Pin these two losses on the coach

If the Green Bay Packers are going to turn their season around against the Chicago Bears this weekend, it will have to start with the head coach. For whatever reason, Mike McCarthy has once again abandoned the running game even though it has been successful the last two weeks. When the Packers were winning two-in-a-row over the Seahawks and Colts, they grinded Ryan Grant over 30 times a game even though Grant only averaged about three yards a carry. The last two weeks Grant averaged 4.5 and 4.7 yards per carry yet only touched the ball 36 times total. What the hell?

Sunday against the Vikings was a joke. Aaron Rodgers is getting killed by Vikings every drop back and Grant is busting 10-yard gains left and right, let’s see, what would you do? What better way to stop the pressure on a quarterback than to gash them on the ground? By refusing to run McCarthy takes the play-action out of his arsenal leaving no guessing whatsoever. Of course, when you go empty backfield on every third or fourth-and-one, what guessing is there to do anyway. I guess.

The Packers’ defensive line couldn’t stop a high-school running back and when you are playing Adrian Peterson, you might want to try and keep him off the field with a ground-control offense. But nooooo! McCarthy goes five-wide or empty backfield half the time and doesn’t adjust to the Vikings rush in any way shape or form. What happened to the tight end in the backfield for protection play? I think Sunday was the worst coaching performance of McCarthy’s three years as coach. It was pitiful and the icing on the cake was challenging the Vikings game-winning touchdown. Coupled with Will Blackmon catching a punt while in the endzone, I think I saw two of the worst decisions in the history of the NFL. Sure would have been nice to have that timeout prior to Mason Crosby’s game-winning kick. Instead of having to rush him out there to kick a 52-yarder, they could have called time out. Crosby would have time to calm the butterflies and considering the Vikings didn’t have a timeout, he knew they wouldn’t call one at the last second. But noooo! Out rushes Crosby, wide right.

And as Pete pointed out in the comments, when Rodgers does throw, it is time to go back to what was working early in the season and let Rodgers throw the ball downfield. There was a time when Greg Jennings led the NFL in receiving yardage. If Jennings can’t beat the double-team, then that’s another story, but I don’t think that is the case. here. Against the Titans Rodgers had some nice plays throwing downfield after breaking the pocket and throwing on the run. Rodgers’ strength is not the quick slant like it was for the previous quarterback. Just get the running game going and use those talented receivers the way they should and the Packers’ offense would be unstoppable.

McCarthy also needs to lay down the law with the defensive coordinator. Bob Sanders’ defense is not showing any signs of improvement or any kind of adjustments, just more of the same “gap control” bovine excrement. I don’t care who you have for players, and I don’t think the talent is that bad, you have to get better play than the Packers have gotten from their defense the last two weeks, and mostly that means run defense. You read about how the Bears shut down the Titans running game yesterday by strategically placing eight men in the box you wonder why the Packers can’t make adjustments like that. Yes the Bears lost, but with the cornerbacks the Packers have they could keep the Titans’ receivers in check much more so than the Bears, still with Rex Grossman at quarterback the Bears only lost 21-14. I remember former Packers’ defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur doing a lot more with a lot less.

If you don’t think the coach makes that big of a difference look no further than one of the teams the Packers lost to you this year – the Atlanta Falcons. Other than the rookie QB, the coach was the big change and look at the results. Going into the season I thought the Packers had one of the up-and-coming coaches in the NFL, I’m not saying that isn’t true after nine tough games, well, seven anyway, but I’m seeing some of the same stubbornness that doomed Mike Sherman in the end. Let’s hope it is just growing pains associated with the tremendous pressure placed him this season, not only does he have to win the Super Bowl, but he has to do it with a first-year starter at quarterback. Good luck with that, and welcome to the NFL.

I do have confidence in McCarthy to get this turned around, but has he wasted too much time already? Only the next seven weeks will tell. A loss to the Bears Sunday in Lambeau would really give the naysayers strength. This week I will withhold my prediction for a few days. And for the record, Derrick Frost might be the worst punter in the history of the league to ever actually hold a job for as many games as he has. The guy is an absolute joke and if special teams coordinator Mike Stock wanted him you really have to wonder about him, not to mention Ted Thompson’s decision to give in. I’d like to know the real story behind that horrible decision. I would fire Frost and Stock if I could.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 at 7:21 pm and is filed under Al Davis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  • Larry

    Why wouldn’t a prudent GM draft a QB #1 in his 1st draft if his existing QB is 36 yrs old? W/O all the intrigue of why or why not, ego or not ego, his drafting sure makes sense to me. I’ve seen Packer drafts for need, need, need, by desparate GMs trying to hold their job while trying to improve the team. Fellas, the 70s and 80s were not very pleasant and I repeat – IT TAKES 53, NOT 1! To me there is no difference between 9-7, 10-6, or 11-5 except 11-5 will probably get you deeper in the playoffs. The difference really is poorer draft choices the higher you go. Unless you win it all nothing really counts anyway and we’ve won our share over time. Sometimes it takes stubbornness in the face of criticizim to do the right thing. Time will tell; regardless of who was here or did the deed, we did go 13-3 last year. So we’re going thru a rough period; I’ll bet its short lived……..!

  • RayL

    CHeesyD & MLegat I can see right through TT, It’s sad that you can’t How does it feel to be blind? you guys are Kool-Aid drinkers of TT. The day is coming when he is fired. It will be a great day in packer history.
    I hope you and you chosen one AR all enjoy losing to the bears this week.

  • Maxaz1

    Larry,
    Why wouldn’t a prudent GM draft a QB #1 in his 1st draft if his existing QB is 36 yrs old?
    Maybe it was because 20 other teams passed on him.

  • Devil’s Advocate…

    Yeah, Brady was a 6th round pick….. A couple hundred players went ahead of him.

  • Larry

    Yeah, and try proving that all 20 wouldn’t like to have him on their squad……!

  • CheesyD

    Hey RayL… We’ve lost 5 out of the last 6 to the Bears. All with Favre at QB. Can’t be much worse this Sunday. It’s nice to see you cheering for the Bears, though. Your true colors are shining through.

  • RayL

    CHeesyD – I’m just a realist. Only time will tell if AR was a good pick if he turns out to be special then I will be surprised and I will eat the crow. Chances are he will be average or just above average. But, I “know” that TT should have kept BF. That is not even a debate. You always go with a known winner over an unproven youngster. Especially when it’s a future HOF QB named BF and everything that he brought to GB.

    I really hate how TT has handled the team and I will never get over it until he is fired!

  • Roy Jamison

    I just asked how many 39 year old qbs have been in a Super Bowl? Maybe Favre will be the first unless, Earl Morrall or someone was older. I hope Favre does get the chance to play in the SB.
    For those that have been on my back about Justin Harrell, I am going back to calling this guy MIA. He’s a rambling wreck, an accident that has happened, a bigger version of Jamal Reynolds, an extremely overpaid, unproductive, and irrelevant football player. Why we picked him? Potential. Why we will have to get rid of him eventually? Results.

  • RayL

    ROYJ – It was a horrible pick – According to ESPN, No other team had him on their draft board that high. He was broken and way too risky to take at # 16. We could have drafted Greg Olsen….I was shocked when we drafted him, and even more shocked when he has been given so much support from the TT Kool-Aid drinkers. Unbelievable. He is a BUST! We will see who has more impact on tomorrows game JH or Olsen.

  • Larry

    Hold on! Jamal Reynolds destroyed himself on the field. JH hasn’t done anything yet to prove he is a bust. I’ll be the first to admin that it doesn’t look good but its not over. The draft is a crap shoot; you can’t know who is going to prove out and who isn’t.

  • Roy Jamison

    RayL thanks for your input. Olsen was clearly the better pick! The Bears beat us on that one, hopefully, we’ll have enough to beat them tomorrow!

  • RayL

    well Larry – that is true to some extent, look at Tony Mandrich. But, you don’t draft a guy at# 16 overall that played as infrequent as JH did with his injury history. There were much choices, ie; Greg Olsen who just happened to be a need as well.

  • RayL

    For the record The bears still suck! I hope we beat them down. There is snow in the forecast…..should be a great game. And for all of the people I disagree with on some issues….let’s all enjoy the game tomorrow and go PACK!!

  • Mick

    Jet Favre is wearing the wrong green. I blame egomaniac Ted.

  • Matt Hayton

    CheesyD-

    CheesyD Says:

    November 15th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
    “On the night of March 27, Favre told McCarthy that he wanted to return. McCarthy then arranged for a private jet that would take him and Packers general manager Ted Thompson from the NFL owners meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., to Hattiesburg, Miss., for an April 1 meeting with Favre to finalize the deal.

    http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8339456

    He’s created this mess himself.” blah, blah, blah…

    And Michael Strahan didn’t even show up for training camp last year…Favre called them back in June. Giants win a SB by taking back their prima donna DE in 2007; Packers trade their prima donna QB and are 4-5. Jets trade for said QB and are today the #2 seed in the AFC PLayoff Race.

    Did Favre act like a frickin’ prima donna? Yes. Was he wrong for doing so? Yes. However, some of that was understandable because of how the Packers have treated him the last couple of years.

    Did you know that John Elway is on record saying that if the Broncos had treated him, like the Packers treated Favrehe would have never won a Superbowl?

    Favre screwed up. The Packers screwed up. Ted Thompson has stated, “History will determine whether or not it was the right decision.” So far, no good for the Pack, very good for the Jets! Case closed. Winning games is all that matters in my book. So far, Jets are up 3 on this trade.

    And don’t give me this BS about they had to play AR right now…he’s 24. Young was 29 when he took over for Montana. Packers had AR under contract for another year. They could have easliy extended him next year in the middle of the season like they did this year. Bottom line, TT wanted his boy in the drivers seat, saw his opportunity, by effectively forcing him into retirement, prematurely, and now TT is getting what he frickin deserves for running a legend out of town.

    Prediction TT gets fired in January of 2010, after another .500 season next year. AR gets cut soon thereafter and Matt Flynn is the starting QB for this team in the Fall of 2010 or 2011.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    Matt the problem with TT isn’t just dumping #4. He refuses to target free agents to address team needs and is rigid in his approach to trading down in the draft. So far he hasn’t had any pressure to win. People were so disgusted with our playoff failures they were willing to start over. But I don’t think we’re ready for mediocrity or if #12 went down total disaster. He has brought in some good people and I hope he learns from his mistakes, or if not, gets held accountable. Meanwhile, we still have enough talent to beat the Bears and it’ll be an exciting game.

  • TRIP

    My gameday prediction:

    The game will be decided by 7 points or less. lol

    Chances are, we’ll be on the lower end of those 7 points.

    I hope we win by 50, however.

    We’ll see.

  • Larry

    RayL, your points are hard to argue with, I’m just trying to look at the situation as it was then and I don’t think TE was that critical. For those who think BF will play forever didn’t we even have Bubba still with us then? Realize that every draft has players in it that turned out better than anybody we will pick at any given spot but you can’t hit the jackpot with each one. Mandarich is the clasic example; I don’t think there was anyone behind him who wasn’t better. What bothers me most about this year is that da bearse have the easiest schedule going out after this game. We can still win division but we have to beat CHI twice and match them game for game the rest of the way. Tough, but can be done. We should be healthy enough.

  • Larry

    Matt, duh? Did you say “he would have never won a Superbowl”……….if he wasn’t there? “easliy extended”, how do you know that? “running a legend out of town”, I’d have to say BF pretty much did that to himself. Your prediction is as good as anybody’s but I doubt it. Lets sit back, enjoy the game today, and see how the rest of the season plays out. Looks tough, stacked against us, but we can pull this out! Todays outcome sure has enormous impact after coming so close the last couple of weeks. You guys seem to forget how close we came the last (2) games. A simple mistake by a LB, an OT, a WR, a K, and a Coach killed us. W/o them collectively we’re 6-3 and we would not be having all this finger pointing.

  • Matt Hayton

    Packers 24 – Bears 17. Think our defense makes one more play than their offense. Who knows? Maybe today is AR’s day. Time to pull off the training wheels and get a big win! Go Pack Go!

  • Larry

    “Pin these two losses on the coaches” was the original theme of this thread. Hard to refute, but look at Norv Turner w/ Rivers and LT and he is 4-5, go figure! I like your senario Matt, but would like an easy one for a change.

  • Jeff

    My (other) problem with Ted remains his picks on both sides of the line. In four drafts, he has failed to select or develop a single impact player on either side of the line. I suppose there’s Jolly. He’s good but not outstanding, and in his thrid year, I can’t imagine there’s a lot of upside there. I’m still out on Harrell, but I think his window is starting to close. Sorry, Justin, but if you’ve got it, it’s time to show it.

    As for being potentially 6-3, the only reasons we were even close last week was turnovers and Blackmon (a late-blooming gem of a player). If this team could move the ball consistently, we wouldn’t have to play shoulda, woulda, coulda. We’d actually be 6-3 or 7-2.

    Part of that failure is Rodgers developing his game experience as a first year starter. The larger part is the failure of the O-line to provide effective protection and consistent run blocking. Fix that and this team is an instant contender in my not so humble opinion and remains so as long as Rodgers is healthy.

    I don’t buy the premise of Al’s diatribe. Yeah, Mike hurt us some in the past two weeks, but I think the failure was mostly on the field. Coaches don’t block, tackle, run, throw or catch – the players have to execute, and it’s clear to me that the O-line isn’t getting it done. That said, the first time we throw halfway to the first down marker, I may need to be medicated.

    The second time it happens, I’m just crackin’ into the Jack and Cokes.
    Go Pack!

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