We continue our 2014 report card grades with the Green Bay Packers specialists and coaches.

Please be understanding that this is an inexact science at best with players who haven't received major chunks of playing time.

The grading scale is as follows: A=Pro Bowl caliber, B=Solid NFL starter, C=Average NFL player, D=Below average player, F=Fringe NFL player.

Coaches

Head coach Mike McCarthy (B+): The NFC Championship loss is still fresh in the mind of Packers fans, one in which Mike McCarthy played conservatively, too conservatively for some. Between electing to kick two field goals on fourth-and-1 in the first quarter and running against a stacked box late in the game, McCarthy isn't the sole or even the primary reason the Packers lost, but he deserves to shares the blame. The worst part is his defensive "I have no regrets" comment to the media after the game, seemingly a regular occurrence after every loss. With the exception of Mason Crosby, there probably isn't a player on the Packers roster that would like to have a play back in that game. McCarthy doesn't deserve to bear the burden alone, but he also seems unwilling to accept a little responsibility. Looking at the big picture, McCarthy led his team to its best record since 2011 and the deepest playoff run since winning the Super Bowl during the 2010 season. The Packers also won their fourth consecutive division title and qualified for the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year, tied for the longest streak in the NFL. McCarthy deserves credit for changes made at midseason on both offense and defense, changes that worked, as well as his league-leading rankings in scoring (30.4 ppg) and turnover margin (+14). He didn't win a replay challenge until the divisional round of the playoffs, although the one he did win was a big one as Dez Bryant's catch was reversed. The challenge now becomes building on this momentum like Mike Holmgren's Packers did in the mid- to late nineties. He faces a difficult decision on the fate of Shawn Slocum.

Offensive coordinator Tom Clements (B-): Surprisingly, the Packers offense took a small step backwards in 2014 compared to 2013 despite quarterback Aaron Rodgers being healthy for a full 16 games after missing nearly half the season a year ago. The Packers ranked sixth in the NFL in total offense in 2014 (386.1 ypg) after ranking third in 2013 (400.8 ypg). The team's rushing offense ranked 11th (119.8 ypg), down from seventh (133.5 ypg) a year ago. The passing game stayed static, ranking eighth (266.3 ypg) after finishing sixth (266.8 ypg) last season. To Clements' credit, the red-zone offense improved from 26th in the NFL in 2013, scoring touchdowns 50.8 percent of the time to 10th in the NFL, scoring at a 57.8-percent clip. For a team with as much offensive talent as the Packers, there's no reason they can't rank higher, however. Clements' abrasive personality—on display following a loss to the Bills and before the NFC Championship—is off-putting.

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers (B): Capers will be remembered for the team's midseason transformation on the defensive side of the football, making several changes at the linebacker position, switching Clay Matthews to inside linebacker on running downs, increasing the role of Sam Barrington while decreasing that of A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones. He also blitzed more often, putting more responsbility on the secondary, which responded admirably. At the season's midpoint, the Packers ranked dead last in NFL in run defense, allowing 153.5 ypg and 22nd in total defense, allowing 379.3 ypg. By the end of the regular season, they improved to 23rd in rush defense (119.9 ypg) and 15th in total defense (346.4 ypg). Red-zone defense was a relative weakness, allowing opponents to score touchdown 56.3 percent of the time, ranking 20th in the league. Third-down defense wasn't much better, ranking 18th in the NFL with opponents converting 40.3 percent of the time.

Shawn Slocum (D-): Slocum's protection units allowed an egregious seven blocks on the season: three field goals, two extra points and two punts. Among the four core special teams units, the Packers ranked 31st in kick return average (19.9 ypr), 5th in punt returns (11.5 ypr), 21st in opponent kick returns (24.5 ypr) and 14th in opponent punt returns (8.7 ypr). Micah Hyde has emerged as one of the best young punt returners in the NFL under Slocum's tutelage, scoring two touchdowns in 2014 while also helping Mason Crosby put together back-to-back solid seasons after one of the worst performances by an NFL kicker in the last decade in 2012. On the flip side, DuJuan Harris was the league's second-worst kick returner in 2014 and wasn't replaced by Hyde and Randall Cobb until Week 17, while Tim Masthay also took a step backwards.

Specialists

Kicker Mason Crosby (B): Crosby was the victim of five blocks in 2014, three field goals and two extra points, none of which appeared to be the result of an unnecessarily low trajectory. As it was, Crosby connected on 27 of 33 field goals (81.8 percent). It's impossible to know whether he would have made all the blocked field goals, but if he did, 30 out of 33 would be good for a 90.9 percent conversion rate, which would have ranked seventh in the NFL. It's amazing that the 90-percent mark seems to be the new standard for proficiency in professional football. Crosby has been the league's best kicker in the postseason, hitting on seven of seven field goals, making his last 16 in a row in the playoffs. Going five for five in the NFC Championship in rainy, windy conditions was remarkable, including the 48-yarder to force overtime. Crosby finished in the bottom third of the league in average kickoff distance (26th at 61.6 yards), but once again, his four touchbacks and 63.6-yard average in Seattle was top-notch. For the first time in five seasons, he didn't have an onside kick recovered.

Punter Tim Masthay (D): Masthay took a significant step backwards in 2014 for the first time in his career, basically after four consecutive years of gradual if small improvement. Unfortunately for Masthay, he had career lows in net punting average (37.0 yards) and punts downed inside the 20 (14), eight fewer than his previous low (22). He also tied a career low with just 10 punts resulting in a fair catch, a result of short hang time. Cold-weather punters are at a disadvantage, but Masthay's gross average (44.1 yards) ranked 26th in the NFL while his net average ranked 30th. What made his struggles all the more disappointing is that he started the season well, including a career high 46.5-yard net average on four punts in Week 2. Like Crosby, Masthay was also a victim of two blocks. He was used only twice on kickoffs, which still seems odd given his average of 66.5 yards a year ago.

Long snapper Brett Goode (C): For a seventh consecutive season, Goode didn't have a single errant snap that resulted in a turnover, which might make him one of the most accurate long snappers in NFL history. Unfortunately, his athleticism seems to decrease by the year, not responsible for a single tackle in punt coverage in 2014. He was arguably at fault for a punt blocked against the Eagles in Week 11 and was one of several players responsible for the punt return for a touchdown in the Week 15 loss to the Bills, not breaking down until it was too late.

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor at Cheesehead TV and its "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].