The Green Bay Packers are not a Super Bowl team, and will not be any time soon under the current regime. It might be time for change in Green Bay.
The Packers have had lots of success under Mike McCarthy. His Packers have won a Super Bowl, played in 18 playoff games and been dominant in the NFC North. For some time now, however, the Packers have not been a legitimate Super Bowl contender despite having Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
The Packers have been average at best on the defensive side of the ball for eight consecutive seasons. At that point, it is less of a personnel issue and more of a coaching problem. Despite constant turnover at the cornerback and safety positions, a change at defensive coordinator, and draft pick after draft pick being invested for the unit, the defense still hasn’t improved enough.
While McCarthy is largely known as an offensive-minded head coach who can mentor quarterbacks who have been cast off by other teams, a head coach should be able to make basic game-to-game adjustments as well as offseason scheme changes to bring the defense to a championship level.
Mike McCarthy has failed to do this year after year in Green Bay. The Packers gave up 45 points to Colin Kaepernick in one playoff loss, only to lose to him again the following year in the 2013 wild-card game.
McCarthy’s extremely questionable play calling in the 2014 NFC Championship Game was also a contributing factor to the team’s heart-wrenching collapse in the final minutes of the game.
McCarthy’s Packers have not been able to effectively defend the run during his entire tenure. The pass coverage hasn’t been as bad, but numerous blown coverages over the years have cost the team multiple playoff games and crucial stops in late season games where the team is vying for playoff position.
While McCarthy’s defensive shortcomings are well documented, his offensive experience and knowledge should be enough for the Packers to at least be in contention for the Super Bowl given the fact that they have the most talented quarterback in NFL history.
But for four consecutive seasons now, the Packers have been embarrassing on offense. While the point totals and yardage numbers have still been acceptable, the offense has resorted to Aaron Rodgers dropping back to pass, not having any receivers open, and eventually having to scramble away from pressure before hoping to find a receiver downfield.
This has been going on consistently for four years. The last time we saw the Green Bay offense look diverse, unpredictable, and even competent, was 2014.
After losing Jordy Nelson to a torn ACL in the 2015 preseason, the receivers weren’t able to get any separation from defensive backs for the entire season. The Packers put up just 20 points in their divisional playoff loss to the Cardinals, seven of which came on a miracle last-second Hail Mary from Rodgers.
Even getting Nelson back from injury and signing Jared Cook in free agency couldn’t help the offense improve. Rodgers and the Packers inexcusably went 4-6 in their first 10 games of the 2016 season despite being among the league’s most feared teams.
Rodgers’ heroics against the Cowboys in the divisional playoffs gave them another chance in the NFC Championship Game in 2016, only to give up 44 points to the Falcons.
Offensively, the Packers have no scheme. Time and again they will send two receivers into the same exact part of the field, and even will have receivers run into each other from time to time. Against the Lions on Sunday, Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery slammed into each other in the middle of a pass pattern.
Not only are Adams and Montgomery both experienced veterans who know the route tree well, but the fact that two receivers could be involved in such awful route schemes five weeks into the season is ridiculous. The Packers have no structure, game plans, or schematic goals on offense.
The biggest problem that McCarthy has caused for his team, however, is the energy on the field. The Packers don’t play with any enthusiasm, urgency, or fire. When watching a Packer game, there is a general sense that the team doesn’t believe it can win, which is unacceptable for a team with a first ballot Hall-of-Famer at quarterback.
One game in particular that comes to mind is the 2014 season-opener against the Seahawks. The Seahawks were fresh off of their first ever Super Bowl championship, and the Packers had an opportunity to come into their building and send a message to the entire NFC.
While pulling off a win in an insane environment like Seattle might have been a considerable task, the game was no contest.
The Packers were bullied and pushed around for 60 minutes against the Seahawks. Even with the great Aaron Rodgers, the team appeared laughably unequipped and unprepared for the game. Seattle dominated the hapless Packers 36-16 in what the NFL had hoped would be an all-out brawl between two NFC powerhouses.
The Packers don’t win football games, instead they survive them. Opening night of this season was a perfect example of this reality. Despite having an entire offseason to prepare for a game against your arch rival, in primetime, at home, to kick off the 100th season in team history, the Packers got absolutely demolished by what should be an inferior team.
Only in the second half did Rodgers lead his team all the way back from a 20-point deficit against a second-year quarterback who has his team still unsure if he is the guy to build around for the future. Even despite the unprecedented heroics from Rodgers, the team was still a dropped interception by Kyle Fuller away from losing the game.
The following week, the defense did what they could against a proficient Vikings offense, but five whole quarters of football in intense heat wore them down. While the roughing the passer penalty against Clay Matthews shouldn’t have been called, three missed field goals by Vikings’ kicker Daniel Carlson cost the Vikings the game.
The Packers then got their heads handed to them by the Redskins on the road. They should very well have been 0-3 at this point, and after shutting out the worst team in football at home, they got blown off the field again by the average Lions. The Packers should be 1-4 through five games, which would get any head coach that has Aaron Rodgers on its team fired.
X’s and O’s don’t appear to be McCarthy’s strong suit either. Against the NFL’s weakest run defense last Sunday, the Packers gave the ball to Aaron Jones just seven times. Yes, you read that right. Against an awful run defense, with an injured quarterback, McCarthy gave his running back that is averaging over six yards a carry the ball seven times.
The Packers are not a Super Bowl team, no matter what new slogan Rodgers adopts for his team now. First it was “R-E-L-A-X”. Then it was “run the table”. Who knows what it will be this year, but Green Bay will not stand a chance against the superior teams of the NFC.
It could be time for a head coach that will bring a new, fresh message into Green Bay. The team is clearly not responding to McCarthy the way they once did, and the team needs a coach that can properly motivate them to put up a legitimate fight against other NFC foes.
The Packers should be putting up 35 points per game with Aaron Rodgers. Instead, they are putting up just 23 points per game and are 10th in the league in passing.
Rodgers will turn 35 this season, and may only have three or four more years to play at an all-time great level. In the past year, the Packers have made changes at general manager, offensive and defensive coordinator, several position coaches, and personnel on the field.
Soon, they might need to make a change at the helm while they still have this window open.