doughsellz
Cheesehead
From top to bottom this season is taking on the image of it's failing leaders. In the third year of his coaching tenure Mike McCarthy is losing the grip on his offense. It doesn't feel like he's had the right play-call 50% of the time this season, especially in clutch situations like 4th & 1 in the opponent's territory.
Look no further than ATL for examples of what it takes to win in this league. A first-year coach & a rookie QB are making a playoff run in arguably the toughest division in the NFL. For good measure it's happening in the AFC as well in Baltimore. It's defying all NFL logic to have not one but two teams with new coaches & rookies at the most important position on the team making playoff pushes.
To a lesser extent MIA is in this category as well. The HC is in his first year & Pennington is new to the mix yet they've made huge strides from the disaster of '07. And then there is NYJ, with the NAME in the drivers' seat of playoff destiny. It's a tough trip back to the West Coast for the Jets this week in SEA & then a truly fitting home match-up with MIA to close the regular season. Will it be an exclamation point on the Jets decision to splurge in FA & snag the NAME in a trade? It's going to be interesting.
Back in GB it's going to be misery. An MNF matchup in CHI with the announcers tsk, tsk, tsking their way through a broadcast, stopping just short of "I told you so" with every mention of the now nototrious trade. I will be watching a muted broadcast, for sure.
Where does it go from here? If DET comes into Lambeau playing the way they did against IND last Sunday there is a real possibility of an upset. How that kind of end to the '08 season will affect player/coach shifting remains to be seen. I don't want to see a dramatic changeover but admit that it's got to happen somewhere within the organization to avoid an implicit state of acceptance of the lethargy now apparent on the sidelines on game day.
Look no further than ATL for examples of what it takes to win in this league. A first-year coach & a rookie QB are making a playoff run in arguably the toughest division in the NFL. For good measure it's happening in the AFC as well in Baltimore. It's defying all NFL logic to have not one but two teams with new coaches & rookies at the most important position on the team making playoff pushes.
To a lesser extent MIA is in this category as well. The HC is in his first year & Pennington is new to the mix yet they've made huge strides from the disaster of '07. And then there is NYJ, with the NAME in the drivers' seat of playoff destiny. It's a tough trip back to the West Coast for the Jets this week in SEA & then a truly fitting home match-up with MIA to close the regular season. Will it be an exclamation point on the Jets decision to splurge in FA & snag the NAME in a trade? It's going to be interesting.
Back in GB it's going to be misery. An MNF matchup in CHI with the announcers tsk, tsk, tsking their way through a broadcast, stopping just short of "I told you so" with every mention of the now nototrious trade. I will be watching a muted broadcast, for sure.
Where does it go from here? If DET comes into Lambeau playing the way they did against IND last Sunday there is a real possibility of an upset. How that kind of end to the '08 season will affect player/coach shifting remains to be seen. I don't want to see a dramatic changeover but admit that it's got to happen somewhere within the organization to avoid an implicit state of acceptance of the lethargy now apparent on the sidelines on game day.
