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As we all know, the Packers play one of the most important games of their season next weekend in San Francisco. It is interesting that Harbaugh and McCarthy took radically different approaches to that game.
Harbaugh's 49ers went 3 and 1 in the preseason. His team crushed the Chargers last night 41-6. Watch the highlights and it's clear that the 49ers are confident as hell.
By contrast, McCarthy's Packers went 1 and 3 in the preseason. His team was embarrassed by the Chiefs 30-8. The Packers offense was unproductive all preseason. No reason for any confidence in Green Bay.
The Packers are in the position of having to flip the switch on to their "A" game. The 49ers have played with that switch on all preseason.
Throughout his career, Harbaugh's preseason record has been 8W and 4L. McCarthy's has been 15W and 17L. This difference in philosophy is a bit ironic in light of the fact that Green Bay's iconic head coach, Vince Lombardi, believed as Harbaugh does...that winning in the preseason will carry over into the season, i.e., winning is a habit.
In his tenure at Green Bay, Lombardi's record in the preseason was 42W and 8L. Obviously, McCarthy doesn't buy into Lombardi's "winning is a habit" philosophy. He sees the preseason as merely an opportunity to checkout the talent and abilities of 4th, 5th and 6th tier players.
Lombardi used the preseason to evaluate his backup players, but he didn't use the preseason to "select" his backup players. He could evaluate talent. He made decisions based on what he saw in practice and used preseason games to get these backup players some experience. But his focus was always on winning.
An example:
I remember Lombardi once pulling his scrubs and re-inserting his regulars late in a preseason game just to win it.
So the question is: Is all this talk about confidence being contagious and winning being a habit just talk? Or do the words actually mean something?
Here's some relevant quotes by St. Vincent:
Now the real question is: Which team has the advantage going into next week's game? Which players on which team really believe they are going to win that game?
Harbaugh's 49ers went 3 and 1 in the preseason. His team crushed the Chargers last night 41-6. Watch the highlights and it's clear that the 49ers are confident as hell.
By contrast, McCarthy's Packers went 1 and 3 in the preseason. His team was embarrassed by the Chiefs 30-8. The Packers offense was unproductive all preseason. No reason for any confidence in Green Bay.
The Packers are in the position of having to flip the switch on to their "A" game. The 49ers have played with that switch on all preseason.
Throughout his career, Harbaugh's preseason record has been 8W and 4L. McCarthy's has been 15W and 17L. This difference in philosophy is a bit ironic in light of the fact that Green Bay's iconic head coach, Vince Lombardi, believed as Harbaugh does...that winning in the preseason will carry over into the season, i.e., winning is a habit.
In his tenure at Green Bay, Lombardi's record in the preseason was 42W and 8L. Obviously, McCarthy doesn't buy into Lombardi's "winning is a habit" philosophy. He sees the preseason as merely an opportunity to checkout the talent and abilities of 4th, 5th and 6th tier players.
Lombardi used the preseason to evaluate his backup players, but he didn't use the preseason to "select" his backup players. He could evaluate talent. He made decisions based on what he saw in practice and used preseason games to get these backup players some experience. But his focus was always on winning.
An example:
But the Packers had gone 1-10-1 in 1958. It was Lombardi's eye for talent and his ability to put players in the right places — and then coach them up — that made all the difference.
"Willie Davis was an offensive lineman with the Browns, and coach Lombardi switched him to defensive end," said Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley. "He switched Dave Robinson (from end) to linebacker and me (from receiver) to corner and we all made the Hall of Fame. Bart Starr was the scout team quarterback. He switched that around. He put (Paul) Hornung where he belonged.
"The man knew talent."
"Willie Davis was an offensive lineman with the Browns, and coach Lombardi switched him to defensive end," said Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley. "He switched Dave Robinson (from end) to linebacker and me (from receiver) to corner and we all made the Hall of Fame. Bart Starr was the scout team quarterback. He switched that around. He put (Paul) Hornung where he belonged.
"The man knew talent."
I remember Lombardi once pulling his scrubs and re-inserting his regulars late in a preseason game just to win it.
So the question is: Is all this talk about confidence being contagious and winning being a habit just talk? Or do the words actually mean something?
Here's some relevant quotes by St. Vincent:
“Winning is a habit. Watch your thoughts, they become your beliefs. Watch your beliefs, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character.”
“Confidence is contagious and so is lack of confidence, and a customer will recognize both.”
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don’t do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
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