The Green Bay Packers have been notoriously slow starters under Mike McCarthy.
No news there.
The Packers have started 1-2 the past three seasons and it has been, in a word, maddening.
Well, Big Mike has a new idea this season. Let’s NOT get off to our traditional 1-2 start!
Let’s start fast!
“Obviously we need to start the season better,” McCarthy said. “2-2 is not going to cut it this year.”
You know, talk is cheap.
There is a plan here, though.
Much like McCarthy addressed Green Bay being the hamstring pull capital of the world last offseason by changing up the training and practice schedule, he’s changing up his coaching approach this offseason. The idea is the Packers will not pander to the guys who don’t know the system, as they have in the past, and instead ask the veterans to bring those guys up to speed.
That should allow the Packers have the more advanced components of their system in place and understood before the season, rather than four games into it.
“The young guys need to catch up,” McCarthy said.
“We’re challenging the older guys to bring the younger guys up and then coach those younger guys in more of a one-on-one fashion. It’s just finding as many different ways as you possibly can to motivate and continue to grow as a program.”
So you can go ahead and start entertaining visions of 16-0.
Just kidding.
We’re very happy with the way McCarthy has been addressing the team and the program’s weaknesses over the past two offseasons. We just wonder if this decision will have any negative side effects.
For example, a lot of the rookies, which the program was simplified for in the past, are probably going to be useless until well into the season. More so, we’ve been patting the Packers on the back for their ability to develop undrafted guys. Well, this new direction isn’t doing this year’s class of undrafted guys any favors.
We’ll have to see how things look a year from now.
a start like 2011 and a finish like 2010 would be fine, thank you very much.
“I wanna go fast” – Ricky Bobby
“I wanna go to Golden Corral” – Mike McCarthy
Ya think the pressure is on from upstairs to beat the Seahawks in the week two home opener?
Who cares. It’s not going to make anyone feel better about losing the playoff game that everyone knew they should have won. It’s not going to make up for a trip to the super bowl. If you think there is going to be some sweet revenge involved in a regular season game it’s going to be worthless. The only teams I’m concerned about are the ones they meet in the playoffs, and if that includes the Seahawks, the Packers better plan on playing a full 60 minutes. McCarthy’s motto has always been “start fast” by putting up a bunch of points, and then ends with “pussyfoot your way to the finish line.”
Well, maybe if we beat them in the regular season it will go a long way toward getting home field advantage, if we do happen to meet them in this years playoffs.
Thank the NFL for always putting the Packers up against defensive juggernauts early in the season. Same thing again this year. The Packers are the only team that the NFL singles out like this. We always seem to face like 2 or 3 top-5 defenses in the first 4 games, every season. STOP!!!
If you want to be the best you have to beat the best, and some of the times have that odd shaped ball bounce your way. Start fast and Finish Strong. No prisoners. Go Pack !