McCarthy = Sherman?

[Joemailman]

Completely agree. All four losses on last second field goals.

Our field goal blocking unit sucks!

[denverYooper]

Our field goal blocking unit sucks!

That's on TT. If only he would've signed Peppers!

[3irty1]

Where are all the "that's why McCarthy is a top notch coach and he's the ONE to leads to the Super Bowl" threads??? You'd have to be a freakin' nit wit to believe so. But hey, a few bad and some average coaches actually made it to the show - isn't that like clutching at straws?

Yeah well I guess that makes me a nit wit. I'm not even close to ready for a coaching change.

What made Belichick the guy he is now? He bounced around working under great minds like Parcels but eventually became a defensive guru. What makes a Belichick defense special isn't anything schematic. His x's and o's aren't revolutionary but his methods of preparation and ability to design a game plan made him special. Belichick runs a true multiple front defense and practically invented the concept of switching you scheme every week to best stop the opposition. The versatility is amazing.

McCarthy could be the offense version of Belichick. The biggest strength he has always had as a coach is without a doubt his ability to craft an offensive game plan. This was also true of Belichick, his game plan as a defensive coordinator with the Giants against the Bills in superbowl XXV is in the pro football hall of fame. McCarthy is just now entering the part of his career that would coincide with the dominant part of Belichick's. He's off to a good start too. With help from Ted Thompson he has assembled an offense that is just as innovative and vast as Belichick's defense. A true multiples offense that changes as needed to fit personnel and take advantage of anticipated mismatches. This week we strutted into Atlanta and nearly beat them at their own game in their own house. We came out with a ton of spread and managed to move the ball up and down the field with long time consuming drives, without even having a running game. Mike Smith is a pretty great coach in his own right but if not for some poor play on the goal line, the Packers pull out an impressive road win. We lost but the game plan was there. That can be said about nearly all of our losses going back to our loss to the Saints in 2008 where we were throughly beaten, not that there is any shame in being beaten by another brilliant offensive mind like Sean Peyton.

People love to question McCarthy's game-time decisions but almost all of them are justified later and its important that he's a very young head coach and is always learning. There are literally thousands of ways to lose a football game but I'm confident that with McCarthy we'll have a great shot at winning any of them. The guy is as good a young coach as you'll find out there IMO.

[denverYooper]

Excellent post, 3irty1.

[Joemailman]

People who want to get rid of MM should consider how difficult it is to find good head coaches.

The class of 2006:

Rod Marinelli Lions 10-38 (2006-2008)
Scott Linehan Rams 11-25 (2006-2008)
Herm Edwards Chiefs 15-33 (2006-2008)
Brad Childress Vikings 39-35 (2006-2010) NFC Title Game 2009
Gary Kubiak Texans 36-39 (2006-2010)
Eric Mangini Jets 32-43 (2006-2010)
Dick Jauron Bills 24-33 (2006-2009)
Sean Payton Saints 46-29 (2006-2010) NFC Title Game 2006 Super Bowl Champions 2009
Mike McCarthy Packers 45-30 (2006-2010) NFC Title Game 2007
Art Shell Raiders 2-14 (2006)

[sheepshead]

I'm not sure there are many who want to 'get rid of MM'. For me he needs to come under more scrutiny on these boards and TT a bit less. that's all.

[superfan]

Excellent post, 3irty1.

Agreed, great post. Not quite 100% in agreement, but 3irty1 does a real nice job spelling out his strengths and potential.

Everybody wants to hire the next Lombardi or Cowher or whoever, but there is a far greater chance of getting the next Art Shell. Joemailman did a nice job showing that with his post.

I'd put McCarthy today in the lower upper half of head coaches, somewhere between 10-16 maybe, with more potential than most to someday become an elite coach. Pair that with the inherent benefits of consistency that comes from a long coaching tenure, and I see absolutely no reason to consider replacing him. I like the thought of Rodgers running McCarthy's offense for years to come.

[mmmdk]

Excellent post, 3irty1.

I respect your views & it's a good post...but comparing McCarthy to Belichick is not a compliment to him...at all. I'd give Belichick way more credit than compare him to [so far] an average head coach; compare Belichick to the greats - the Lombardi greats - as he truely deserves. Being potentially a Super Bowl coach is just a coach that hasn't done it yet and probably never will - 'cos few do. I just see no aura about McCarthy. I've said this before; it's a gut feeling call on McCarthy and trust me I won't bitch if I'm wrong [about McCarthy].

I hope YOU are right, 3irty1, and I'm wrong.

[3irty1]

mmmdk you strike me as the type who'd love a Mike Singletary or Rex Ryan type coach. McCarthy doesn't grab facemasks but with the type of players we get in Green Bay, he really doesn't need to. At some point I expect self-motivation. Its McCarthy's job to work the strategy and use his personnel. I know you weren't comparing Belichick and Lombardi but the contrast in what it takes to be a great coach in this day and age is apparent in this example. Lombardi was a motivator. Belichick, McCarthy, and a good deal of other head coaches are for the most part stone faced and boring.

McCarthy has a way to go for the comparisons in accomplishments and leadership to be accurate. Belichick puts and extreme emphasis on special teams that the Packers obviously lack. It would be nice for McCarthy and to some degree Thompson do more than lip service in this area. There is no reason a team as deep as ours shouldn't have elite teams squads every single year. Belichick is also the GM of his team and has the entire organization so under his thumb that its mind boggling that he has not spread himself thin. McCarthy prefers to delegate personnel decisions to the omnipotent Ted Thompson and even the defensive decisions to our resident defensive mastermind, Dom Capers. Make no mistake though, McCarthy is a lifelong student of the game and is absorbing everything he can from his new "co-head coach." The guy is still improving but if I were a betting man I'd mark him down for at least one superbowl. I hope it is in Green Bay. The comparisons to Sherman are insulting.

[Joemailman]

Agreed, great post. Not quite 100% in agreement, but 3irty1 does a real nice job spelling out his strengths and potential.

Everybody wants to hire the next Lombardi or Cowher or whoever, but there is a far greater chance of getting the next Art Shell. Joemailman did a nice job showing that with his post.

I'd put McCarthy today in the lower upper half of head coaches, somewhere between 10-16 maybe, with more potential than most to someday become an elite coach. Pair that with the inherent benefits of consistency that comes from a long coaching tenure, and I see absolutely no reason to consider replacing him. I like the thought of Rodgers running McCarthy's offense for years to come.

It took Cowher 14 years to win a Super Bowl, although he made the playoffs most years. Would Packer fans be that patient with McCarthy if he was winning consistently, but not winning it all?

[Guiness]

*shakes head at thought of Art Shell*

He really didn't deserve that.

[Patler]

Everybody wants to hire the next Lombardi or Cowher or whoever, but there is a far greater chance of getting the next Art Shell.

Art Shell wasn't a bad head coach the first time around, with a record of 54-38 from 1989 - 1994. Made the AFC Championship game once and was Coach of the Year. He never should have come back for a second go-around with Al Davis.

[rbaloha1]

As the board knows the Packers are currently not in the playoffs. If this trend continues should MM be retained?

[Joemailman]

If they finish 10-6 and miss the playoffs, sure. If they collapse down the stretch and finish 7-9 or 8-8, some tough questions need to be asked.

[Cheesehead Craig]

As the board knows the Packers are currently not in the playoffs. If this trend continues should MM be retained?

What trend? The Packers were in the playoffs last year. If making the playoffs and having an elite passing attack is the trend, then yes, he should be retained.