch will mean a lot. If we go 3-2, we'll be 6-4-1 heading into the home stretch. If we go 1-4, we'll be 4-6-1 and probably out of hit. If we go 2-3, we'll be 5-5-1 and will probably need to win out.

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kevgk's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:00 pm

I agree. MM doesn't get nearly enough credit. He has the second best resume in the league, that isn't an accident. His stubborness with Capers is his biggest knock, but he still won a lot of games with him. The Packers have had to deal with a lot of moving parts in the offseason, some inconsistencies and execution struggles are to be expected. If he gets some offensive talent this next offseason, and the defense finds some continuity, the Packers can be set up to compete for several years.

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Fire_Gute's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:25 pm

Can someone who still believes in Mccarthy please just tell me one thing he does well. It's not preparing or motivating a team, clock/timeout management, offensive scheme, player personnel decisions, halftime adjustments, attacking opponents weaknesses, accountability, coaching staff decisions, or any other one thing I can point to.

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kevgk's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:35 pm

He does all of those things well, but you wouldn't believe me anyway. Better question, who are 3 current HCs that you think does those things better?

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Fire_Gute's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:11 pm

Can i name the ones i dont think are better?
John Gruden. I don't get it and never have. I think the raiders are going to regret it.

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dobber's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:17 pm

He's doing his best to Chip Kelly that team.

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4thand1's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:30 pm

Carr is the most overrated QB in football.

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Fire_Gute's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:30 pm

I get the name attraction he brings, but I would think a team that might be moving as soon as next year would want to keep a couple stars on it.

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Skip greenBayless's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:57 pm

Mike McCarthy eats very well. That's one thing right off the bat. Sorry I couldn't resist.

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Leatherhead's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:14 pm

One thing? How about winning? Or is that not enough?

He won with an aging prima donna/turnover machine. He wins with a QB he's developed. He wins without a defense. He won 7 games last year without a defense, a beaten up offensive line, and without an NFL QB for over half the season. He's won without a running back on the roster.

4 times in 11 years he's had us in the NFC Championship game. How many other coaches have done that?

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fthisJack's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:24 pm

he blew that title game in 2014 against Seattle....with his play not to lose BS! he should have been fired after that game. no other coach in the league would have lost that game.

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PeteK's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:26 pm

I agree, it's very difficult to win in this era of parity (excluding amazing Pats) and MM has won plenty. Look at all the previous winners: Seahawks, Falcons, Saints, Giants, etc. I would rather have the Packs past record and future outlook.

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Coldworld's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:05 pm

Blaming the head coach is an easy outlet for unfocused frustration. Overall MM has been good. That said, it is true that coaches can run out of ideas and get stale. MM has been here a long time.

If I thought MM had had the teams he wanted I would be on the MM out bandwagon. However, the reality is that I don’t believe that TT and Russ Ball were in synch with MM on recruitment and retention the last few years.

Then Gute comes in and has a stellar off season trying to reshape through the draft and acquisition. He addressed WR through the draft, CB in any way he could and TE by FA. He did not get to do everything: no pass rushers (excerpt Donnerson on the PS) and only a UDFA Safety. However, there was significant personnel churn.

Because of that we have a team with players new to Rodgers and our schemes as well as a lot of rookies at key positions (exacerbated by injuries on O). That tends to mean more inexperience on ST too.

Low and behold, the result has been leavened with mistakes, immaturity and out of position disconnects. As such the result is not overly shocking, or shouldn’t be. For that reason, blaming us for not looking like world beaters in early October seems an over reaction.

If we don’t look better by December, then maybe I can join the bandwagon, or if we just come out lackadaisically like we did against the Skins on a regular basis. The Detroit debacle is an example of how adversity often throws teams lacking experience, together or in any sense.

Hopefully we learned from that. A good coach would make sure we do, and will work to refine the decision making, positional awareness and timing. I think we will see this.

With another off season, a draft with interesting OLBs and 2 if not more high cost players with contracts expiring likely to move on and we could be really well set.

I believe MM can get us there supported by Gute. I do believe that both sides of the ball are yet to show their full playbook or potential. That’s maybe a positive thing: keep tricks and wrinkles hidden till your players are comfortable in their roles and the situation justifies letting them get on tape.

Finally, I will remind everyone that the League has effectively conceded that we should be 4 & 2 on merit and leading the division. One could argue 5 and 1. We have caught the wrong end of some egregious game changing calls this year. While no help in the standings, this is relevant to evaluation of the coaching and team.

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Fire_Gute's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:06 pm

He won 3 games with his hand picked backup quarterback. They were 4-1 with Rodgers so 3-8 is a better stat to use than 7-9. Favre won plenty of games after he left, he wasn't the washed up old man hes portrayed to be. And hes the at least half the reason there was no defense. I don't see how Mccarthy coached us into a win last night. Or any time in a long time.

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Starr1531's picture

October 16, 2018 at 11:53 am

I don't agree that we are lucky to have McCarthy anymore, he should be gone whether make the playoffs or not this year, stayed with Dom Capers too long and we are doing this with McCarthy. Been a fan since 1960 and watch the Good Bad and Ugly and this is Ugly as far the defense goes. Why they did not put Ron Wolfe son in charge last year will never know. We stayed with Thompson forever and except for drawing Rodgers and Clay Mathews who has last a step or 2, we have been bad.. They brought in Tramon Williams along with House and let go Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde and they both pro Bowlers.. They need to clean house end of year and get a coach like Jack Del Rio to run defense and coach to just run the team, Rodgers does not need McCarthy play calling and sad to say but they have not given this guy help in years and still wins. Clean House, McCarthy overrated for long time.

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Lare's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:25 pm

I wonder what McCarthy's record would be without Favre & Rodgers and playing in a division other than the NFC North.

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Coldworld's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:08 pm

Lol, one could ask that question if Belicheck without Brady and the division the Patriots are in. The answer would be just as unhelpful.

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SoCalJim's picture

October 16, 2018 at 11:55 am

Nice article, Dave. In my opinion, Mike McCarthy = Marty Schottenheimer. He’ll tease, but will ultimately fail to satisfy.

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ShanghaiKid's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:08 pm

I'm going to politely disagree JimR. McCarthy already delivered a Lombardi.

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SoCalJim's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:26 pm

Good point. But even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. That was the most improbable season to win the SB, coming through playoffs as a wild card team, winning each game on the road. I think that team was loaded with talent beyond what constitutes today’s team. Unless he has the perfect team, Mike McCarthy will disappoint in the playoffs, like his mentor, Marty S.

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packerbackerjim's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:21 pm

I have to agree with you, Jim R. To me, MM is the football equivalent of Bobby Cox, who took the Braves to 13 or so straight division titles but won only one World Series despite having the best starting pitching staff—Possibly in all of baseball history. Major underachievement.

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fastmoving's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:39 pm

"I think that team was loaded with talent…."

all it takes is getting hot at the right time and a lot of luck is always involved too. nobody saw the pack as loaded before they got on a run back then.

we just sneaked into the Playoffs, missing 12 starters and had no real tight end or running game.
Dont know if that SB team was so loaded with talent. Rodgers was unstoppable and the team just got hot at the right time.
We have a lot of talent today too and so it could happen again.

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Skip greenBayless's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:01 pm

I agree fastmoving. It's all about getting hot at the right time and a lot of luck. You also just described the Milwaukee Brewers. They are as hot as you can get right now and on a total roll winning I think 11 of 12 games now.

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Tundraboy's picture

October 16, 2018 at 08:37 pm

Hey I gave McCarthy an awful lot of credit and respect for holding that 2010 team together through all those injuries,but if we are being completely honest,I recall that there were a couple of playoff games where he nearly blew it before ARod did something incredible to save the day.

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SoCalJim's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:26 pm

Good point. But even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. That was the most improbable season to win the SB, coming through playoffs as a wild card team, winning each game on the road. I think that team was loaded with talent beyond what constitutes today’s team. Unless he has the perfect team, Mike McCarthy will disappoint in the playoffs, like his mentor, Marty S.

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SoCalJim's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:27 pm

Apologies for the double post!

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Coldworld's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:10 pm

Loaded with talent? Good QBs. Woodson, but lots of weaknesses and UDFAs. That might be a good debate

Truly think loss of Collins cost us dearly

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Leatherhead's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:24 pm

Jim R.....I am SO glad you brought Marty Schottenheimer into this.

For the youngsters among us who might not be familiar with him, Marty was a long time NFL coach with the Browns, Chiefs, and Chargers. He is best known for having good teams that won a lot of games but ultimately came up short in the playoffs.

He's 7th in all time wins, and the only one of the Top 8 not in the HOF. Probably because he didn't win titles. But every team that got rid of him because they were tired of not winning one immediately got worse.

He made the playoffs his last 4 years in Cleveland, but didn't win a title, so they fired him. They still made the playoffs the next year, but then it's only been twice more in the last 28 years.

Marty was immediately picked up by the Chiefs, who made the playoffs 7 times in the next 9 years. He had a 7-9 season and got fired. KC made the playoffs twice in the next 10 years. They STILL have not won a Super Bowl title.

After he left the Chiefs, he went to San Diego where he coached for another six years, making the playoffs the last three, and was fired after a 14-2 season. Norv Turner took over and made the playoffs three straight years but didn't have any more playoff success that Marty.

When you run a billion dollar a year organization, you don't fire a guy like McCarthy unless you are DAMN sure you've got somebody better to replace him with. At this point, I don't see that guy. Do you?

So I'll stick with McCarthy and his warts. As the saying goes...."Better the Devil you know than the one you don't".

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jh9's picture

October 17, 2018 at 09:01 pm

"When you run a billion dollar a year organization, you don't fire a guy like McCarthy unless you are DAMN sure you've got somebody better to replace him with. At this point, I don't see that guy. Do you?"

It is not your job or my job to find a new HC. It is the GM's job. You and I and any other "fan" do not know all the quality up-and-coming coaching candidates throughout the NFL. Knowing those talented individuals and hiring them is the measure of a talented GM. Who knew how good Sean McVay would be before he became the Rams HC? Ted Thompson and Mark Murphy could have replaced Mike McCarthy with Sean McVay, but they didn't.

Whether Sean McVay would have been the right replacement for the Packers isn't my point. The fans didn't know who Sean McVay was but the GM for the Rams, Les Snead, did.

To say you keep a mediocre coach because he is "the devil you know" IMO is thinking like a loser. Mike McCarthy should be replaced. In fact, he should have been replaced after the 2014 season. This is after we witnessed the Packers unprepared to play the Giants in the 2011 playoffs, embarrassed by Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers in the 2012 and 2013 playoffs, and blew a 16-0 halftime lead against the Seahawks in 2014.

This is not a personal attack on Mike McCarthy. He seems like a nice enough man. But from what I have seen over the years, he is like a nice farmer who fell into the job of riding Secretariat (Aaron Rodgers). And, yes, we won one SB but we can't win the Triple Crown (or multiple SBs) with him as the jockey. It's not his fault. Mike McCarthy is doing the best he can. However, he isn't talented enough to do what could and should be done.

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JHitTheB's picture

October 18, 2018 at 07:10 am

Belicheck with Rodgers or Brees coupled with his 13 top 10 scoring Ds would have more than 5 rings. Just saying.

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Lphill's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:00 pm

think about this, the refs don't call clay for roughing against the Vikings that's a win, Crosby makes all his kicks against the Lions, that's a win so this team is easily 5 and 1 , this article and all the negatives against McCarthy would not be, maybe he is just the scapegoat right now.

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White92's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:27 pm

Plus playing the last couple of games without #2 and #3 wideouts. Not much being said about that

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dobber's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:31 pm

I find myself wondering what game flow might have been like last night if #18 and 81 were playing, yes.

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Fire_Gute's picture

October 16, 2018 at 07:17 pm

Detroit plays that game completely different if it's close. Minnesota obviously should have been a win, but if were playing that game we could be 2 and 4 pretty easily as well

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ShanghaiKid's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:07 pm

I'd say pretenders. There is a very good chance the Pack don't even make the playoffs. They're 3-2-1 now. Chances are good that they go 2-3 in the next 5 games putting them at 5-5-1. They would need some more run the table magic just to get to the playoffs. Pretenders.

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SoCalJim's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:32 pm

I’m only expecting 7-8-1 or 8-7-1 this season. Of course, I’m hoping the team exceeds my expectations. Go Pack!

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Mojo's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:38 pm

The way I see it whoever gets the two NFC wildcards will need to win 10 games. Outside chance nine will do it, but that doesn't happen very often. That means GB needs to win seven out of the next ten.

The way they played last night I don't know if they could win seven of ten against the bottom ten teams in the league much less the reality of what they do have in front of them.

The other option is to win the division, which once again will most likely require at least ten wins.

Unless there's a coming to Jesus moment after the bye, I just don't see it.

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Rufus's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:54 pm

Mojo, When they play a good team, they are going to get there asses handed to them. Lets put this in perspective, They played at home against a sub par team and barley squeaked it out. No excuses, they dont seem ready for prime time. They should have won by 2 touchdowns.

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TarynsEyes's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:12 pm

It's hard to catch up in a league that has passed you by when you're still getting/using players that are from that bygone era.

The Packers/MM are playing early 2010-esk football, trying to catch up to 2015+ football when 2020 football is on display.

Rodgers and this team would be amazing in 2010 but in 2018 and with the changes, the falling off the cliff isn't the issue, it's climbing it to be part of the new age. This is why Rodgers and company are slipping. They cannot find the footholds to ascend back to real time.

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fthisJack's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:47 pm

the players are not the problem on this team. they have enough talent to win a SB if they have the coaching and scheme and drive. the problem is the offense is the same crap we've been seeing for a decade. they need a new innovative offense and its apparent that MM isn't up to the task. if he went through the playbook and completely revamped it in the offseason....i haven't seen a difference. i thought Philbin would help but i was wrong on that count.
the same can't be said for the defense.....i see a noticeable improvement by jettisoning ole Capers. they have their weak spots but Pettine has done a nice job of covering those up. they need to shore up the S and OLB position going forward and they will be fine. the scheme works.

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TheBigCheeze's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:23 pm

hey David Michalski........"......the first six weeks of this season we have to go back and revisit all of the atrocious calls that the Packers have been the beneficiaries of.".........how in the hell were the Packers the BENEFICIARIES of those atrocious calls??????........they were the VICTIMS!!!!

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splitpea1's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:24 pm

This team can only be considered a serious contender when they can put a quality defense on the field. They need to add at least one significantly better player on all three levels, and they especially need a pass rush. Signing old hands or sticking with players who are well past their prime isn't going to work. So hopefully the front office realizes this and will be ready to do what it takes to succeed here.

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jhalwas611.com's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:28 pm

I must agree with the magnifying glass being on the coaching. True the defense does make in game adjustments that seem to work while the offenses adjustment appear to regress. I feel the biggest problem is lack of speed in play. What happened to no huddle hurry up offense that keeps defenders on the field and on their heels? The penalties are a management issue too. Formation errors and sportsman conduct penalties should not be tolerated. Lackluster play at the safety position has cost at least one if not more games this year. All this overshadows the efforts af players like Martinez, Bakhtiari and Clark.

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Oppy's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:36 pm

Big picture, it's simple to paint.

Almost every game, the defense shows brief glimpses of playoff caliber play, however, the majority of their play every game is sub par and not up to snuff. They have only played one complete game this season. The defense is not playing well enough at this point.

Also almost every game, the QB shows brief glimpses of playoff caliber play, however, the majority of his play every game has been average to sub par and not up to snuff. He has not put together a complete game this season. He is not playing good enough at this point.

The Packers have pulled off big turn arounds over the bye week in the past. I am hoping to see that happen again. Getting healthy is a part of the equation, but getting it together will be the biggest task.

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Kb999's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:15 pm

Oppy, the D just got shredded by a 1 and 4 team. What's going to happen when they play the Rams?? There in deep do-do.

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Oppy's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:10 pm

Kb999,
I also believe that Rodgers completion rate was 54% and the Packers offense's 3rd down efficiency was a lousy 30%. What's going to happen when they play the Rams?? There in deep do-do... Just like the defense.

And also just like the defense, the only answer is getting their heads out of their rears and play smart, consistent football like they have shown, at times, they are capable of.

Make no mistake.. This is just as much about Rodgers pulling it together as it's about the defense pulling it together.

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pacman's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:31 pm

Pretenders this year. But next year with

1. new head coach
2. new defensive players (2 first round picks)
3. money saved on CM (it can't last forever) and Cobbs contract (sorry again but Allison and rookies looking good) to sign a Khalil Mack.

we have a lot of potential but still need AR to get back to form.

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Mojo's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:40 pm

I agree pacman. I don't see it this year, but they'll have considerably more resources next year.

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Packer_Fan's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:38 pm

MM is the most responsible here. Offense started well but then stalled for two and a half quarters when SF went to man to man with heavy blitzes. I just don't understand MM when you know they are blitzing and the offense lines up in a tight formation and then SF has 9 or 10 at the line of scrimmage. AR and the OL has no way of knowing who will be blitzing. At the end of the game, the offense was split out and made it easier to know who blitzing.

Pettine also laid an egg. Gibbon should have had over and under coverage to take him out of the game.
And Jackson has to be brought under control. Another penalty. But credit the defense for the three stops late in the game.

What is going on with special teams? Two holding penalties by Morrison and roughing by Brown. Zook has to get these guys under control. Perhaps after the bye, Breeland will be ready to go and Brown can remain inactive.

The Pack is still in the hunt. But c'mon man, MM change your attitude and get things in gear.

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fthisJack's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:56 pm

Zook is another coach that needs to go bye bye.

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fthisJack's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:56 pm

Zook is another coach that needs to go bye bye.

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Ryan3468's picture

October 16, 2018 at 12:57 pm

No identity. This team is bad. Can they turn it around? I’d guess they can win in this NFL, but so far even that looks bad. Favre had some bad years. I guess we finally have a few for Rogers.

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egbertsouse's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:15 pm

Wow! The green and gold kool-aid is flowing today. There is even a sighting of the rare Uncle Ted defender, which is like finding a T-Rex in your backyard.

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fastmoving's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:34 pm

there are way more than you think. he was not bad at all, won just as much titles as Wolf. but who want argue with the the fire everyone crowd, who like to complain about everything and everyone.
guess thats how people act today. Unfortunately, only a couple of really bad years would put that in perspective.

Man, do you remember 2010-2020, if we had a great QB and were in every game. went to the playoffs all the time ……...good ol times. Everything was perfekt back than…. and now, look at us today….so sad, so sad.

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Christopher Gennaro's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:13 pm

Sure TT has as many rings as wolf, but do yourself a favor and look at the drafts since 2010. The amount of misses in the higher rounds 1-3 are awful. Add to that giving up on guys and letting them walk for nothing, has put this team in a hole every year. Ask yourself why TT is considered the greatest 4th round gm ever? I'll even give you career ending injuries, but what did he do the counter that? Nothing , he viewed FA as something others do, not here unless his hand was forced. Make trades with mid round picks to fix a problem, impossible no known NFL talent, is as great as the unknown draft pick I have in mind. He sat in tower and refused to address any problems, unless he had no to choice. Yeah sure many people will look at 2010 2020 years and remember how great it was, but I'm sure many others will look and say what if. We are never going to see another qb run in GB, like Farve and Rodgers.
Just imagine if Murphy actually held the standard of SB or bust, instead of being preoccupied with Title Town expansion, over the prime of Rodgers career? Say all you want about Brady, he will go down as the greatest ever, and you what helped? An owner and gm that did whatever it took, (yes including bending the rules), to ensure all they did was win. The worst part for me, was the quick shots TT got towards the end for Big Mike himself, is that a sign of a gm doing all he can, when the coach takes subtle shots in pressers?

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Pack204's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:20 pm

McCarthy I think would be a good coordinator on a team. As far as a head coach I think he is in the bottom of the league in terms of in game management and situational football. These decisions usually end up between the difference of winning and losing close games in the NFL. The best coaches in the game Pederson, Bellicheck, McVay, Harbaugh. These coaches understand in the moment of tight games how to make quick decisions because they have played out scenarios ahead of time about how to handle those big moments by having their team prepared and ready to go. They always look in control on the sidelines.

This team without Rodgers might struggle to win two games all season. Its one of the least talented rosters in the entire NFL.

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SpudRapids's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:23 pm

Just a bunch of sour pusses on here... I'm gonna say what is true and what all of you should say:

I don't know

We've seen many teams start out 5-0 and miss the playoffs. We've seen teams start worse than the Packers go on to do great things. Let's let the season play out and sit back and watch.

And all of "fire him" people need to calm their emotions.

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CDC Dave Retired's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:27 pm

Without Rodgers this team is below average at best: not even 8-8
Everyone deems the defense the culprit for not making the playoffs.
Wrong.
Their offensive tackles are over rated and quite frankly garbage.
Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher had more in their jock straps than the current tackles.
The guards are below average.
The center is below average.
The back ups are pathetic.
With the (2) 1st round draft picks in 2019: forget about pass rushers, draft 2 offensive tackles that are tackles and not more of the same offensive lineman who are cross trained to fill in at guards.
Fire all of the coaches.
Bye bye Matthews, Cobb, Bulaga, Wikerson, House, Williams, Kendricks, and trade Perry to the Raiders since they need a pass rusher.

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stockholder's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:15 pm

Bye bye Matthews, Cobb, Bulaga, Wikerson, House, Williams, Kendricks, and trade Perry to the Raiders since they need a pass rusher. And why wasn't Dix included? Think about MMs decisions here. He has to play these guys. Guys that have not shown enough RETURNS. Yet they all want the money. As an investor would you put money into a dream, or pull out? No, the talent doesn't exist anymore. It's on paper. So how do you blame MM? Petine ? or any other coach? The talk of cleaning house will only be a downer. PLAYERS get tired of it and give up. Plans = building. Money = winning. WE invested in A-Rod. Adams. Graham. Yet the result, is only a number in the win /Lost column. So it's either the players who you want gone. Or the staff is the PROBLEM. Blame MM why? You want the players gone. Problem is: Penalties, Turn-overs, Age, injuries, negativity. Can these guys forget their pocket books, stay focused, execute. It starts with the OL, and A-Rod. He can't rip off the packers. He must execute. The defense: focused, Containment, Pressure, Tackle. The parts of this team are a puzzle. Crosby failing in Detroit./Minn. Dropped passes. A-Rod' indecisiveness. The defense pass rush, penalties, safety failures, and game changing fight. This team is a nightmare in your opinion. This staff is intelligent. The argument this team won't make the playoffs is yet to be seen.

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splitpea1's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:19 pm

Yeah, right. Bakhtiari and Bulaga are garbage. What planet are you from? And since you're advocating getting rid of 2 OLBs and a DT, and not using high draft picks to replace them, where exactly is the pass rush supposed to come from?

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Ryan3468's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:28 pm

McCarthy knows standard operating procedures. He doesn’t know adjustments. Even his curve balls are now standards. He used to do the old onside kick to catch teams off balance. You can’t fake what you don’t do. If McCarthy had a full blood transfusion maybe he could survive. It looks feels and smells old. Playing top tier teams won’t be kind to us. So much bad, not enough good. If only we could just play Tampa the rest of the year. Battle of the Bays. Get the young players some snaps. I already want to see Tonyan, and Kumero once he is cleared.

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jlc1's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:34 pm

Pretenders and probably more so than the Bears even. Looks like week 17 against the Lions is going to have al lot riding on it.

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ILPackerBacker's picture

October 16, 2018 at 01:53 pm

well done, rational and a good read, I wish we could get more of this and less of the garbage from people who do not bother to watch the games and instead parrot crap from worse bloggers.

The reality of all the mistakes, all the terrible-not bad- terrible calls all of which went against us is we made the plays to be 5-1.

We don't have to be pretend fans and say we COULD have made plays or we SHOULD have made plays. The plays were made. At 5-1 even when it is ugly things look much better

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White92's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:31 pm

With Cobb and Alison back and Rodgers healing, I expect the offense to look a whole lot better after the bye. That should make the entire team look better. The schedule is tough, but the division isn't really that good. I think the Vikings were somewhat overrated, Chicago just had someone named Osweiler throw for almost 400 yards, and the Lions aren't any good either. Packers have just as good a shot as anyone.

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cheesehead1's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:32 pm

This team looks like average at best. We’ll see how things stack up as we move into a very difficult stretch. The D in my opinion is improved from years past, but only slightly. Not much of a pass rush, and by the way, where was Daniels?? Aaron is far from 100% IMO but still no excuse. We gave up 30 to SF at home. Hopefully the bye reinvigorates them.

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henry113's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:11 pm

Cheese, how is the D improved? We gave up 30 points at home!! Against SF.!! I think they took their bye week early.

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Coldworld's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:44 pm

6 in the second half.

49ers caught them unprepared with a different game plan. D adjusted.
That wouldn’t have happened last season.

This is in part the process of growth when you have a lot of inexperienced players in key positions.

I will say that the 49ers have some great speed at RB and WR. They will be a problem for a lot of teams if they can play like that—something they did not do the week before.

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Kb999's picture

October 16, 2018 at 08:38 pm

Cold, I agree that SF played bete r than a 1 & 5 team. Last year ARods season was over. Last night they beat out D like a drum at home. Not good.

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4thand1's picture

October 16, 2018 at 02:44 pm

What I see is a lot of yards between to 20's and settling for FG's. The red zone offense is bad right now. The teams making plays are the ones using RB's out of the backfield catching passes. A lot of the time the Packers seem to be in an empty backfield when they get in the red zone. Thats MM putting it all on AR's shoulders all the time. 70% passing is total BS, so I say pretenders until the play calling wakes up. The Pack should be able to stay in games and win shootouts with a QB like AR. MM and Joe B have 2 weeks to study the Rams offense and a game of theirs to watch this Sunday. Maybe the light bulb will go on.

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Since'61's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:10 pm

A good article. The fact is that if not for Belichick and really if not for Tom Brady MM would be considered the premier NFL head coach of this era. He would be the only coach with 8 consecutive playoff appearances and although only 1 SB, which is disappointing I agree, he has reached the NFCCG 4 times, winning one, losing 2 in OT thanks to boneheaded plays and getting blown out in 2016 with a seriously wounded and exhausted team after 16 straight games without a bye.

As for Aaron Rodgers, he has been playing hurt and without 2 of his starting WRs for at least 2 games. He is trying to carry the team and break in rookie receivers while playing on one leg. His OL, originally an expected strength has been shaky at best.

The defense has shown the inconsistencies of a defense that is learning a new system while simultaneously playing with several inexperienced players.

In spite of all this and the atrocious officiating the Packers should be 4-2 and in first place in their division, just like the Cheatalots and BB.

The real question is after Aaron Rodgers how good is the rest of the roster. Our WRs are fine and MVS oreven ESB May be the game breakers we need at WR. Our RBs our effective and can be more so if we get the ball Aaron Jones more frequently. Our OL has been somewhat shaky and inconsistent and needs the bye week to heal up and get in sync.

Our defense is inconsistent. The DL has been a disappointment but has rallied to make stops in the 4th qtr. Our OLBs are disastrous and Martinez is our only ILB and in fact our only LB. CBs have been excellent and are improving. Our safeties are question marks at best.

STs, mostly good but they have had their failures as well.

In conclusion, this team needs at least another season before it will be ready to compete effectively in the playoffs. Maybe even 2 seasons. However this has been a weird NFL season so far and anything can happen. If the Packers can hang in there and get hot in December who knows how far ARcan take them with some help from an improving defense. Time will tell. Thanks, Since ‘61

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Razer's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:43 pm

...this team needs at least another season before it will be ready to compete effectively in the playoffs. Maybe even 2 seasons...

Well said. I am going with 2 seasons. Given that we are still primarily a draft and develop team, we need some serious talent on defense and some time to get them playing as a unit.

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Since'61's picture

October 16, 2018 at 07:11 pm

We definitely need some talent at OLB and Safety that's for sure Razer. Thanks, Since '61

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Doug Niemczynski's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:56 pm

When is the next game Jimmy
Graham will get a TD? He has 1 TD after
6 games!! 6'7 and wing span of a pterodactyl !!!

And, my lord when will M.Lewis get 1 lousy pass to him. He is 6'6 270 lbs. he can carry a freaking CB on his back!!!

Come On MM !! Doesn't your double sided color coded offensive play card have anything on it? Or, is it google news your reading?

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Razer's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:40 pm

Good stuff.

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Christopher Gennaro's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:23 pm

The use of Lewis drives me nuts. What did hear after the signing, great blocker, going open the run game and help in protection of our best player. Dude is all but gone at the end of year, because who wants to sit, especially when he has value. I had vision of him and either BB or DB, just pancaking DEs, especially our NFC north rivals and all I see is him MIA. How are the packers going to find the mid level free agents, without overpaying when its a becoming clearer and clearer, it hard to get into the game. Its almost like MM treats them like rookies and the must learn the playbook, sorry tell Lewis who to block and where the run is going, and guess what he does it. There is a reason he been in the league for as long as he has, he knows his job.

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Tundraboy's picture

October 16, 2018 at 08:56 pm

"Its almost like MM treats them like rookies and the must learn the playbook, sorry tell Lewis who to block and where the run is going, and guess what he does it. There is a reason he been in the league for as long as he has, he knows his job."

I agree it's absurd. Makes you wonder why anybody would come here, yes money of course ,but to waste a year of your career playing for MM. Guess he's waiting for the cold weather or some other reason no one can fathom.

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Since'61's picture

October 16, 2018 at 07:14 pm

You had me with pterodactyl! Time to watch Rodan again.
Thanks, Since '61

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Lphill's picture

October 16, 2018 at 03:56 pm

Again this is a 5 and 1 team without the roughing call against the Vikings and if Crosby made all his kicks against the lions , thanks to the Sunday ticket I watch as many games as possible , look at all the points in the Patriots and Chiefs game no defense on either side, the rams if not for Gurley who do they have? Contain him and play the pass , the cards gave the Vikings a scare , The Khalil Mack team lost to the dolphins , and so on , the Packers get healthy after the bye and very possibly go on a nice winning streak. Anything is possible.

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Lare's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:02 pm

"Ifs" don't count in real life.

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Coldworld's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:47 pm

But what the results should by rights have been does count when assessing actual performance

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Christopher Gennaro's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:32 pm

Watch a lot of football and while you are right about Pats Chiefs game, no one has contain Gurley, and this defense is going to have it hands full with that, if they can at all. The thing about the rams is their defense without Peters and Tailb they can be scored on. The problem I have is their wrs are really good as an unit. Sorry right now they are equal or better than what we have, and if we fill the box, Goff will pick us apart. Any given Sunday as they say, and MM is great after a bye, if he pulls that win out on the road, he will silence the fire him crowd, himself included for the time being.

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hybriddragonfly's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:03 pm

We will not make the playoffs this year period

This team not to co-opt packer news .....is not a good football team

Offesnivley we have only Adams as a wpn but he is a 2 everywhere else
We have no established running back and pause on that ....our coach refuses to have a 1 back which would allow rythem ....and that's going on 3 friggen years man

We let key olineman leave understand cap movies but it's apparently a problem with good dlines or bad ones like the 49ers

Defensively we have been a hot mess since 2011 check that under Favre Superbowl 32 dline then went secondary now both

Which is my final rant

We have had 2 HOF goat LEGENDS QBs that have accumulated 2 Lombardi's ......that's over 20 years of QB excellence that we have not given tools to compete post season. Wise....... We just make the playoffs and that should not be good enough for the team coaches players or fans it is frustrating watching what most teams struggle to get a stud QB and see it wasted then retire and start over

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Razer's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:38 pm

This is an average team. We beat some average teams and got kicked by some average teams. We have the better teams coming up and this inconsistent, undisciplined team will see what it takes to compete for the top spot.

As much as I love my Packers, outside of Rodgers heroics, we have not fielded a team worthy of a championship since 2014. Not enough talent on defense and not enough creativity on offense.

Hopefully, Gutekunst can change the path over the next 2 years.

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TXCHEESE's picture

October 16, 2018 at 04:52 pm

I believe the offense will get it's groove soon enough. For the earlier poster that was complaining about Graham's lack of production, did you not watch the game last night. Two long gainers and over 100 yards, plus a really nice grab on a tightly defended pass late in the game.

The defense has to learn how to play a full game. The only time they accomplished that was against a rookie QB. People were pointing to the 2nd half scoring of our opponents, but fail to mention, Three of those QB's are either 1st or 2nd year players and last night was a backup.

For those complaining about what our record would be without Rodgers, you can apply that to almost any team that is missing it's starting QB.

I expect that they will get it going, and make the playoffs, and then if Rodgers is healthy, you almost always have a chance to make some noise.

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henry113's picture

October 16, 2018 at 05:07 pm

TXCheese, I hope your right. Things didn't look to rosey last night on either side of the ball. The receivers made some nice catches but nobody's talking about the bad routes that were run. The receivers and Rodgers at times were on different pages. We played 6 games. This shouldn't happen. The defense flat out sucked, giving up 30 points at home. They made CJ Bethard look like Johnny Unitas.

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IamGute's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:45 pm

Only one healthy veteran receiver. Not too surprised to be candid.

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henry113's picture

October 16, 2018 at 08:49 pm

Gute, 6 games in these guys got to do better. What the hell do they do in practice. Sometimes they looked like the Keystone Cops. You cant baby these guys.

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IamGute's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:44 pm

I don’t think we will know what until Rodgers is 100%. He still put up over 400 yards though. Hopefully we get a lot healthier over the bye and compete against the Rams.

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rjwh23's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:45 pm

"Old School" is old school. He hasn't worked for a major U. S. corporation where excuses for performing consistently poor to average is a pink slip to the exit door. I'm an old guy and season ticket holder since 1963. Our friends who we attend games with have just sold their Green Bay house and will sell their season tickets at the end of the year. We might soon follow. The house of cards Murphy is building with ever increasing ticket prices, a losing product and the various problems effecting the NFL makes his business model unsustainable. Could McCarthy and his band of stooges be setting the stage for more losses, a return to the dark ages of the 1980s and maybe even a move of the Packers to another city?

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Handsback's picture

October 16, 2018 at 06:58 pm

Last year Green Bay had one Blue chip player-guess who and if the initials aren't AR....guess again, and one or two Red chip players (I believe Bak and Adams) according to the scout Landry.
Look at the other contending teams and they have a ton more players in those two categories. So is it talent or coaching or both. Also, just like getting rid of Thompson, who takes his place? Who's a SB winner and taken a team over the last decade to multiple play-offs? If you find one on the coaching tree, just pick him and present him to Murphy.

Yes Green Bay has had Rodgers, but they have always been suspect in more than one area. Even when they won the SB. Lacking in one is OK but two or more is an issue.

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tymann7's picture

October 16, 2018 at 07:25 pm

I miss Jordy Nelson....

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THE PACKERS PROPHET's picture

October 16, 2018 at 07:49 pm

Listen, David, you need a tall, cold glass of perspective. The kind where you left it sitting on the counter for too long so the condensation is all over the glass and it gets all over your hand and everything else. It’s not an easy explanation... so stick with me through this one. First things first you need to throw some respect on the name of Mike McCarthy. Period. That is my coach, my leader and someone who has been front and center during incredible moments of this oh so storied franchise. That being said, he gets no free pass because of his past. Obviously this year hasn’t started the way you want it, but trust me when I say nobody wants to win more than my head coach. When I hear people bashing MM it’s almost as if this football team can’t move the ball at all. I’m not here to talk X’s and O’s because guys like myself, and McCarthy, understand and discuss football at such a high level that it is a waste of time discussing it with the average person. What I’ve seen is an offense that is not fully in sync. Timing issues, holding calls and poor execution are some themes that so far have continually kept the Packers behind the 8-ball in the down and distance department. There is nothing wrong with this offense that can not be improved. I have seen my team start slow a number of times. In fact, in years past I have noticed a common theme. These longer tenured head coach/QB combos often are starting slow lately. In recent years Seattle, Pittsburgh, New England and Green Bay have all had multiple instances of starting slow (more so starting slow in context with their past success, which has created the high expectations from their fan bases). But if you look at those same years you will see these teams are always still contenders down the stretch. This year alone I’ve witnessed the washing up of Tom Brady and Big Ben both. Their reign of division dominance had come to an end. Of course, that is until they each played their respective divison leaders and won. I have never had more confidence in a Packers team than I do right now. I will tell you right now Green Bay walks into Los Angeles and defeats the Rams, comfortably. I haven’t been this certain since before the Houston prime time game back in 2012. Houston was also undefeated. To quote my good friend, “shhhhhh”. I believe in this team. I believe in this coach. And I DAMN SURE believe in my quarterback. Now I understand that it may be difficult to feel this way, given everyone’s ignorant and emotional response to this season’s events thus far. I will admit, right now on the record, when Green Bay had the ball on 3rd and 15 on the last drive of the game, I thought the season was over. Oh no. This can’t be. The 9ers?!! We are going to punt and they are going to score!!! We should have played for overtime! Somehow this is Fackrell’s fault! Cut him! Re hire capers so we can #FireCapers! As all of these thoughts and emotions are overwhelming me, I watch 12 go down. Sacked. Yikes. I take some strong drinks of my beer, finish it, and reach up to wipe off my moustache. Now...this is where things got strange, even for me. I have told many prophecies (all which have come true) regarding my Packers. I am given these prophecies in the form of visions. Sometimes, usually, I can tell when the sight is about to take over. But this time I was unprepared. These visions come in many different types so I am never surprised when the sight throws me a curve ball. As I set down my beer and wipe off my moustache I become very alarmed...I don’t have a moustache. In a state of confusion I rip off my headset and turn to the guy next to me to see if he can see my moustache. Before the words come out of my mouth I am again perplexed....where the hell did this headset come from? Why does it smell like somebody just deep fried an estimated 12-13 pounds of cheese curds within the last half hour within a one square mile radius? Staring at the guy next to me I realize it isn’t my neighbor from Chicago anymore....Sherman fucking Lewis?! And Steve Marriucci. Where the hell did you come from Mooch! Wait a minute...after a few deep breathes everything began to come into focus. I was having a vision. Specifically an out of body flashback experience...and I had been reincarnated as non other than Mike Holmgren. Oh my god. Mooch looks at me with a look of terror. Lambeau Field was eerily quiet...when I saw number 7 being helped off the field the reality of the whole situation hit me like Nick Perry hit Andrew Luck that one time. It hit me hard. This is the Bengals game. I was front row to witness one of the most magical moments in the history of western civilization...the beginning of the Favre era. We all know the rest of the story there. As I watched history unfold I began reflecting on what was happening in front of me and what was happening back in 2018. It all made so much sense. There I was in 2018 watching 12 get sacked on a 3rd and 15. My cards were down. Doubt was over flowing and the anxiety of potential failure was killing me. I wanted to win so badly. We NEED this win going into the bye. We NEED to win at Lambeau in prime time. In hindsight it was probably an easy decision for the ghosts of football’s past. They knew the only person in history with an equal amount on the line and under an equal amount of stress of expectations as I was in that moment. And that person is Mike Holmgren, the moment that the Majik man goes down. Still in 1992, as my team celebrated I quickly realized a few things. I did not know if I had seen all I needed to see and I would be going back to 2018. Maybe I would be Mike Holmgren for longer than the game. But I knew before I went back to 2018 I had to get some of those damn cheese curds. Jon Gruden was next to me so I asked if he’d go grab me some curds. He couldn’t believe it, but I was the coach. So 14 long minutes later he meets me in the hallway of Lambeau with some curds. Holy delicious. He asked if I was going to pay him back for those (turns out the concessions didn’t recognize him and made him pay). I said “ya know, Jon...I’ll trade you Khalil Mack for them”. As I patted him on the back I headed out to find Ron Wolf. Ron is a cool ass dude and I’ve always really wanted to meet him so I figured this was the best chance I’d get. Mike is a lot bigger guy than me so I was still getting my sea legs under me at that point and I tripped over myself, completely dumping over my entire second order of cheese curds. As I let out a cry of despair I rested my head in my hands and took a deep breathe. When I looked back up I had the same feeling of sorrow, only I was looking at my neighbors television. I had snapped right back into the 3rd and 15 sack only to notice the beautiful yellow bar with the word “flag”. At that moment everything came full circle. What was happening at Lambeau Field was something paralleled only by the birth of pure greatness. The Legends of Lambeau’s past gave me that vision so I would realize that much like that day in 1992, there was a special beginning happening at Lambeau Field. Something very, very special. No, it wasn’t Rodgers’ arrival game...but it was the birth of something SPECIAL. What is right beyond the horizon for us is SPECIAL. As the rest of this season unfolds we will look back at that Monday night game as where it all started. As QB1 continued to orchestrate the game winning drive I couldn’t help but smile. I could almost still feel the bristles of my temporary moustache as I watched Aaron throw “two of the most beautiful passes I have ever seen in my life”.

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Chuck Farley's picture

October 16, 2018 at 07:55 pm

In perspective reality sucks:

1. Pack beat a 1-4 team with back up qb / running back plus 8 other key players missing. Notably their two best corners.
2. 9ers fumbled twice giving pack 6 points off turn overs.
3. Rodgers passed 400 yards against a horrid pass d.
4. defense again had problems getting off field.

Things get tougher here on out. If they want to get 8 wins they have no choice but to defeat some very good teams.

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LambeauPlain's picture

October 17, 2018 at 11:35 am

MM's record in the last 48 games:

24-23-1.

He's not an elite coach anymore. Without #12, he would have been a college offensive coordinator several years ago.

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