It seems like a given that when the Green Bay Packers take the field, Mike McCarthy will be leading the way. McCarthy, now in his thirteenth year at the helm, has brought a ton of success to Green Bay in his tenure.
After grinding out a Super Bowl victory at the conclusion of the 2010 season, he coached the Packers to an impressive 15-1 season in 2011. That ring has given McCarthy the ultimate leash, never being under much pressure of losing his job in the seasons that have followed.
That is, until now.
Wasting Rodgers' prime?
Since their glorious hoisting of the Lombardi Trophy back in February of 2011, the Packers have experienced about as rocky of a road as a perennial playoff team can have.
They missed the playoffs completely for the first time since 2008 last year, but even before then, the Packers have shown small cracks in their armor. Though they have found ways into the playoffs, the recent seasons have been full of up-and-downs.
One of the turbulent seasons led to a quote from Aaron Rodgers that is still uttered to this day: “R-E-L-A-X”. That moment, though, has summed up how things have been more often than not for the Packers.
While injuries have played a part of it, the play-calling has long been questioned. Having an uber-star quarterback like Rodgers has helped mask some of the trouble, but it may come to a head soon. It has been years since the Packers established a strong running game, leaving Rodgers having to do it all himself. While he is capable of that, it has also led to him being put in vulnerable spots. That has caused their franchise player to sustain numerous injuries, most recently a broken collarbone that stole most of his 2017 season.
Defensive woes
The defense has also been about average at best since the Super Bowl run. They finished first in total defense that year, but in the seven years that have followed they've finished 32nd, 11th, 25th, 15th, 15th, 22nd, and 22nd. That won't get it done.
Those still in McCarthy's corner will point to the fact that the Packers still made the playoffs every year before 2017. While that is true, the standards are different in Green Bay. When you have a quarterback who is thought of as one of the greatest to ever play the position, merely making the playoffs isn't always enough.
McCarthy and Rodgers have only been to the big dance one time in their tenure together, and if that remains the case after this season, something needs to change. Green Bay overhauled their front office after last year's lost season, and the coaching staff could be next.
No success without Rodgers
McCarthy has yet to prove he can even be competitive without Rodgers on the field for him. The future Hall of Fame signals-caller missed a chunk of the 2013 season with a different collarbone injury that nearly cost Green Bay a playoff berth, and in the games he has left early or missed entirely, the Packers are just 5-12-1.
Given the moves McCarthy and the Packers made after the 2017 season, it's clear he may be starting to feel a bit of pressure. One of the oldest tricks in the book for a desperate coach is firing their coordinators.
McCarthy did just that this off-season, firing both his offensive and defensive coordinators. He brought in Joe Philbin, who led the offense from 2007-2012, as the offensive coordinator and Mike Pettine to lead the defense.
Last chance
Despite those signs, McCarthy hasn't truly experienced the coaching ‘hot seat' since midway through the 2009 season. Nine years later, the seat is once again quickly warming up. The Packers could easily be 2-1, but they are also lucky not to be 0-3. If they don't reach the playoffs again, McCarthy might finally be on his way out.
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