Mike McCarthy made quite a big deal about relinquishing play-calling duties in the offseason and handing those duties to newly-minted assistant head coach Tom Clements.
The impetus for that decision was two-fold. McCarthy wanted to spend more time focusing on the rest of the team and he wanted his assistants to get recognition — and possibly a shot at their own head coaching job — from the rest of the NFL.
Well, that didn’t work out so great for Clements.
He wasn’t successful as a play caller and McCarthy finally took those duties back last week. In doing so, McCarthy probably also took any shot Clements had of becoming a head coach. Of course, that doesn’t really matter, since no team is going to hire someone to be their head coach who wasn’t successful in a lower position anyway.
So what’s Clements’ role on the Packers now that he’s not calling plays?
“His role hasn’t changed minus the play-calling. He’s very involved in the game-planning,” McCarthy said.
Okay.
Maybe we buy that.
The thing is, McCarthy went out of his way during the offseason to promote two guys on the offensive staff. Clements went from offensive coordinator to assistant head coach. Edgar Bennett went from receivers coach to offensive coordinator.
The only discernible difference between those two positions was Clements was calling plays. Now he’s not.
So how many guys do the Packers need “involved in the game-planning?”
Three seems like it might be one too many.
We wouldn’t doubt if that’s addressed in the offseason.
If the WRs could their job properly he would probably still be calling plays.
As I said earlier, expect this headline in January or February. “Clements “resigns” (gets fired) as Packers assistant to spend more time with family.”
Then expect this headline a week later. “Philbin happy to be back with Packers in yet to be determined role.”
Properly, Sean? Errybody has limitations. It is up to those that plan the use of assets, to know how best to use their assets. James Jones is not fast. Adams is not fast. Randall is only moderately fast, which is easily covered by putting the teams best CB on him.
In one game, MM knows that he can’t ask the guys to outrun their defenders. Clements couldn’t figure it out in 12 though…
Harry,shut up.
Adams has 2 catches and jones had 4. Lacy actually had a good game. Please tell me what that has to do with Mccarthy knowing how to use his assets?
Having a ringing endorsement from #12 shouldn’t hurt his prospects should he decide to move on, but my guess is it would more likely be Clements deciding to move on as opposed to the Packers sending him packing.
At the end of the day, we have no idea how much McCarthy meddled in the play calling in Clements brief tenure. Maybe we never got a true look at Clements trying to call plays and some of the dysfunction there was because of Big Mac not “keeping his damn mouth shut” as he so eloquently put it.
Five days before making the move McCarthy hints he’s been a distraction and not allowing Clements free reign to call what he wants. He may have never been put in the best position to succeed with Big Mac whispering in his ear and/or questioning his every move.
That’s what makes us the general public. We don’t know shit.
There was that time out in a previous game I mentioned where MM did the talking and Clemens was just a bystander looking like Zook.
There was the writing on the wall.
Expect Philbin back next season.
Philbin is not coming back. His son died in Green Bay and I garuntee he wants to be far away.
@hombre
“At the end of the day, we have no idea how much McCarthy meddled in the play calling in Clements brief tenure.”
Good point. We also don’t know how much #12 meddled. One thing that’s often absent from these conversations on this site is that Rodgers often calls audibles on the line to exploit a defense’s weakness.
I would imagine that Clements would have more trouble corralling Rodgers’ audible calling than say, McCarthy would. But to my knowledge, there is no publically available stat sheet available on percentage of audibalized calls on the line.
So we’ll probably never know.
didn’t someone say that “others in the Packers management thought it would be a good idea for McCarthy to resume play calling” which i would assume those people were Mikes bosses…I’m sure it wasn’t the equipment manager……
Yea cuz philbin did such a great job in miami
Some guys are great coordinators but not great coaches, like Philbin and many others. You could even argue that McCarthy should just be an offensive coordinator and have someone else focus on head coaching responsibilities.
If anyone had noticed the wide receivers have not had a great year so far and the whole offense has struggled and the two people we can blame that on is Clements and Edgar Bennett.
It’s not completely the WRs fault… Rodgers is way off his target this season.. He needs to throw his receivers open and do a better job hitting them in stride.