Here come the articles about replacing McCarthy

[Fritz]

I don't think M3 (or anyone) is in the same stratosphere as Bellichick but he gets the Packers in the conversation every year. Both last year and this, they went into their last games as underdogs and played those teams right down to the wire. Green Bay and Seattle have been playoff constants for the last 5 years and probably for at least the next 3 years, with Minnesota and Carolina threatening to take a position as perennial contenders. All of the other NFC teams have entered and left.

Rodgers and M3 have at least one more Superbowl before they are done. 1 year where Shields (or other DB) makes those gimme INTs, 1 year where Palmer (or other previous hot team) has that pass bounce harmlessly away, 1 year where they secure the onside kick, 1 year where they get the bounce they need to live and win. That only happens when they keep putting themselves in position for those things to happen. Keep flipping the coin and eventually you get heads a few times in a row. That's what the modern playoffs come down to for good teams.

To me, this is it. If you have a GM that can put a team on the field that gets into the playoffs nearly every year, and a coach who has control of the locker room and gets his teams to play well in the playoffs, you have a shot every year - but having a shot is no guarantee.

I work with a guy who is a Steelers fan, and another who's a Seahawks fan. Both of them are saying the exact same thing today that I'm saying: "If only THIS had happened! If only THAT had not happened!" We're all doing it.

This tells me that any team that gets into the playoffs can win it any year. There's skill and preparation, sure, but at this level, you're getting that if you're in the playoffs. There's one bad bounce, one dropped interception (oh, Sam Shields!), one injury - frankly, there is luck involved if you win a SB.

The coaches and GM's who can't get their teams into the dance consistently are the ones who usually need to be replaced.

Agreed, if MM has lost the locker room, or has gotten stale in his thinking about the game, then you'd look into it. But to me, talk of firing him or TT is stupid talk.

[Joemailman]

Agreed, if MM has lost the locker room, or has gotten stale in his thinking about the game, then you'd look into it. But to me, talk of firing him or TT is stupid talk.

This may have been what happened to Tom Coughlin. MM certainly hasn't lost the locker room. If he had, you wouldn't have seen the team take Arizona to overtime 3 weeks after getting pummeled by them. The issue of whether his offense has gotten stale is a legitimate one, as is his relationship with his QB.

[Fritz]

I think we'll see next year of the offense has gotten stale. He'll - I hope - have a full stable of receivers, including Montgomery, and I think Adams will be just fine, too.

[woodbuck27]

To me, this is it. If you have a GM that can put a team on the field that gets into the playoffs nearly every year, and a coach who has control of the locker room and gets his teams to play well in the playoffs, you have a shot every year - but having a shot is no guarantee.

I work with a guy who is a Steelers fan, and another who's a Seahawks fan. Both of them are saying the exact same thing today that I'm saying: "If only THIS had happened! If only THAT had not happened!" We're all doing it.

This tells me that any team that gets into the playoffs can win it any year. There's skill and preparation, sure, but at this level, you're getting that if you're in the playoffs. There's one bad bounce, one dropped interception (oh, Sam Shields!), one injury - frankly, there is luck involved if you win a SB.

The coaches and GM's who can't get their teams into the dance consistently are the ones who usually need to be replaced.

Agreed, if MM has lost the locker room, or has gotten stale in his thinking about the game, then you'd look into it. But to me, talk of firing him or TT is stupid talk.

Good post fritz...repped.

[Rutnstrut]

I think we'll see next year of the offense has gotten stale. He'll - I hope - have a full stable of receivers, including Montgomery, and I think Adams will be just fine, too.

Montgomery maybe, but I just don't think Adams is very good.

[Bossman641]

There's things I think MM could do better but there's no way you get rid of him now. Does anyone think our window won't be open next year? There is no way you get rid of him and take 1-2 years acquiring new players and getting the current players used to the scheme.

Ya I'm pissed off we haven't won any more SB's since 2010. I honestly thought that we would have taken 2-3 in a 5-6 year span. Thinking of all the what-ifs makes me sick (Collins and Finley suffering career enders, the injury to Jennings and 3 fumbles against the Giants in 2011). Even last year, which looked like it could and have been the year, was marred by Rodgers' injury and the collapse.

I think you just have to keep giving yourself shots and hope that injuries/bounces/luck come up on your side.

[texaspackerbacker]

To me, this is it. If you have a GM that can put a team on the field that gets into the playoffs nearly every year, and a coach who has control of the locker room and gets his teams to play well in the playoffs, you have a shot every year - but having a shot is no guarantee.

I work with a guy who is a Steelers fan, and another who's a Seahawks fan. Both of them are saying the exact same thing today that I'm saying: "If only THIS had happened! If only THAT had not happened!" We're all doing it.

This tells me that any team that gets into the playoffs can win it any year. There's skill and preparation, sure, but at this level, you're getting that if you're in the playoffs. There's one bad bounce, one dropped interception (oh, Sam Shields!), one injury - frankly, there is luck involved if you win a SB.

The coaches and GM's who can't get their teams into the dance consistently are the ones who usually need to be replaced.

Agreed, if MM has lost the locker room, or has gotten stale in his thinking about the game, then you'd look into it. But to me, talk of firing him or TT is stupid talk.

Until recently, I would have agreed. However, I am more and more coming to the conclusion that Thompson lucked into drafting Aaron Rodgers, and both he and McCarthy have been living fat off of that ever since. Arguably, Ted has failed to surround Rodgers with enough talent to maximize things, and McCarthy has done just enough to have good seasons and not win it all - despite having the great head start of such excellence at the most important position. And to make it worse - IMO anyway - he has succumbed to crap about going to a run-first offense, which is just plain stupid, given the chronically weak O Line and the QB with escapability in addition to great physical and mental ability as a passer.

I'm not quite to the point of advocating firing them, but it wouldn't break me up one bit if Thompson retired and McCarthy skipped to some other team - a la Gary Anderson.

[run pMc]

I think the D'Amato piece is just clickbait and to get the overemotional fans and M3 haters whipped up. He's a good coach, better than Sherman. If they canned him, he'd get hired in a minute. I'd take him over Doug Marrone or Ken Whisenhunt. As for the Belichick comparisons, BB is a good coach but there are so many controversies and asterisks around how they play (Deflategate, Spygate, etc.) that a lot of non-Patriot fans see them as a dirty franchise. I'm glad (as far as we know) McCarthy and by extension GB doesn't have a reputation like that.

Unless you ask a Vikings fan. Many think the refs are biased against them and for GB.

[pbmax]

No coach, even Belichick, is magic. You have to work with them to make them better. Belichick learned some brutal lessons with the Browns.

One of the only reasons I would consider getting rid of Ted earlier rather than later is if he doesn't think that helping that process along is a good idea.

[hoosier]

Until recently, I would have agreed. However, I am more and more coming to the conclusion that Thompson lucked into drafting Aaron Rodgers, and both he and McCarthy have been living fat off of that ever since. Arguably, Ted has failed to surround Rodgers with enough talent to maximize things, and McCarthy has done just enough to have good seasons and not win it all - despite having the great head start of such excellence at the most important position. And to make it worse - IMO anyway - he has succumbed to crap about going to a run-first offense, which is just plain stupid, given the chronically weak O Line and the QB with escapability in addition to great physical and mental ability as a passer.

I'm not quite to the point of advocating firing them, but it wouldn't break me up one bit if Thompson retired and McCarthy skipped to some other team - a la Gary Anderson.

Or you could say that, considering where the Packers usually pick in the draft order, TT has done a reasonably good job keeping the cupboards stocked over the years. He has found a few guys who have developed into gems (Jennings, Nelson, Sitton, Lang, Daniels, in addition to the two obvious ones) and a good number who contribute. Burnett, HaHa and the two rookie corners could emerge as the next generation of good picks.

If MM left we would almost certainly see a few years of decline while the roster gets reconfigured to suit the new coach's system. And then what? If you look around the NFL how many coaches can you honestly say you would rather have over MM? Five? Three? One?

[Fritz]

Until recently, I would have agreed. However, I am more and more coming to the conclusion that Thompson lucked into drafting Aaron Rodgers, and both he and McCarthy have been living fat off of that ever since. Arguably, Ted has failed to surround Rodgers with enough talent to maximize things, and McCarthy has done just enough to have good seasons and not win it all - despite having the great head start of such excellence at the most important position. And to make it worse - IMO anyway - he has succumbed to crap about going to a run-first offense, which is just plain stupid, given the chronically weak O Line and the QB with escapability in addition to great physical and mental ability as a passer.

I'm not quite to the point of advocating firing them, but it wouldn't break me up one bit if Thompson retired and McCarthy skipped to some other team - a la Gary Anderson.

Somebody kidnapped TPB. Who the heck are you? You were a fierce defender of Packerdom, but it looks like last year's loss has caused you to change your views.

Which is fine.

I like anyone who is willing to change his or her opinion in the face of new information.

[Pugger]

This may have been what happened to Tom Coughlin. MM certainly hasn't lost the locker room. If he had, you wouldn't have seen the team take Arizona to overtime 3 weeks after getting pummeled by them. The issue of whether his offense has gotten stale is a legitimate one, as is his relationship with his QB.

I don't think his relationship with Aaron was ever in question except by media types looking for a story. His offense works when the guys execute. They moved the ball against a top D like AZ and lit up the scoreboard against Washington.

[Pugger]

Montgomery maybe, but I just don't think Adams is very good.

Against Washington Adams began to resemble the kid we saw in the 2014 playoffs until he hurt his knee. I'm not ready to call him a bust just yet.

[Pugger]

Until recently, I would have agreed. However, I am more and more coming to the conclusion that Thompson lucked into drafting Aaron Rodgers, and both he and McCarthy have been living fat off of that ever since. Arguably, Ted has failed to surround Rodgers with enough talent to maximize things, and McCarthy has done just enough to have good seasons and not win it all - despite having the great head start of such excellence at the most important position. And to make it worse - IMO anyway - he has succumbed to crap about going to a run-first offense, which is just plain stupid, given the chronically weak O Line and the QB with escapability in addition to great physical and mental ability as a passer.

I'm not quite to the point of advocating firing them, but it wouldn't break me up one bit if Thompson retired and McCarthy skipped to some other team - a la Gary Anderson.

If we go in another direction with new coach unless he runs a WC offense like Bossman said, it will take the team a couple more years to adjust and Rodgers isn't getting any younger.

[Pugger]

If I have one criticism of Ted, its not FA. Its a comment of his from a long time ago and reaffirmed last year that the coaching staff was McCarthy's purview and Ted did not like to meddle. It is belied a bit by the GM admitting he had his hand in helping hire Assistant Coaches in 2006.

Messing with the Assistant Coaches in an ongoing regime is dangerous because it can set the organization against itself. But Thompson should, if he is not, set improvement standards in certain areas with heads rolling if those improvements aren't forthcoming.

He may have done so in regard to Defensive coaches after 2008. He might have do so with ST two years ago (hence the subsequent Slocum firing a year later) and possibly last year regarding game management.

I would love Ted to step in and demand better results from WR this offseason.

I believe Ted is consulted about assistant hiring but he leaves the final decision to Mike.