The Question

[RashanGary]

I'm also a big fan of MM's relationship with the team. The guy is a great leader. I think we have a dream setup with Capers doing what he does best and MM doing what he does best. MM's a motivator, leader and a friend to those guys. Capers is a brilliant coordinator. MM is an amazing developer of QB talent, an innovative passing coordinator and excellent playcaller. I think he gets caught up with his favorite toy (Rodgers) and puts too much on the OL. These last few weeks though, he's setting up something special. He's 90% postitive to me and 10% negative, but that negative really gets to me when we're on losing runs.

[Smidgeon]

No. Capers gets extra credit for allowing himself to be hired by MM.

[Patler]

No head coach since 1980 has ever won a Super Bowl after 5 years with that team, except for Cowher who took 14 years but also lost one in his first 5 years. MM gets one more year, but if we don't win a Super Bowl next year, we need to can him as it will be very unlikely that he will ever do it.

Do you mean no coach has every won his first Super Bowl after he had been with the team for more than 5 years?
Is that right? I had not heard that. Interesting.
It would be interesting to know how often owners give a coach more than 5 years if they haven't won a SB.

[mraynrand]

A few weeks ago this place was full of negative nancies that wanted McCarthy run out of town, among other things. I asked what happens if the Packers beat the Giants, beat the Bears, and win their first round playoff game. The only response that I got was "what if they don't."

Now that it has been done, what now?

That's not fair, Harv. I correctly posted that they would play in a Divisional playoff game. Credit where credit is due! BTW, I stand by my position.

[RashanGary]

Were you directing this thread at me at all, Harv?

[Bretsky]

.

[mraynrand]

No. Capers gets extra credit for allowing himself to be hired by MM.

Seriously though, I think this has been discussed on these boards. The thinking was that when McCarthy was first hired, he couldn't recruit the good coaches because he didn't have a rep. After a few years, I think the combination of McCarthy's obvious success - especially on the offensive side of the ball - gained him a lot of credibility in the community and he could attract top NFL coaching talent. Thus, the hiring of Dom Capers.

[Patler]

Seriously though, I think this has been discussed on these boards. The thinking was that when McCarthy was first hired, he couldn't recruit the good coaches because he didn't have a rep. After a few years, I think the combination of McCarthy's obvious success - especially on the offensive side of the ball - gained him a lot of credibility in the community and he could attract top NFL coaching talent. Thus, the hiring of Dom Capers.

Some have also suggested that his first contract paid him relatively lowly, and experienced, successful coordinators would have wanted almost as much. When MM signed his new contract at a much higher salary it gave them more room in the coaching salary structure for experienced (and expensive) assistants.

[Joemailman]

Do you mean no coach has every won his first Super Bowl after he had been with the team for more than 5 years?
Is that right? I had not heard that. Interesting.
It would be interesting to know how often owners give a coach more than 5 years if they haven't won a SB.

Currently:

Marvin Lewis
Jack Del Rio
Jeff Fisher
Gary Kubiak
Andy Reid
Lovie Smith

3 of them, Fisher, Reid and Smith made it to a Super Bowl and lost. John Fox was just fired or would have been on the list.

[mraynrand]

Some have also suggested that his first contract paid him relatively lowly, and experienced, successful coordinators would have wanted almost as much. When MM signed his new contract at a much higher salary it gave them more room in the coaching salary structure for experienced (and expensive) assistants.

Interesting. When Pittsburgh hired Tomlin they already had LeBeau in place since 2004, so they didn't have to worry about that so much. Don't know what their relative contracts were. Also would be interesting to see what Sean Payton made relative to Williams to see if there is a parallel there as well.

[Tarlam!]

I think we just took too many deep shots up until the very end of the season. The Flynn game helped give a blueprint. We CAN win without all of those deep shots. In fact, we're more likely to win.

You might be right with regards to the balance, JH, but I vividly remember DD publicly smacking his chops aover Rodgers' deep ball. He said it was the most beautiful deep ball he's seen. Now, DD was acting the vet supporting his new QB in the face of Bert wars taking place, but it's pertainent that he picked that throw to highlight.

I'm sure M3 sees it a lot in practice and has a tonne of confidence in it, so he calls it often; or Rodgers choses to look for it on option plays. Either way, they see it as a weapon and we fans can only guess if it's called from the sidelines or decided on as the play develops.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Were you directing this thread at me at all, Harv?

Nope.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I don't mind the deep shots. We are very good at it--especially when our receivers aren't dropping the ball. The conditions have led to more ball control and safer passes the last two weeks. I don't think it was some great epiphany for McCarthy after the Patriots game. I suspect we'll see more downfield shots against Atlanta, and I'm okay with that. Downfield shots open up the run game and underneath stuff--just like the run game opens up the passing game.

[vince]

McDermott was quoted in a post-game article somewhere (either JSO or Packersnews) saying that they made sure to take away the big plays from Green Bay's offense because they can be crushing. Chicago did the same thing.

[swede]

McDermott was quoted in a post-game article somewhere (either JSO or Packersnews) saying that they made sure to take away the big plays from Green Bay's offense because they can be crushing.

McDermott? I thought taking away the big play was James Jones' job.