McCarthy and "Close Games"

[packerbacker1234]

Good catch mm on the playoffs. I went to wikipedia and the playoffs weren't included for some reason. I believe it would be 15-20 though including playoffs. 1 blowout win and 1 close loss in '07 and a close loss in '09...

Even with that the point still stands. Take the rest of the stats you and others who are hand-selecting to support their preconceived notions and throw them out the window. Good teams blow other teams out more than they get blown out and when they lose, the games tend to be close. Imagine that.

McCarthy has been a winner with the youngest team in the league and has his team - that has much room to grow - on the rise. Injuries have taken a toll this year, but the team has outperformed your and just about everyone else's expectations thus far this year.

I understand the criticism of McCarthy. He still has a lot to prove, but he's done pretty well thus far, producing top 10 offenses pretty much every year - and he's not done yet.

Slocum is a problem for sure. It's impossible to argue otherwise, but I'm not prepared to draw the hard conclusions you are regarding McCarthy yet, and I doubt Thompson is either. He's done well so far. Now he has to get to the next level. I doubt it will be this year with all the injuries, but he'll get the time and opportunity to prove himself one way or another.

We had more injuries, and worse injuries, than we did in what.... 2006 or was it 2005, when we had our first losing season in forever. Yet, we can't finish below .500 now, and we control, with 2 weeks to go, if we make the playoffs or not. Win out and were in. This team never gave up, and hasn't been throughly dominated by anyone. While it seems all our losses are extremely close, it's also a testament to just how good we are, and how good we would of been had we not had the injuries. Injuries don't happen... we still ahve grant... finely... Chillar... Jones... etc: Wer etalking about completely dominating the NFL.

All things considered, were still a team to be reckoned with. Just ask NE how good we are when we take you to the wire with our probowl QB on the sidelines. Ask the Jets how good this defense of ours is. We are a good team that, really, is held from being great not really due to our coach, but due to our circumstances with key injuries.

ALl that being said, and there is not one game right now, one team we could face in any environment, and not have a chance to win. After what we did at NE without AR, you have to think this team beleives it can win anywhere against anyone. Giants? The team that gave up a 21 point lead with 7 minutes left? THey must be scared shitless with what were bringing. The bears? Hell, can they even compete with us?

We are practically a lock to make the playoffs. We wont get blown out by anyone. Sure, we suck at winning games by 3 or less, and our special teams, while better this year, still has some glaring problems that have only gotten worse as the injuries have piled up. Still, we could make the playoffs with what, 14 guys on AR and Rodgers having to miss a game?

Impressive. I cannot do anything but commend MM for his coaching job this year on offense, and of course, praise capers for his defensive gameplans. If this was 2005/2006, were talking 1 - 16 instead of 6-10.

[bobblehead]

After what we did at NE without AR, you have to think this team beleives it can win anywhere against anyone. Giants? The team that gave up a 21 point lead with 7 minutes left? THey must be scared shitless with what were bringing. The bears? Hell, can they even compete with us?

.

I remember Burt Sugar saying something like "beware of declaring a guy great because of HOW he LOST to mike tyson. He still lost." Razor Ruddok never did amount to much despite putting up a lively fight against tyson (twice I think). I was proud of our defense and offense against the patriots, but the ST failed us again, and with a lead MM abandon the successful running game late. Until we commit to the run, and have success I'm not declaring us anything. We should have won that game despite everything that went wrong. If you want to point to one thing you can count on being better, its that Rodgers is less likely to throw that pick 6....but not impossible. I want to beat the giants before I start feeling too good about losing valiantly.

[rbaloha1]

This is old stuff that was mentioned much earlier. Only now it is becoming an issue since the Packers may not make the playoffs.

Try no fourth quarter wins this season. MM chokes in crucial situations.

Its Harbaugh time!

[rbaloha1]

The apologists continue. Even without the injuries MM screws up.

[Gunakor]

The apologists continue. Even without the injuries MM screws up.

Maybe. We'd have no way to verify that though, would we?

Though there may be solid statistical evidence that proves the opposite is true.

On one of these threads someone did a nice breakdown of our offense since MM took over as HC. There it clearly illustrates how much MM's screw ups have hamstrung this offense both in yards gained and points scored.

[rbaloha1]

Maybe. We'd have no way to verify that though, would we?

Though there may be solid statistical evidence that proves the opposite is true.

On one of these threads someone did a nice breakdown of our offense since MM took over as HC. There it clearly illustrates how much MM's screw ups have hamstrung this offense both in yards gained and points scored.

Without a doubt, MM offense can put up great stats -- even Sherman wit the U71 also put up great stats. Its the intangibles MM lacks that hurts down the stretch.

MM's loyalty to assistant coaches is also hurting the team.

[Gunakor]

Without a doubt, MM offense can put up great stats -- even Sherman wit the U71 also put up great stats.

My point in referencing the stats over the years was to point out an anomaly this season. Our offense has been top 5, top 10 in both points and yards in each of the last 3 seasons. This year they are not. I contend this is very specifically due to the loss of Ryan Grant. Without a legitimate workhorse at RB half the playbook gets thrown out the window. Not only the run game struggles, but play action doesn't work either. Then you lose your threat at TE and become even more constricted in your playcalling. At the same time, opposing defenses have less to plan against, making it that much more difficult to move the ball against them.

My post was, after all, in response to your contention that even without injuries MM will and has always screwed it up. I just wanted to illustrate that he hasn't screwed up as much as you'd like to believe during his time here, and that perhaps injuries at key positions have indeed played a very significant role in our offensive struggles this season.

[mraynrand]

The apologists continue. Even without the injuries MM screws up.

Nah, just reality. Harv has it right, especially after all this time to evaluate McCarthy. He is what his record says he is: An above average coach who might never be able to win it all.

[Scott Campbell]

The apologists continue. Even without the injuries MM screws up.

And who's sorry now?

[pbmax]

This is old stuff that was mentioned much earlier. Only now it is becoming an issue since the Packers may not make the playoffs.

Try no fourth quarter wins this season. MM chokes in crucial situations.

Its Harbaugh time!

If the Packers hire Jim Harbaugh, I will start to watch soccer instead.

[rbaloha1]

If the Packers hire Jim Harbaugh, I will start to watch soccer instead.

Do you have the soccer channel yet?

[pbmax]

Do you have the soccer channel yet?

Nope.

[packerbacker1234]

I remember Burt Sugar saying something like "beware of declaring a guy great because of HOW he LOST to mike tyson. He still lost." Razor Ruddok never did amount to much despite putting up a lively fight against tyson (twice I think). I was proud of our defense and offense against the patriots, but the ST failed us again, and with a lead MM abandon the successful running game late. Until we commit to the run, and have success I'm not declaring us anything. We should have won that game despite everything that went wrong. If you want to point to one thing you can count on being better, its that Rodgers is less likely to throw that pick 6....but not impossible. I want to beat the giants before I start feeling too good about losing valiantly.

Difference is, unlike that boxer, we actually had big wins this season going into the NE game. 9-0 Shut out win on the road against the Jets. We also beat the Eagles on the road, who are looking to be division winners.

The rest of our wins, admittedly, aren't really that impressive coming against teams who are bad. And, in facing bad teams, we even lost two we should of won (detroit, redskins). We lost our two biggest games against Atlanta and the Patriots, but neither by more than 4 points. If anything, we can "compete" with any team in the NFL. Just something needs to happen late in the 4th for us to finally hold onto, or complete, a victory. Be it Matt Flynn/Rodgers driving us for a TD at the end of hte game, james jones not fumblinmg away our game winning drive against chicago, ST not letting an offensive linemen return it 71 yards, or not abandoning the run game too early.

Whatever the case may be, we are "this close" to being a top tier team. The question now is: Two weeks left, playoffs on the line... have we learned anything? I hope so.