Most everyone is quick to point the finger at defensive coordinator Bob Sanders as the scapegoat in this dismal Green Bay Packers’ season. And the proverbial finger has good reason to be pointed in Sanders direction, especially after a disgusting 24-21 home loss to the Houston Texans, in which the defense was carved up for 549 yards.
It makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit every time I think about it.
This, of course, is the same defense that had 51 points dropped on it two weeks ago in New Orleans, on national television, and that lost at home to rookie-quarterback-led Atlanta, 27-24.
Understandably, the heat is on Sanders.
Taking a quick look around the Interweb, the displeasure is brewing.
In a (totally unscientific) poll at Football’s Future, 82% of fans called for Sanders’ head.
On the Sportsline Forum, fans are calling for both Sanders and special teams coach, Mike Stock’s jobs.
Mike McCarthy, meanwhile, is standing by his man.
“When the defense is called, we need to play the defense,” McCarthy told the Journal Sentinel. “No different on offense. As long as we’re not putting our players in bad angles, overload situations and things they can’t win in, that’s really I think the key to evaluating your game plan.”
Let’s be realistic. The defense is bad, in part due to injury. But remember that even before the Packers lost Cullen Jenkins, Nick Barnett, and cut KGB, their defense wasn’t stopping the run and it wasn’t getting pressure on the quarterback. It was supported almost entirely by the outstanding early play of the secondary.
Should Bob Sanders be held accountable for that? Absolutely.
Should Mike Stock be held accountable for the Packers’ (outside of the occasional Will Blackmon flash of brilliance) terrible special teams play this year? Damn right.
Which brings me to the white elephant himself – Mike McCarthy.
It baffles me why no one is calling for the head coach’s job. The Green Bay Packers were a 13-3 team last year. They were one game away from the Super Bowl.
This year, with essentially the same personnel – many a year older and wiser, the Packers are an underachieving, discipline-lacking, losing-to-teams-they-should-beat-at-home, shell of last year’s team.
If anyone wants to tell me that a new defensive coordinator and special teams coach is what it’s going to take to remedy all of that, then I say you are a fool.
Not only do the Packers lack discipline, they lack any sort of fire. Oftentimes, they seem to lack confidence. The Packers certainly don’t have a swagger, and after pounding visiting teams into submission last year at Lambeau, they’re now getting pounded on hallowed ground.
Injuries do not explain these things. Defensive game planning does not explain these things.
The Packers head coach is responsible for all of these things and too many times at the end of the day, he hasn’t delivered.
This is to say nothing of the bone-headed play calling that often makes me want to rip my hair out, or the seeming complete lack of understanding of the term “half-time adjustment.”
We are not the Green Bay Packers this year, and for that, I hold Mike McCarthy responsible.
So let me be the first to say publicly what everyone else seems to be afraid to.
Fire Mike McCarthy, and give me some Green and Gold football where an opposing team comes into Lambeau and gets punched straight in their fucking mouths for 60 minutes!
[ad#totalpackers468x60]
I held onto this comment immediately following the Panthers game (adjusted – now adding yet another loss), and like an alcoholic who cannot put down the bottle, I couldn’t resist any longer…
On January 3, 2000, then Packers Head Coach, Ray Rhodes, was fired following his inaugural Packers head coaching season. With a record of 8-8 in the 1999 season (Packers were 11-5 in the season prior), Ron Wolf and the Packers organization took immediate action to correct a disappointing year. 1999 was the Green Bay Packer’s only non-winning season from 1992-2004. They also missed the playoffs for the first time since 1992.
Fast forward to the 2008 season…Present GM Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy send 3-Time MVP, Brett Favre packing to the New York Jets. After a solid 13-3 record in the 2007 season, and hosting the NFC Championship game, the Packers once again find themselves in an immediate downward spiral. Granted, there is plenty of blame to be placed – Thompson, McCarthy, Favre, O-Line, D-Line, Special Teams, etc., etc….Point being, the Packers now find themselves at 5-8, and again stare mediocrity in the face. Even in a best case scenario, the Pack will finish at 8-8 and most likely miss the playoffs entirely. Realistically, the Packers are looking at a sub .500 season.
And so now what does the organization decide to do in January 2009? Ted Thompson began his career as Packers GM in 2005. Mike McCarty as Head Coach in 2006. Fire the Defensive Coordinator and Special Teams Coach at minimum. Throwing out what Packer Nation had last year in exchange for mediocrity makes me question the thought process of the organization, and what the future holds under the current regime.
I still cheer loudly at Lambeau for my pathetic Packers. There is a reason why Ted Thompson does not set foot on the field. And its not simply because he and McCarthy cut Jon Ryan, or traded away Defensive Linemen this season.
off with his head!
fire ted thompson!!! what does making it to the nfc championship game tell you? your team is good you just need to plug in a hole here and there! what does ted thompson do, trade away depth at DT, NOT trade for jason taylor which could have gave us the best 1. 2. punch in the nfl at DE and not go out and get randy moss for a second year in a row. im not gona even mention favre cause i do believe that was a good move for the future, we would have lost rodgers in the 09 offseason if favre came back this year. (i do beleve his presents last year made this team a little better then it was and he did single handly won the first few games last year) but none the less ted thompson is to blame for the team’s poor depth and play this year, you can only get so far with just the draft.
I am more for the removal of Ted Thompson. Because of him, I am now a Jets fan.
Oh, don’t stop there, he’s not the only one that needs to go. Ted Thompson needs to be removed from office before he does anymore damage. McCarthy can go too as far as I’m concerned, his true colors have emerged the last six months.
Fuck you guys have to feel terrible about Thompson and McCarthy still being here, but great over being so right.