Before this week, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and now former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy were tied as the third-longest tenured head coaches in the NFL, both hired in 2006. Of course, Payton is now alone in that spot after Green Bay relieved McCarthy of his duties just hours after a stunning home loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Payton reacted to the news, expressing grief for the firing of a friend. From The New Orleans Advocate's Rod Walker:
“I hated to hear the news of Mike,” Payton said Wednesday morning. “He's a close friend, a fantastic coach. Don't get me started on that subject. I hate it. I hate to see how it happened. That's the business. As a head coach, the first thing you realize – – winning, losing – it's a business, just like it is for the players.”
There was a time when it appeared Payton's employment with the Saints was in jeopardy while McCarthy's status in Green Bay was secure. From 2012 to 2016, New Orleans went 7-9 four times thanks to awful defensive units that finished 32nd, 31st twice, and 27th in those campaigns. Payton's high-powered offensive attack continued to hum during that stretch, and his connection with future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees ultimately allowed him to stay with the franchise.
The decision to keep Payton was clearly the correct one. Over the last two seasons the Saints have boasted one of the most explosive and balanced offenses in the NFL, and while the defense has still struggled at times, it's improved enough for New Orleans to become a top-tier Super Bowl contender.
The story for Mike McCarthy and the Packers is a similar one, but in reverse. After winning Super Bowl XLV in 2010 (just one season after Payton and the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV), Green Bay reached the playoffs in each campaign from 2011 to 2016. They were routinely a Super Bowl favorite thanks to the prowess of Aaron Rodgers and a passing game few defenses had a chance of stopping.
There were a couple close calls with Green Bay reaching the NFC Championship game twice, but the Packers didn't manage to get back to the Super Bowl. The team was also starting to rely too heavily on Rodgers' arm to make up for a shortage of offensive creativity and holes on the rest of the roster. Even though Green Bay contended in 2015 and '16, the team clearly wasn't the juggernaut it used to be.
It finally caught up to Green Bay the past two seasons. 2017 was written off because of Rodgers' injury that sidelined him for much of the season, but the same excuse can't be made for 2018. With offensive innovation at an all-time high around the rest of the league, the Packers are a measly 4-7-1 with four games to go thanks in part to their inability to effectively utilize the offensive talent they possess.
Snapshot of #Packers stagnation under Mike McCarthy this year:
• Lead NFL in pass rate on first down despite Aaron Jones' 6.5 YPC on 1D
• Lead NFL in passes outside the numbers
• Lead NFL in throwaways
• 7th-lowest play action rate
• 9th-lowest pre-snap motion rate— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) December 3, 2018
It will be interesting to see who the Packers ultimately hire as McCarthy's replacement. The early favorite according to oddsmakers is New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, but Mark Murphy and general manager Brian Gutekunst will surely mull over a number of other qualified candidates before coming to a decision.
Follow Us
Subscribe