Cory's Corner: A tale of two coaches
Mike McCarthy and Jim Caldwell have vastly different resumes, but oddly enough, both are more similar than you think.
This is McCarthy’s 11th season as the Packers’ head coach. He is coined as a quarterback guru and has coached Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. He’s won 65 percent of his games, and in his best effort as a coach thus far, he guided Green Bay to a Super Bowl title in 2010 — all while playing road playoff games.
Yet, many have criticized his leadership ever since the 2014 NFC Championship Game when the Packers squandered a 16-point lead with boneheaded mistakes and no first downs in the fourth quarter. And now the Packers appear to be spinning their tires offensively again. Aaron Rodgers perceives pressure that’s not really there — which is a direct reflection on McCarthy and his tutelage.
This is Caldwell’s third season in Detroit. The Lions haven’t exactly been at the top of the socioeconomic scale when it comes to football royalty. Yet, his Lions went to the playoffs in his first season and lost a controversial NFC Wild Card Game with the Cowboys after the referees picked up a pass interference flag.
Caldwell is 19-15 in his short stint in Detroit, but he has been oh so Detroit. The Lions are the most penalized team in the NFL this season, getting flagged 25 times. Detroit is the only team that can turn first-and-goal from the 1 into first-and-goal from the 26. They ultimately settled for a 42-yard field goal in losing to Tennessee 16-15.
McCarthy has the weight of the Lombardi Trophy on his shoulders since the Packers were the preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl. (The Lions were tied for 17th).
Caldwell may not have been expected to win Detroit its first Super Bowl title, but guiding a competitive and intelligent team is what’s keeping him on the hot seat. The Lions could’ve made the playoffs last year if they would’ve won just one of their first five games and, ahem, if not for a once-in-a-generation Hail Mary.
McCarthy and Caldwell have been feeling heat from the their respective fan bases, even though McCarthy has guided the Packers to seven-straight playoff appearances and even though Caldwell has led Detroit to one of its two postseason berths since 1999.
The Packers and Lions haven’t been synonymous with much. The most notable thing the Lions have done in the last 10 years is the 0-16 season in 2008. The Lions are so fed up with losing that they are willing to hire their third coach in nine years to resuscitate it.
And let’s face it, Packers fans are spoiled, with back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks, and an abundance of playoff appearances. But if there’s one thing that gnaws at the fan base, it’s McCarthy’s mediocre 8-7 playoff record. He has exited the playoffs three times after only playing one game, which has made many wonder if McCarthy’s message is getting stale or being taken for granted.
Caldwell didn’t exactly step into a finished product after getting fired from the Colts following the 2011 season. McCarthy won’t get fired this season even if the Packers fall flat on their face and finish 6-10, a record that will most certainly assure Caldwell of a pink slip.
Even still, McCarthy has the tougher task. Maintaining a top contender consistently is tougher than establishing a winning tradition — which has been a foreign language in Detroit.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (11)
Rossonero
September 24, 2016 at 07:36 am
From ESPN: "For the Packers, there’s just no getting used to that numbness, either. In head coach Mike McCarthy's 10 seasons, the Packers have lost seven times in the playoffs. Of those losses, an astonishing five have come on the final play of the game."
"According to Elias Sports Bureau, McCarthy's five playoff losses on the last play of games are far and away the most of the Super Bowl era. No other coach over the past 50 years has more than two."
I'd say it's a combination of poor coaching, bad luck and sometimes players making too many mistakes that lead up to those losses. When I read that blurb on ESPN, it still makes my jaw drop. If the Packers don't at least make it to the NFC Championship game though, questions are going to be asked and his seat should become warmer.
However, as long as Ted is there, I don't see that changing. I'm not saying to fire McCarthy, but he needs to do a better job getting his team prepared. I just look at the Patriots and keep wondering why we can't be as prepared as they are?
McCarthy has made in-season adjustments over the years that worked: adjusting to losing Finley in 2010, moving Matthews inside, etc. Pete Dougherty wrote a good article that mentioned these examples, including how the 2nd half of 2009 the Packers went to quick passes to get the ball out quicker and reduce Rodgers' sacks.
Personally, Rodgers is over thinking it. Rodgers needs to more 3 step drops and fire it in there. I think Tom Brady led or has come close to leading league in this category (time for ball to come out of his hands) for years. Brady has never had a dominating offensive line, but he makes up for it with precision, short strikes. We need to get back to that.
Tundraboy
September 24, 2016 at 08:39 am
Wow. That's calling it for what it is. As I said in another post. Rodgers needs to wake up, stop pouting and start spreading the ball around. MM needs to wake up and start using the players he has and not limiting the team by running the hurry up with the same line up over and over.
Rossonero
September 24, 2016 at 09:52 am
Thanks. Yes, I don't like Rodgers' demeanor at all. It reminds me of Jay Cutler. Enough with the pouting already. I wanna see some fire, some enthusiasm. I know he's not a ra-ra guy, but I know he's competitive. I want to see some competitive spirit at least.
dobber
September 24, 2016 at 02:54 pm
"I just look at the Patriots and keep wondering why we can't be as prepared as they are?"
I watched Monday night's game and came away thinking that Belichick, whatever you might think of his cheats, showed why he might be the best coach ever. I can't think of another coach who is so good at game-planning as him...one commentator once said that Belichick is exceptional at identifying those one or two things that an opponent will do that they can't win without, and then find a way to take them away with the personnel he has. What's more, those teams execute. It's one thing to game plan, it's an entirely different thing to have your players be effective in that game plan. To aspire to that level of play is what all teams should be doing...getting there?
People have been saying that it might be time for the Packers and MM to part ways. Maybe it is...I don't know. People start throwing out possible replacement coaches: Gruden, Cowher, etc. The bottom line is that the best quality PROVEN coaches aren't looking for jobs. They're either employed by another team or enjoying the benefits of successful careers by being in the studio or in the booth. These guys aren't coming back...some say that they'll come back for a chance to coach #12, but if he's starting to look sour, why would they? The next coach of the Packers is likely to be some hot-shot assistant with a glow, just like all other teams seem to have to take their chances with...
Rossonero
September 24, 2016 at 04:56 pm
Excellent points. I was talking with a diehard Patriots fan today who was visiting from Boston. He made an interesting point that Belichick will re-use a formation, but will make a change to it so that when teams watch it on film, they think they know what'll happen, but there's a twist.
Basically, he's constantly changing his gameplan so even the film on them is not completely reliable. On the other hand, McCarthy trots out the same personnel in this no-huddle that teams have figured out. The personnel groupings are stale, the formations are common and it makes us way too predictable.
NickPerry
September 24, 2016 at 07:58 am
Packers fans may be spoiled but in a QB driven League McCarthy has two of the top 10 QB's of All Time. With that he's been to one SB, won it, 3 NFC Championships games, won one and lost 2 others in OT. I'd still say they exited the playoffs 4 times after one game considering one win was against Joe Webb at QB.
"McCarthy won’t get fired this season even if the Packers fall flat on their face and finish 6-10."
If the Packers really do finish 6-10 playing the weakest schedule in the NFL why would he even DESERVE a Job in Green Bay?
Savage57
September 24, 2016 at 09:00 am
Chicken/Egg deal with McCarthy. Did he make Favre? No. He may have bridled him, but Favre was cast. Did he make AR? Or did AR make him.?
We'll never be sure what the verdict on MM would be as a HC net of two HOF QB's, but based on what we've seen of what he's not been able to accomplish with them, I'd suspect it wouldn't be favorable.
Point-Packer
September 24, 2016 at 10:10 am
Mike McCarthy may go down as the most over-rated coach of all time. Period. Known for squandering talent with bone headed, often overly conservative, coaching decisions.
Unless he can get GB another SB, of course.
Let's see what Belichick will do with his 4th stringer next week and then wonder how many SBs he would have won with the Rodgers/Favre succession.
Anything less than the NFC championship game should firmly place MM on the hot seat.
jeremyjjbrown
September 24, 2016 at 10:21 am
During McCarthy's tenure there was only one other occasion where the Packer trended down for an entire year. That was Rodgers first season, so there are legitimate reasons. This time around there is no such legitimate explaination. So honestly it doesn't really matter the reason why. If they don't turn this around and get back to Packers football I suspect it will be McCarthy's last season. I'm not saying that's what I want. However, like Elway a couple of seasons ago TT won't really have much of a choice.
yooperman
September 24, 2016 at 12:29 pm
I've never been a fan of MM and if it wasn't for Farve and Rodgers he would have been fired long ago. When MM was at his best was when Philburn was his offence coordinator and after he left is things starting going bad, granted 2014 GB had a great year but I believe that was talent over coaching. Take away the one game against New England and every time GB has gone up against good teams and coaches MM has been out coached and his team woefully unprepared. When announcers call MM one of the best in the business, I just don't see it. What really pisses me off is when things don't go right for GB I see no halftime adjustments with the same plays that didn't work in the first half ran again in the second half and MM standing on the sidelines with that I just plugged the toilet look on his face and no clue how to fix things.
Denise Chanterelle
September 24, 2016 at 12:31 pm
I shudder to think how this board will explode if the Packers find a way to lose the game tomorrow. Meanwhile, all would be forgiven, for all, if the Pack gets to the big game and wins the SB next Feb. but right now, at least based on these first two games, that's looking like a tall order. Hope I'm wrong. Go Pack! Aloha.