Lance Allan: Sports Glance with Lance

Packers Fans, You've Had More Than Enough

But I Think They Win This Week!

By Lance Allan Archived Content

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Packers fans, I have enough "That's enough" angry e-mails about the Pack to fill 5 more blogs...so I'll just do one more. 

But before we get started, I'll freely admit...I have little to base this on.  But I think the Packers win on Sunday.  30-27 in fact.  Then beat San Fran...and then win at Detroit.  There, I said it.  Load up the bandwagon....up to 7-4 before a brutal December.   With Mike McCarthy being more self-critical this week, he'll stick with the run more, and throw deep less...opting for more slant passes.  Aaron Rodgers admits he's been holding onto the ball too long...he'll get rid of it.  And the much maligned defense will step up...Dom Capers 6-3 lifetime against the Cowboys.

OK, on with the angry e-mails.  David Rickert in Brett Favre's new city of Minneapolis, MN writes:  Mark Murphy needs to fire TT this week, and Campen and our special teams coach!  Fire McCarthy if the Packers don't make the playoffs.  Somebody on the GB Press Gazette said that Murphy doesn't want to eat their salaries and spend the money on a high profile coach like Cowher or Holmgren.  If he doesn't (if or when he needs to), can him too!
 
Thompson said his no. 1 priorities this offseason was resigning Collins, Tramon, Spitz, and Colledge?  Scrap Colledge and Spitz! Colledge straight up is not good enough to start, and back problems usually linger with a player for the rest of their career.  At the draft, trade up for 2 picks again, and draft a OT and a CB, then trade the other picks for future picks and spend the rest of your cap room on good O-Lineman and players who actually fit the scheme!

Mary TenBrock of Grand Rapids, MI chimes in:  How embarrassing! Lose to 0-7 Bucs!!

These 2 guys have DESTROYED the franchise.

It will take years to recover.... bring back Mike Sherman!  (Mary, I don't think you want to go that far.  McCarthy is 4-4.  Sherman went 4-12.  Sherman might be a delight for Lions fans.)

The females are bringing it strong.  Joyce Burke with a solid take:

A.Rodgers said in an interview once that he was told my M Mccarthy that he 'simply CANNOT throw interceptions,, thus he gets sacked repeatedly for hanging onto the ball too long looking for somebody to throw it to that will not be intercepted,, playing it safe!  Aaron Rodgers deserves a better coach and better offensive line, but he also has to take blame for these sacks.  It is time for TT and MM to hit the road,, as it now shows how much glue Favre was to holding this team together, the leadership that cannot be measure!

Michigan represents again with Mark Cavis from the U.P.:  I’ve been a Packers fan since I was about 5 years (old close to 50 years now).  This rap song coming out of Mcarthy’s mouth has got to stop!  Every week its, “we’ve got to clean this up” or “we’ve got to get better at that”.  This is two years of this song, and it ain’t on the top 40 anymore!  (Rap?  Top 40?  They play that in the UP?)

And Adam Wamsley breaks it down so well, I might be out of a job!  Check it out:  Keep the strong e-mails coming at:  lallan@todaystmj4.com

It is very easy to vent about the Green Bay Packers current situation.  Like I said many times before, the way the Packers have been managed and coached has been very poor.  Lets take a look at Ted Thompson’s missteps the past 5 years:

1. Fires Mike Sherman, a winning percentage of 60% during his tenure (Bad GM…Good Coach)
2. Hires Mike McCarthy as head coach. 4-12 as 49ers offensive coordinator in 2005
3. Lets Darren Sharper leave and hasn’t found a safety to replace in 5 years
4. Drafts A.J. Hawk, who isn’t a playmaker
5. Drafts Justin Harrell, Brandon Jackson, and Brian Brohm with high draft picks
6. Cuts Jon Ryan before the 2008 season….punting has suffered since
7. Trades Brett Favre, which creates a horrible divide amongst the Fan Base
8. Despite the great acquisitions of Woodson and Pickett, decides Free Agency isn’t worth it.
9. The Packers are the youngest team 4 years in a row.
10. Sits on at least 20 million in cap room for 3^rd consecutive year
11. Hasn’t put together a solid offensive line together in 5 years.
12. The Packers have no clear cut Team Leaders.
13. Has a losing record as GM
14. 1 Playoff appearance in 5 years.

Here is a list of Reasons McCarthy and his staff are bad coaches, many examples come from the past two weeks:

1. Using Aaron Kampman as a Cover linebacker is a joke, which is ruining his career.
2. Putting players in positions to lose…..Calling pass plays that require a lot time to develop down the field….our offensive line can’t handle that.  Where are the short slants, drags and check downs.
3. Making Mike Stock the scapegoat for special teams last year
4. Hiring within for the New Special teams coach….Slocum is worse than Stock
5. Hasn’t fixed the penalty issues the last few years.
6. Holding Players accountable….Jolly Jolly should have been benched for the whole game against the Vikings.  The Players aren’t worried to make mistakes because they won’t lose their job.
7. Poor Motivator

I know a lot of you say the Packers made the right decision with moving forward with Aaron Rodgers…I agree with that to a point.  However, as professional sports teams, management and coaches are required to put together competitive teams year in and year out.  The Packers haven’t done that which finally points me in the direction with Brett Favre.  I’ll get this out of the way right away, Brett Favre was at fault for retiring early, but the way it was handle ever since falls at the hands of TT and Mike McCarthy.  Like I said before, their job is to put together a winning team every year….or their job will be on the line.  Did they really think they were a better team without Brett Favre??  They didn’t know how 2008 was going to play out, but did they really think a 13-3 team without its Pro Bowl quarterback was going be any better.  That’s not possible.  Yes Rodgers is a good quarterback…..but he’s young and holds the ball too long.  You put a young quarterback on a young team and mistakes are going to happen.  If this team had more veterans around, maybe it’s a different story.  Lets say Brett was allowed to come back last season in August….I don’t care about Aaron Rodgers feelings; you take the best player available.   It is a win now league and with Brett, he would had provided leadership like he did in 2007.  Brett knows how to handle pressure and change plays at the line of scrimmage to avoid sacks.  Aaron has a lot to learn, including pocket presence.  Steve Young sat behind Joe Montana for 4 years, they finally traded Joe because he was getting hurt all the time.  The point is.. this is Professional football and I don’t care about feelings of players…..Favre, with all he has done for the Packers, is allowed to come back when he chooses.  I know fans hated his waffling….but did it really hurt the Packers….did it really hurt their future….NO it didn’t.  They were 13-3 in 2007 and we were 4 years into the retirement talk.   Now look where we are 2 years without him. Without Favre, TT still doesn’t upgrade the roster where needed the most.   The Vikings let Favre come in two weeks into training camp and everything seems to be clicking there.  I’m sure there are veterans in the Green Bay Locker room would had been ok with Brett coming in late last year, if it meant winning more games. 

I just believe the mishandling of the Favre situation has been a direct carryover to the current state of the Packers.  Ted and Mike need to be replaced at season’s end.  The only way we make the playoffs is to go 6-2 the rest of the way.  Looking at the remaining schedule, I don’t think so.