Packers: Mike McCarthy could need another “run the table” finish

Mike McCarthy could need the Green Bay Packers to run the table again this season.

It’s not often in the Mike McCarthy era the Packers have entered Thanksgiving week below .500. But this is now the second time in the past three seasons.

Two years ago the Packers were 4-6 at Thanksgiving. They didn’t lose another game until January 22, just one win away from the Super Bowl.

That run quite possibly saved McCarthy his job. But two years on, he might need another miracle.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Sunday that McCarthy is on the hot seat. His team is 4-5-1 and yet to win a game away from Lambeau Field this season.

Green Bay faces the real possibility of failing to reach the playoffs for consecutive seasons, which would be the first time since 2005 and 2006. Last season Aaron Rodgers‘ collarbone injury was to blame. There is no excuse this year.

The good news is that the Packers have been in must-win mode before under McCarthy.

In 2010 they went into the final two games at 8-6 needing two wins to make the playoffs. They didn’t lose again all season and won the Super Bowl from the NFC’s sixth seed.

Without Aaron Rodgers due to a broken collarbone in 2013, Green Bay entered December at 5-6-1, but would win three of its final four, good for first place in the NFC North and a home playoff game.

The team’s biggest turnaround under McCarthy was, of course, the “run the table” season.

The Packers might not need to win all six of their remaining regular season games this year, but they will almost certainly need to win five. And that includes a Sunday night showdown with the Minnesota Vikings this week.

A loss would put the Packers two games behind their division rivals, and importantly it would give the Vikings the head-to-head tiebreaker.

McCarthy has led some big turnarounds throughout his tenure as head coach.

With reports that he’s on the hot seat after the Packers’ 4-5-1 start, McCarthy might need his team to run the table again.