Tackle David Bakhtiari called the Green Bay Packers’ season a failure. Coach Mike McCarthy called it a success. Team president Mark Murphy — not surprisingly — seems to agree with McCarthy.
“I don’t think it was a failed season,” Murphy said. “Disappointing ending, but I’d say it was a pretty good season overall. Winning eight games in a row. The first time we’ve won two playoff games, I think, since 2010. And getting in the NFC championship games two out of three years – it’s not the Super Bowl but it’s the Final Four of the NFL.
“It’s not easy to win a game in the NFL, let alone Super Bowls and playoff games. There’s a sense of pride in that. And I think the turnaround in the season, for me, gives me confidence in the organization and certainly the work of (general manager) Ted (Thompson) and Mike (McCarthy) that I think a lot of organizations at 4-6, I think it’s hard to keep things together.”
We’ve grown accustomed to these sort of statements from Murphy. He has consistently stated that making the playoffs is what he considers success. The idea being that you have to make the playoffs to have a shot at reaching the Super Bowl.
We, of course, disagree. You have to make the playoffs with a team that’s good enough to make the Super Bowl. You also have to get to the championship game, which the Packers were able to do this year.
However, we all know how that ended. They were completely outclassed.
Murphy also derided the idea that a Super Bowl win is the only measure of success.
“I hope it’s not to the point where you can only have a successful season if you win the Super Bowl,” Murphy said.
And again, we would say, if that’s your goal and you don’t reach it, then yes, you’ve failed. You were not successful.
So the Packers either need to set new goals or they need to be honest about what constitutes success. Or, they just need new leadership.