At what point does Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy finally realize that his head coach and general manager really AREN’T smarter than everyone else? Although they carry themselves with an air of superiority, with the former turning red and cutting off reporters when he gets a question he doesn’t like to the latter feeling so smug and superior that he has the audacity to not address or answer to the only publicly owned franchise in all of sports, these two men are NOT getting it done and HAVE NOT been getting it done for TOO LONG.
The Packers were in a prime position to take T.J. Watt in this year’s draft at the end of round one. Now I know… who would want the younger brother of one of the greatest defensive players to lace them up, especially when almost every measurable favored T.J.? Granted T.J. is a little smaller, but you know he’ll magically put on 20 pounds like every college kid coming into the NFL.
The planets aligned for Thompson and the Packers to draft the successor and understudy to Clay Matthews, much like Aaron Rodgers fell in their lap 13 years earlier. But this time, Ted Thompson couldn’t take the obvious pick that fell right in his lap. He couldn’t take the local kid who would immediately bring excitement and anticipation to the fan base and provide a much-needed boost to an ailing pass rush, a definite position of need.
As we have seen time and time again, Ted Thompson just wants to show you how brilliant he is: drafting linemen to be linebackers, linebackers to be linemen, safeties to be corners, corners to be safeties, overvaluing guys and drafting them ROUNDS too early and in some cases even trading up to take these bonafide busts. Like Jason Spriggs for example, who looks to be one of the biggest misses in Ted’s tenure, after he moved up in the second round to take that turnstile.
And the head coach is no better.
Facing the No. 2-rated passing defense in the league in the Baltimore Ravens with his backup quarterback, who had been mostly bad to that point, Mike McCarthy came out throwing the ball. Now granted, after the first three plays of this game, we were ecstatic with this approach, but then Hundley threw a pick that was SO fitting to the situation one can’t help but blame the head coach for putting his backup quarterback in that position.
In this week’s Total Packers podcast, Shawn does a brilliant job of breaking down this play and why it was such an egregious error by McCarthy. One of the biggest points was, and I’m paraphrasing, “In a game where you KNOW 13 points might be enough to win it, you’ve got to tighten it up in the red zone there with Hundley. You’ve got to protect against a colossal mistake and come away with points and get the lead.”
You don’t throw the ball on 2nd-and-5 inside the 10 with a shaky backup quarterback unless you’re Mike McCarthy… who is smarter than everyone else.
And he’s getting off easy here. This is the same head coach who in a 15-1 season refused to run the ball against a Chiefs defense that couldn’t stop it. This is the same coach who was a major contributor to the biggest debacle in NFL history when he decided that “I came in here to run the damn ball,” versus the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC title game. Brilliant, considering the Seahawks were only ONE OF THE GREATEST DEFENSES AGAINST THE RUN IN NFL HISTORY!!!!
I am sick and tired of this team and its leadership. I’m sick of the inconsistent effort the players give. I’m sick of the coach saying they practiced well all week, but it didn’t show up on Sunday. I’m sick of this general manager hiding out and not answering to this team’s fan base, the only team in sports that deserves that courtesy, by the way. I’m sick of Mark Murphy counting money in the back room and not giving two shits about the level of complacency going on here.
And I am tired of wasting my Sundays putting my trust in these men who had success nearly a decade ago. I am done. I’m doing something better with my Sundays until this changes. Feel free to join me on Sunday, as the last time I watch this team this year.
I hope T.J. Watt has the game of his life and Brett Hundley has the worst game of his. It will be the perfect stage on a national broadcast to show what an embarrassment this team has become behind the leadership of the “brilliant” GM Ted Thompson and “highly-successful coach” Mike McCarthy.
I love that picture, a few years old, but back when McCarthy was skinny, and Ted could stand up straight.
About the only thing you left out was the atrocious drafting the last 7 years, compared to the sufficient success of Teds first 6 drafts that allowed for draft and develop.
This article, rooted from truth and straight to the point.
Outstanding write up Andrew.
LOL, Jason “the turnstyle” Spriggs.
Once in a while, someone in the scouting picks a difference maker up in green bay, but what team doesn’t?
Can’t expect a different result with the same bums in charge… Green Bay holds players accountable but the Board of directors doesn’t hold the Pres and GM accountable for not firing McCarthy for not firing Capers. It’s the good old boys club in GB. No single owner to put down a heavy hand. Safest jobs in all of sports. One hand feeding the other up there. One millionaire I should say.
After a decade, of consistent established experienced leaders up there, it should be a fine tuned machine like New England, both calling plays and defensively.
If they could coach, Peppers would have done better here than he has been doing in Carolina.
Players won’t say anything since they are always subordinates.
Marty Bennett jumped ship. I doubt that was player related.
Time to pick a second favorite team. Like New Orleans. The best preseason QB performer we had in years, Taysom Hill, we cut to allow management to prove Huntley wasn’t a mistake. So behind Huntley, we are stuck with one dimensional, can only throw from outside the pocket Callahan… cause though he was cut like Hill, 31 sensible teams knew he isn’t pro quality.
More great points ^^^^
Now try making one of your own.
Piffle, you are such an ass.
Fuck you! you fucking fuck. Lol! I have done that for many years on here. I am just sitting back and relaxing through this. At least my Blog Name says something about my stance you racist, bigoted, know it all . . .
Oh . . . btw, that was for PF4L.
:)
Ah…dumb and dumber, posting together once again.
Fuck you and fuck both of you, you fucking fucks!!
lmao
…..so entertaining.
At PF4L . . . Coming from a myopic bigot like you? Just washes off. Been to any Jim Crow meetings lately motherfucker?
Just washes off huh?
Yea, i can tell……”motherfucker”
C’mon now, lets go…..call me a racist bigot again for the 30th time…go ahead, act like you won something….lol
So entertaining….lol
MMTTDCSUCK has consistently explicated the Packers core problems for
years. (Sorry for the big words, PF4L).
Thank you Ted, I get it. It was a joke, notice where he laughed after calling me a fucking fuck? Even he got the “timed” humor of it.
You sound highly intelligent though, i dare not be drawn into a battle of words with you as i would surely lose.
Now listen…it’s a football blog, try to enjoy it, it’s not life and death…lighten up Sparky.
It’ll be ok.
Thank you TED HAWTHORN. Your words are appreciated!
I especially agree on this:
“After a decade, of consistent established experienced leaders up there, it should be a fine tuned machine like New England, both calling plays and defensively”.
Yes, we should be Swiss-like by this time. And yet, we see timeouts burned because the play wasn’t delivered on time. Or having the wrong number of guys on the field. Or the HC sending in a play of which the QB thinks “stupid f—-n’ call!”.
Good points.
I’m a Wentz fan this year….
Some great points ^^^^
It’s too bad Tomlins’s not more like Belichek. He’s a gentleman and will take his foot off the gas when they’re up by 40. BB would have Hoyer out there throwing it and piling on. The better the beating, the better shot we’ve got at sometime happening. Unfortunately the wait for this pice of shit regime to be dismantled and exposed has been going on since #4 was still around. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Mr. Chitgo, you have tapped into the bitterness of the Packer base perfectly.
Here is where I would disagree with you:
“…especially when almost every measurable favored T.J.? Granted T.J. is a little smaller, but you know he’ll magically put on 20 pounds like every college kid coming into the NFL.”
So, first, all measurables only have meaning within the context of size. A 4.45 WR at 200 lb. is good, a 4.45 DE at 260 is fantastic, etc. Outside of the necessary size context JJ beats TJ in 3 out of 8 areas. That hardly means that TJ beats him in “almost every”. 5 out of 8 is not “almost every” to, well, anyone.
Then, second, if the measurables are actually put in the needed context of size JJ beats TJ in ALL 8 of the categories. Include height and weight and it becomes 10 out of 10.
Third, you mention a size increase for TJ of 20 pounds — no, by no means certain unless they put him on a 15 bags of Cheetos a day while chained to a couch regimen. But, if it did happen, then all those other measurables would worsen in relation to that weight increase. And no, not every college player — not even a lot of them and certainly not a majority — put on 20 pounds. Or even 15. Sure, Clay Matthews, but he used PEDs to do it. Which, to most of us, is called cheating.
JJ Watt’s measurables are incredible for a man his size. TJ’s are just good. TJ can be a good player I think but never an incredible one like JJ.
Jury is still out on Kevin King vs. TJ Watt. CB and OLB were equally dire needs so that is no tiebreaker either. King also comes with an extra 4th rounder.
TT is a poor drafter, no doubt. That said, trading down to take King and obtain a 4th instead of drafting Watt is by no means the horrific mind-numbing gaff you make it out to be.
No, getting mauled by a superior Steelers team isn’t going to be the crowning achievement. Losing to Cleveland will be. Would love to see Cleveland emotionally boil over and take out their frustrations on the Packers in case there was any doubt for those late to the party thinking McCarthy and company are good coaches.
My hopes exactly. Trusting that Cleveland will win, and facilitate the REMOVAL of MM, TT, DC and Mark Murphy . . .
Wishful thinking…
Imo : A few schlub asst coaches will be made fall guys, end of story…
I agree with Ice, if everything stays status quo, there will be a fall guy, as i’ve predicted earlier, i believe it’s Capers.
But listen….there will be no removal of MM, TT, DC, and Murphy in one fell swoop. That’s impossible, and only a fool would even suggest it.
What we could realistically hope for is that Ted decides to retire. That alone would “facilitate” other changes as the new GM would want his own people.
As far as Murphy, he may stick around a bit to finish spending a fortune on the Title Town District. Just not sure how much of an attraction that will be without a franchise QB in the future. They are spending a fortune on something that was possible through winning decades of 2 HOF QB’s. What happens when that 30 year reign is over?
I’m with ya! Would love to hear the excuses on the other sites that are still on board the “McNugget is a good coach” after that happens.
Have to agree with most points Andrew. I will wait and see on King vs Watt. Both were positions of need because of the failed drafts of recent years, failure to prudently use free agency, failure to coach up the players you have particularly on defense, and failure to re-sign or even attempt to re-sign good key free agents, so they move on to other teams at reasonable salaries. This team has reached at to many picks because they don’t use free agency outside the team and from within. So rather than picking BPA they pick for need and they have to many needs.
Not sure I can hope for embarrassing losses or turn the Packers off, but if I knew it would at least get rid of TT and Capers I will take the embarrassment.
The real question is can those over Murphy, Murphy, TT, or McCarthy be embarrassed enough to make changes? I don’t think so, after all it is not their first rodeo. Just ask TT he will tell you so. The other question is do we trust Murphy to make the right decision for a TT replacement? I still don’t see TT being fired. Best chance is retire after the draft and that is bad news no matter how you look at it. By the way has anyone heard rumors that TT is not scouting players? That would be the first sign a change would be made prior to the 2018 draft. The team needs a new GM and that will facilitate a new coaching staff. Murphy should be gone for putting up with TT the last few years, but who has the balls to do it? It is going to take someone with some balls to make changes. It has already been proven in so many games over the last few years that embarrassment will not work.
Sadly I agree with you Howard. I don’t want the Packers to be a laughing stock but unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be much else that will wake up those that remain faithful to this regime. At this point it would literally take Thompson or McNugget dying, and I’m not gonna wish death on anyone. I watch the games unless I have to work but I don’t even bother finishing (TiVo) when I have the time because there really isn’t anything worth watching in a 23-0 loss. Like you said, can’t even look forward to the draft if Ted is still around making the picks.
I’d say the Packers would argue with anyone saying they don’t select BPA. The mealy mouth way in which they operate, they absolutely believe they pick the BPA. It just happens to be the BPA at their current position of need. Which to you or anyone else that is sane is not the same as the BPA regardless of position. They aren’t fooling anyone. How convenient is it that the BPA ALWAYS coincides with a Packer position of need? Lol
The Packers organization is like a family. The problem is that it is not a family, it is a business and should be run like one. It’s time Murphy got some balls and gets rid of TT and a few other old timers that refuse to change with the times. Not only does TT draft poorly he also gets rid of players that he shouldn’t. Jason Hill is a good example. New Orleans love him and he will succeed Drew Brees. Any coach can win with Aaron Rogers. Without AR we now see the true ability of the coaching staff. Capers time is past also.