You See I (We) Were Right

The local kiss-ass media is an exact reflection of how the Ted Thompson Era (we are still in it until that man departs 1265 Lombardi Avenue for real) of the Green Bay Packers reacted to the thoughts of Packer Backers – total and complete ignorment (I know it’s not a word, but it is now) about transactions, lack of transactions and any criticism of the play on the field. They have spent the time since 2006 brushing away the criticism and spouting out the company line at every instance.

Last night after the latest debacle of the season everything I’ve been saying and everyone I know has been saying and I wager most everyone else who follows the Packers has been saying, except the Tedders, who will see no evil about Thompson and his handpicked head coach, who hears no evil about Thompson and his handpicked head coach, and, the biggest one of all speaks no evil about Thompson and his handpicked head coach, and let me add one more sees evil in everyone who speaks out against Thompson, especially, and the Packers in general, have been right and have been right all along.

If the Board of Directors had been listening to me, or one of my Packer Backers Jane, the Packers would have won at least 5 more Super Bowls since 2007 and we would still be in the Fifth Dynasty. (1st: 1929 to 1931 – 3 championships; 2nd: 1936 to 1944 – 3 championships; 3rd: 1959 to 1967: 6 championships; 4th: 1992 to 1997 – 1 championship and 2 Super Bowl appearances; 5th: 2007 to 2010 – 1 championship). Since then the Packers should have won the Super Bowl in 2011 and 2012 to make it 3 in a row tying Lambeau and Lombardi as the only coaches to win 3 in a row. Then to continue with Super Bowl titles in 2014 and 2016 at least or maybe in 2015 for a fourth 3 in a row.

The legacy of the Ted Thompson/Mike McCarthy Era is wasting the last year of the greatest quarterback in the game and the prime years of the next greatest quarterback in the game. To make just 1 Super Bowl appearance instead of 7 during this 10-year span (2007-2016) is the greatest tragedy of our times.

To make my Ted Thompson point of why I don’t think he should be elected to the Packers Hall of Fame is that the Packers should also have won the Super Bowl in 2007 in Brett Favre’s last season. I think the acquisition of Randy Moss, something Favre lobbied for to no avail, would have made that team a Super Bowl champion. That and leaving a team that is so bad it got the coach fired should disqualify Thompson for consideration and leave him with just a fake Gold Watch for his contributions. I would have picked him up and carried him to ceremonies if he had done the right things and made the time from 2007 to 2016 the greatest dynasty in the history of the NFL.  

Going back to the dissent I’ve been the recipient of the Tedders' attacks when I posted on Cheesehead TV. All I like to say to those narrow minded idiots who were card carrying members of the Ted Thompson cult, because (in my opinion) they were afraid that if Thompson left the Packers would return to the bad old Packers of the Mike Sherman era or even worse the Wilderness Years from 1969 to 1992. So just to be winning was enough and much preferred to winning several Super Bowls or as I call the last 8 seasons the “Just Good Enough” Packers.

Now let me point out that Mike Sherman was coach for 6 seasons and made the playoffs 4 times missing his first year (9-7-0) after taking over for Ray Rhodes and his last year (4-12-0) when Ted Thompson had been hired and he actively sabotaged that team in order to justify, which he didn’t have to do because he was hired to fire Sherman (that fact is proved by the fact he hired Mike McCarthy 10 days after firing Sherman), firing Sherman the next year. In between Sherman made the playoffs 4 straight years posting records of 12-4-0, 12-4-0, 10-6-0, 10-6-0, but being knocked out of the playoffs in the 1st round twice and 2nd round twice. Overall Sherman finished with a 57-39-0 record and 2-4 in the playoffs. The major stain on Sherman’s stint as head coach was his 2002 Packers were the 1st team to lose a playoff game at Lambeau Field. He then suffered the 2nd when the Packers lost to the Vikings in the Wild Card game two years later.

Now on to Mike McCarthy. His hiring came out of nowhere. He wasn’t on anybody’s wish list, except I guess Ted Thompson’s, at the time.

The candidates that were interviewed (in 10 days remember) were Sherman’s defensive coordinator Jim Bates (who resigned and went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s as DC a year later); Wade Phillips (who was San Diego’s defensive coordinator and a year later became head coach of the Cowboys. Ironically or not, Phillips was fired during the 2010 season after McCarthy’s Packers drubbed him); Ron Rivera (who was da Bears defensive coordinator and would became the head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2011 and still is); Tim Lewis (who is a former No. 1 draft pick by the Packers in 1983, who had to retire because of a neck injury, and was the New York Giants defensive coordinator); and Maurice Carthon (who was the Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator).

The final one was Sean Payton (who was the Dallas Cowboys passing game coordinator). The story goes Payton thought he was hired by the Packers, but instead Mike McCarthy was hired out of left field (specifically the 49ers offensive coordinator) and Payton then signed with the Saints. Payton beat McCarthy to the Super Bowl by one season and neither has returned since. However, McCarthy is now unemployed and Payton’s Saints are the best in the NFC at 10-2-0.

Those were the ones who interviewed, but there were 4 others who were rumored to be consideration. Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm; former Mike Holmgren assistant coach and Brett Favre’s quarterback coach Steve Mariucci, who had failed as the head coach of the 49ers and Lions; Brad Childress, who became the head coach of the Vikings; and Kirk Ferentz, the head coach of the University of Iowa since 1999.

Mike McCarthy’s record (4-7-1 currently) is and not counting yet (but more on that later) 125-77-2 (.618) and Payton’s record and counting is 115-73-0 (.621). McCarthy’s 13 seasons saw 10 at .500 or better and 3 under .500 with a best of 15-1-0 in 2011 and the worst 6-10-0 in 2008. He won the 2010 Super Bowl and got knocked out in the 2nd round after a bye the following year in what I consider the worst coaching of an excellent team starting with the Packers getting beat in week 15 by the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, who had just fired their head coach Todd Haley, and had Romeo Crennel in his 1st game. Two weeks later McCarthy sits Aaron Rodgers for the season finale against the Lions because Ndamukong Suh threatened to hurt Rodgers. So Mike Flynn started and threw a record 6 touchdowns passes with Suh not getting near him because the offensive line took the threat personally (talk about not having your team's back). The Packers had a bye and two weeks later Rodgers, who hadn’t played for 3 weeks, lost to Eli Manning and Giants at home for his second and fourth overall home playoff loss.

To sum up the McCarthy years:
PART 1:

2006: McCarthy started at 8-8-0 by pulling a Bart Starr and wining his last 4 games.
NOTE: Jeff Jagodzinski is the offensive coordinator and Bob Sanders is the defensive coordinator. Brett Favre is the quarterback and Aaron Rodgers is the backup. Favre threw for 3,885 yards with 18 TDs and 19 interceptions. Rodgers appeared in 2 games completing 6-of-15 passes for 36 yards with no TDs and no interceptions before breaking his foot and ending up on injured reserve. Rookie Ingle Martin was the 3rd stringer.

2007: 13-3-0. The Packers make the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and the last time under Brett Favre. After beating the Seahawks at Lambeau Field on the famous Al Harris Pick-6 the season ended at Lambeau Field with Eli Manning handing Brett Favre a lost in his last game with the Packers for the third home playoff loss in history.
NOTE: Jagodzinski was fired and Joe Philbin was the new offensive coordinator. Favre threw for 4,155 yards with 28 TDs and 15 interceptions. Rodgers is the backup and appears in 2 games completing 20-of-28 passes for 218 yards throwing his 1st TD pass and no interceptions. Craig Nall was the 3rd stringer.

1ST NOTES: Rodgers 1st career TD pass came against the Cowboys on 11/29/2007 from the shotgun to Greg Jennings on a slant for 11 yards in the 2nd quarter. Just to complete Rodgers' firsts - his 1st career game was against the Saints on 10/09/2005 when he took over for Favre to start the 4th quarter. His 1st series he threw no passes. His 2nd series after 2 hand-offs he threw his first pass on 3rd-and-7 from the Packers 33 and it was incomplete to fullback Vonte Leach. His 3rd series he handed off 3 times. His 1st completion was in his 2nd career game against the Ravens on 12/19/2005 when he took over for Favre at the beginning of the 4th quarter on his 3rd career pass and his 2nd of the game to Robert Ferguson for 2 yards on a 2nd-and-10 from the Ravens 38. His 1st interception also came in in the game against the Ravens when Chad Williams intercepted him on a 3rd-and-13 from the Ravens 13 with 8:06 remaining. Other interesting facts from that game was he was sacked on his first snap and fumbled away the ball. His last snap was also a sack and fumble which was returned for a 35-yard TD. In between he was sacked a 3rd time and called for delay of game. 

PART 2:

2008: Favre was banished to the Jets and Aaron Rodgers took over after 3 yeas as Favre’s backup and the season ended 6-10-0. Rodgers threw for 4,038 yards with 28TDs and 13 interceptions.
NOTE: Philbin and Sanders are still the coordinators. Matt Flynn is the backup.

2009: Makes the playoffs for the 1st time since 2007 as the Aaron Rodgers Era really begins this year at 11-5-0, but the Packers were knocked out the playoffs in the 1st round by the Cardinals on the road when Rodgers threw an interception while having his facemask grabbed. A penalty should have been called. This problem of not having penalties called for the Packers continues to today. Rodgers throws for 4.434 yards with 30 TDs and 7 interceptions.

NOTE: This is the beginning of 8 straight playoff appearances tying with the Patriots for the longest streak from 2009-2016. Joe Philbin is the offensive coordinator and Matt Flynn the backup. Sanders is fired and Dom Capers was the new Defensive Coordinator.

2010: Makes the playoffs for the 2nd year and Rodgers becomes a legend. The Packers limped into the playoffs at 10-6-0 as the sixth seed and wins the Super Bowl with three straight road victories and win over the Steelers. Rodgers throws for 3,922 yards with 28 TDS and 11 interceptions. In the Super Bowl he is named MVP after completing 24-of-39 passes for 304 yards with 3 TDs and no interceptions.

NOTE: Joe Philbin was the offensive coordinator and Matt Flynn the backup. Rodgers misses his first game as a starter because of a concussion against the Lions in Week 14 snapping his consecutive starting streak at 45 games. Flynn almost beats the Patriots losing 31-27.
2ND NOTE: The “Pouring of the Beer” (my local Packer Backers ritual) becomes legendary during the Super Bowl after the 1st pouring produces the Howard Green and Nick Collins Pick-6 and the 2nd the interception by Jarred Bush. For those of you who don't know the history of the "Pouring of the Beer" look at Lombardi's Den No. 60 (FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART CINQUE).

2011:  Makes the playoffs for the 3rd year. The Packers win their 1st 13 games en route to 15-1-0. The high mark of the Rodgers Era with Rodgers throwing for 4,643 yards and 45 touchdowns with 6 interceptions under now interim coach and then offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and the low part with the loss to the Giants for the fourth home playoff losss, who go on to win the Super Bowl for the 2nd time by beating the Packers like they did in 2007.

NOTE: Matt Flynn is the backup. Rodgers started a new starting streak that lasted just 17 games when he was sat down because of the Suh incident and McCarthy not having the offensive line's back. The offensive line in that game was (L-R): Chad Clifton, T.J. Lang, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, Bryan Bulaga. I may be wrong, but I doubt Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi would have done that.

PART 3:

The terrible ending of the best team in the NFL not even winning a playoff game was the beginning of Ted Thompson’s Ego Reign of Terror and the beginning Mike McCarthy’s “Just Good Enough” Packers.

2012: 11-5-0. Makes the playoffs for the 4th year and wins the 1st playoff game against the Vikings at Lambeau Field, but loses to Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers on the road. Rodgers throws for 4,295 yards with 39 TDs and 8 interceptions.
NOTE: Tom Clements is the offensive coordinator and Graham Harrell is the backup.

2013: 8-7-1. Makes the playoffs for the 5th year and loses to Kaepernick in the Wild Card game. Rodgers misses 7 games with a broken collarbone.

NOTE: Tom Clements is the offensive coordinator and Seneca Wallace is the backup, but he gets hurt in the 1st game after Rodgers is hurt. Scott Tolzien takes over and he sucks. Mike Flynn is signed after being cut the Raiders and the Bills and keeps the Packers alive until Rodgers returns to win the final game on a Hail Mary to Randall Cobb and knocks da Bears out of the playoffs. A 2for.

2014: 12-4-0. Makes the playoffs for the 6th year and beats the Cowboys at Lambeau in the 2nd round after a bye, but loses to the Seahawks in the conference championship game in what I called the “Great McCarthy Collapse”. (If you want to see my thoughts on that game look at Lombardi’s Den No. 5.). Rodgers threw for 4,381 yards with 38 TDs and 5 interceptions.

NOTE: Tom Clements is the offensive coordinator and Matt Flynn is the backup.

2015: 10-6-0. Makes the playoffs for the 7th year and beats the Redskins on the road in the 1st round, but losing to Cardinals on the road in the 2nd round in overtime. The legend of Rodgers hits a high note against the Cardinals with his 2nd Hail Mary of the season (the 1st being against at the Lions to Richie Rodgers) hitting Jeff Janis for a 41-yard TD pass at the buzzer. However, as with all disappointments that were Dom Capers stock and trade Larry Fitzgerald catches a 75-yard pass to open the overtime and at the 1:05 mark catches a 5-yard TD pass for the win. Carson Palmer completed 25-of-41 passes for 349 yards with 3 TDs and 2 interceptions. Fitzgerald caught 8 passes for 176 yards and 1 TD. For the season Rodgers threw for 3,821 yards with 31 TDs and 8 interceptions.

NOTE: Edgar Bennett is the offensive coordinator when Tom Clements is elevated to Associate Head Coach and Scott Tolzien is the backup. After years of griping about it Mike McCarthy turns over the play calling to Clements and takes it back in Game 13 against the Cowboys. Clements was fired after the season becoming the scapegoat.

2016: 10-6-0. Makes the playoffs for the 8th straight year. Finally beats Eli Manning and the Giants at Lambeau Field in the Wild Card game. Then beats the Cowboys on the road before being routed in the Conference Championship game against the Falcons, 44-21. The Falcons collapsed against the Patriots (in the greatest Super Bowl comeback) 2 weeks later, 34-28, after leading 28-9 early in the 3rd quarter. For the 6th straight season I call for Dom Capers to fired, but for the sixth straight year Mike McCarthy knew best and kept him. Rodgers throws 4,420 with 40 TDs and 7 interceptions.

NOTE: Edgar Bennett is offensive coordinator and Brett Hundley is the backup.

2017: 7-9-0. The beginning of the end for Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy, Dom Capers and maybe Aaron Rodgers. The Packers open the season 4-1 with Rodgers throwing for 1,367 yards with 13 TDs and 3 interceptions. He completes 2-of-4 passes for 18 yards against the Vikings when he breaks his collarbone again. Rodgers misses 7 games with Brett Hundley taking over. Hundley losses the Vikings game, but throws his 1st career TD and looses to Saints and Lions before beating da Bears. He gets shutout by the Ravens and looses to the Steelers in a great game before beating the Bucs and the Browns in overtime. Rodgers returns to face the Panthers with the playoff streak on the line, but the magic was gone throwing 3 interceptions in losing, 31-24. He completed 26-of-45 passes for 290 yards with 3 TDs. Hundley returned as Rodgers is placed on injured reserve again and lost the final 2 games being shutout by the Vikings and scoring only 11 points against the Lions. For the season Rodgers threw for 1,675 yards with 16 TDs and 6 interceptions. Hundley went 3-6-0 and threw 1,836 yards with 9 TDs and 12 interceptions.

NOTE: Edgar Bennett is offensive coordinator and Hundley and Joe Callahan are the backups. During the offseason Ted Thompson had been relieved of his day-to-day duties and promoted to “Gute Guru” with a raise I bet and a cushy office although I don’t really know that because the local kiss-ass media can’t find out what his actual salary has been and is during his entire tenor. This is a fan owned team and to keep his salary secret is ridiculous. What the hell are they hiding? Dom Capers was also relieved of his duties and not promoted or even signed by anyone. And Aaron Rodgers healed.

2018: 4-7-1. The actual end came for Mike McCarthy, who becomes the first Packers Head Coach to be fired during the season in the 100-year history of the Packers. Ironically the deed was done on Aaron Rodgers birthday after losing to the lowly Cardinals at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers, the toughest man in the NFL, hurt his knee in the first game with 9:05 remaining in the first half. At the time he completed 3-of-7 passes for 13 yards. DeShon Kizer takes over and completes the 1st half completing 4-of-7 passes for 55 yards and 1 interception. Rodgers returns on one leg to play the second half and cements his legend leading a second half comeback from 20-0 down to win 24-23, completing 17-of-23 for 273 yards with 3 TDs. However, that really has been the only highlight of the season so far. The Packers tied the Vikings on a terrible roughing call against Clay Matthews and the same thing happened again on an interception the following week that could have sealed a win, but resulted in a loss to the Redskins. The Packers beat the Bills and after losing to the Lions beat the 49ers to go into the bye 3-2-1. The Packers have lost 5-of-6 after the bye. Rodgers has thrown for 3,504 yards with 21 TDs and 1 interception. He is completing just 61.8% of passes the 2nd worse of his career just behind 2015 (60.7). Rodgers has a career completion rate of 64.8 at the moment.

NOTE: Ted Thompson’s protege Brian Gutekunst was elevated from Director of Player Personnel to replace Ted Thompson as General Manager and Ted Thompson’s protege Russ Ball was elevated from Vice President of Football Administration/Player Finance to replace Ted Thompson as Executive Vice President/Director of Football Operations. Eliot Wolf was passed over and he left the team. Ted Thompson wasn’t given a retirement party, but promoted to Senior Advisor to Football Operations. It might just be me, but I don’t see a new start in any of those moves. Mark Murphy regained control of the front office by having McCarthy report to him instead of the General Manager. McCarthy was forced to change his coaching staff, so Joe Philbin was hired as Offensive Coordinator replacing Edgar Bennett, Mike Pettine was hired as Defensive Coordinator replacing Dom Capers and Frank Cignetti was hired as Quarterbacks Coach replacing Alex Van Pelt, Those are the main coaching changes with a lot of positions being renamed to give the look of a new look. The firing of Alex Van Pelt has been a continuing issue this season with Rodgers not happy. His lack of respect, maybe, and communications, definitely, with Cignetti is hampering a solution to whatever is going on with Rodgers. We’ll see if Philbin can solve the issues.

Epilogue: With former Packers executives John Dorsey as General Manager and Eliot Wolf as assistant General Manager for the Cleveland Browns it was announced (not officially) Sunday night that Mike McCarthy is sure to become the next head coach replacing interim coach Gregg Williams, who replaced the fired Hue Jackson.