Randall Cobb, who happens to be the Green Bay Packers most dynamic offensive weapon, hurt his ankle returning a punt against Tennessee on Sunday.
The extent of the injury is not yet known. However, it prompted quarterback Aaron Rodgers to say he wants Cobb, the Packers primary punt and kick returner, taken off special teams.
“I hope we can get him off special teams soon,” Rodgers said after the game.
Of course, Mike McCarthy would have none of that.
“I’ll be honest with you. I don’t have a really high tolerance for this because I don’t understand how you play scared in the game of football,” McCarthy said. “I don’t get that. I think it’s convenient questioning. I understand the risk involved in every single play. Some plays are higher risk than others and I’m fully aware of that, but you can’t sit here and say special teams is important if you don’t put a guy like Randall Cobb out there as a returner.”
“Now, if we’re sitting here next year, we might be having a different conversation, but the way our team is built for 2012, Randall Cobb is a huge part of our success on special teams.”
Yeah. We get why Cobb is on special teams. He’s an awesome return man. It turns out, he’s also an awesome receiver.
This isn’t a Devin Hester situation where the guy is a killer return man, but couldn’t memorize five plays if they were drawn in magic marker on the inside of his gloves. Cobb is the Packers best receiver.
They wouldn’t be as good as they are without him.
So, do you take away from one facet of the game to ensure the success of another? It’s probably time to start thinking about that, buffoon.
Charles Woodson was the Packers best punt returner for years, but the buffoon wasn’t trotting him out there to risk injury on returns, was he?
Here’s our solution for a compromise. Take Cobb off punt returns and leave him on kicks. It minimizes some risk and the Packers have an obvious replacement in Jeremy Ross. That dude averaged 15.2 yards per punt return in college.
Cobb has averaged 9.4 per punt return this season, which ranks 14th in the league. On kickoffs, he’s averaged 25.3, which is 12th.
The Packers don’t currently have another solution for kickoffs. It would be hard to take Cobb out of the return game completely because he’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball, but it seems obvious something should be done to make sure he makes it through the playoffs.
Convenient questioning is right. ARodge probably got his ass chewed for those remarks and deserved it. Go Pack!
How you can call a coach with Mike McCarthy’s credentials a “buffoon” is beyond me.
I agree with your comment sir. Sure, he tries some unconventional plays everyonce in a while, but how do you know what you got unless you use it. Mike McCarthy is a top coach in this league.
Without Cobb we’re fucked in the playoffs. All the Packers need is a guy that catches the ball and doesn’t fumble on returns. Common sense tells you that your best reciever shouldn’t be put at risk. When you have Rodgers as your QB quality targets have the utmost importance. If the Packers lose in the playoffs I blame water head McCarthy. His cocky attitude will screw us in the end.
Mike McCarthy won us a Superbowl less than 2 years ago.
He also beats his NFC North rivals every time he plays them.
Questioning him is the most foolish thing anyone can do here.
We really need to stop referring to McCarthy as a buffoon. Especially after he put all his faith in Rodgers after Favre left, took this team to a Superbowl, and made the Packers a perennial contender. IMO, it shows a lack of class and respect. It also seems like you’re setting him up to be the scapegoat in the event the team doesn’t make it to the Superbowl.
I also agree with McCarthy. You can’t play scared, and this team is built around Cobb being the returner. There are lots of teams in the NFL that have either their WR or RB as punt and/or kicker returners.
Here list a of starters that also return kicks (at least at the start of the 2012 season).
Victor Cruz (punt returner)
Darren Sproles (punt/kicker returner)
Dez Bryant (punt returner)
Wes Welker (punt returner)
Antonio Brown (punt returner)
Danny Amendola (punt returner)
Percy Harvin (kick returner)
C.J. Spiller (kick returner)
That being said, I also agree that we should at least take a look at minimizing his time spent on special teams. Jeremy Ross looked good but it was one game against the Titans. I’m not sure anyone would feel comfortable with him and as a returner in the playoffs where a fumble can be lethal.
So, at this point really don’t see how the Packers can NOT have Cobb be the punt and kick returner.
Next year is a different story.
I don’t trust Ross at this point. That’s the point of contention here… a muffed punt and you have the Chicago game all over again. Except this time it likely won’t be Chicago… it will be a team prepared to do take advantage and get a TD.
Monty is truely a dumb ass when it comes to knowing what the make up of a good coach and organization is. He is the same dumb ass who was calling for the head of tt and mm before the superbowl run. this lame ass writer would not know his ass if someone would show it to him in a mirror. classless dumb ass from the get go. Green Bay is the class of the league headed by tt an mm. Every owner would take what tt put together for this franchise. Monty is to stupid to appreciate it. The moron does not know the game of football and what makes this team special.
Enjoy the ride.
The only Buffoon is you Monty. It’s just so ignorant when hacks like yourself act like you know the right calls for an organization to make better than they do and have to be defamatory just to further their cause. Put your laptop down and get out of your mom’s basement.
Good one! Mom’s basement! No blogger has ever heard that one before! Hooooooo!
Your originality and free-thinking approach has certainly taken you far in life.
Call me a buffoon to my face you retarted moron. I will bend you over like the little b**** that you are. I get paid Millions of dollaers to make decisions. You get paid in big macs to write stories. Who’s the Buffoon?
I don’t hate on McCarthy much, but that headline is hilarious.
That #10 guy looked pretty good Sunday, and Cobb wasn’t doing much lately on special teams, I’d say Rodgers does have a point, and the coach should at least respect his opinion.
I guess we all got to remember that these writers are from California. All the news and the way people talk about the over abundance of bafoonery coaching out in that state/ area is inherent, its just what they are used to and they don’t know of any other way to discribe thier disagreement with the way the team is coached. Sad, really. Don’t get me wrong though, I do like a lot of the articles writen, I’m just saying that you should re-evaluate your thinking on this adjective.
Agree with MM 100%.
As Al Pacino once said, you can get hurt “walkin your doggie!”
In the playoffs, there is literally no tomorrow. The best returner on your team should be returning kicks. Period.
For the regular season next year, with Jennings gone, then yes, get Cobb off returns.
Monty, you are an idiot! Mccarthy is a great coach. Wake up
Wait a second? When did this turn into the good time fun and hugs show? You guys do realize that you are on Total Packers? People are going to get made fun of.
Agreed. I see both sides of the argument, but I’ll defer to McCarthy on just about every personnel decision. He’s easily a top 5 NFL coach….calling him a buffoon is ridiculous.