Next Sunday I’m wearing a cup December 9, 2008
Posted by Ross - a.k.a. The Fat Man in : Packershow , trackback
As I write this, Tuesday, December 9, there is still no explanation that makes sense. Frankly, it feels like I was kicked in the nutsack for the sixth time this season. Seriously, 549 yards!?! Is that even possible or is it a misprint? Maybe this is what Donovan McNabb felt like when he found out that you CAN tie in the NFL.
Ryan Grant: 19 rushes for 104 yards and 1 TD. 5.5 yards per carry.
Aaron Rodgers: 19/30 for 295, 2 TD, 1 INT. Passer Rating of 104.2
4 turnovers
And we lost. I am at a loss. This team has no heart and I can’t for the life of me understand why. Perhaps the Favre incident (yes, that’s my new term for it) took the life out of the team. Now another veteran is out, probably forever…Tauscher.
Man, it’s a tough day. Next week I’m wearing a cup.
Comments»
As ever, Ross sums it up very well. Certainly the team has no confidence. What I can’t decide is whether it’s time to panic, or whether there really are just a few things we need to “clean up” (I’m sure I’ve heard that phrase somewhere?!)
What say you, fellow Packer fans? Should we be panicking yet? Or can we play out the season with some pride and dignity and put it down to the development of a young team?
Chris
Certainly wholesale changes in the coaching needs to be accomplished. I’ve changed my opinion about Bob Sanders. I don’t think he’s just a bumbling incompetent, earnest but useless. My opinion is that he’s feuding with McCarthy and essentially fighting back the only way he knows how. It’s a real test for McCarthy in his short career as head coach. How to manage subordinates (or insubordinates) will determine how effective the team will be in the next few games. You can see the players still have the energy and focus, but they are distracted by the power struggle in the coaching area.
Right now the Packers have no defense. If they have the talent and desire that means only one thing: Bob Sanders is scuttling the ship. He should be terminated immediately.
As I have said on the show, I’m not a big fan of firing coaches mid-season, but with this season being a wash, there is no reason not to make the change now. Fire Sanders, and move Winston Moss up and lets see what we may or may not have with Moss as our DC. He’s going to be plucked away by another team sooner or later and put into that capacity if we don’t do it.
A season that started with so much promise…I was going to post this question as another topic, but I’ll do it here instead. Is this year’s team a fluke, or was last year’s team the fluke?
Last year’s team was a fluke. This year is also a fluke. 2007 was a combination of luck, positive events and fairly cooperative coaching.
This year is bad luck, open revolt by certain coaches and a string of downer events, starting with the circus in July. What will we expect next year?
My feeling is that Mike needs to take back control of the coaching structure. I think one ploy he tried this year was an abject failure and he should discontinue it as soon as possible. In the past the head coach was usually the only one available to the press, but about mid-season this year coordinators have been featured prominently in ‘hallway’ press conferences. This was perhaps intended as being ‘open’ about various issues with different parts of the team, but maybe was perceived by the coordinators involved as a tacit criticism. I think Bob Sanders especially feels that way, because he knows that he doesn’t do well in press conferences and looks and sounds as though he doesn’t know what he is doing.
In a typical passive-aggressive reaction, he has taken this ‘criticism’ badly and is, in my opinion, setting up the defense to fail, especially in critical situations. This is the most important reason to get rid of him now, and really is a test of Mike McCarthy’s nerve. A mid-season change is mandated now, and if Mike can’t find it in him to do this, it’s a bad sign for next season.
There was no personnel reason for not keeping the Texans bottled up near their own goal at the end of the game. The punter did his job, the special teams prevented a runback, and the defense gave up one big play after the other, because it was set up to fail by the coordinator.
Wes, I believe this team isn’t as bad as its 5-8 record, in the same way that last year’s team wasn’t as good as its 13-3 mark. Schedule has played a big part. More importantly, we got alot of breaks last year. We had NO business winning the Philly and Washington games last year, and we got some amazing long passes late in the game against San Diego, Denver, and KC to win those games. Not saying those passes were lucky, and alot of credit goes to Favre (and Jennings), but teams lose those games more often than not.
On the other hand, this year if it weren’t for a missed FG, a choke-job on the one-yard line, and a phantom holding call, this team would be 8-5 and in good position for the division. Those are all situations that go our way 9 out of 10 times, and we just got some bad breaks.
I’m not great with this website stuff, but how difficult and expensive would it be to start-up firebobsanders.com??
I’d contribute to that website.
Well, I don’t think Sanders is trying to sabotage McCarthy. That’s a pretty ridiculous statement when you think about it. I don’t really think there is any power struggle at all.
I think when you get right down to it this scheme is a “marginal” scheme that needs exceptional talent to be championship caliber. I also don’t think this scheme is very flexible. Bob Sanders was hired in part because it would keep the same defensive scheme that was being run by then DC (currently unemployed) Jim Bates. Maybe Bates was more creative or just had a better feel for when to call what play for the D but Sanders seems like a marginal talent running this defense as well.
Even last year this defense had some serious issues with covering backs and TEs out of the back field. The injuries this year to Jenkins, KGB, Barnett, Hawk and Bigby have only accentuated those weakness’s.
Personally I think we need a different DC who can bring a different scheme that is more flexible to fit the talents of the players on the team. A guy like Barnett is a nice talent, Bishop has strengths that can be used. I think Hawk (when fully healthy) does too, but you have to take advantage of those talents.
Now in Sanders defense the injuries certainly have taken away a what little flexibility he had built into this scheme but I just don’t see him or this scheme as having what it takes to win it all.
So in that regard I think this off season McCarthy is going to have some very tough calls to make in regards to some members of his coaching staff.