NFC North/NFL Thread 2016-17

[DegenerateDish]

It's time to retool.

This three game road trip coming up, I wouldn't be completely shocked if that happened to go 0-3. I don't think they will, but the eye test has seen enough to suggest this is at best a 7-9 team. I don't think McCarthy survives this.

[wadesworld]

Packers will win a crappy division, might even beat a crappy team in a wild card round game, and everyone in Green Bay will pretend everything is just fine as always. Some random, meaningless ILB assistant coach will be the sacrificial lamb in the offseason just so the front office can say, "Hey we needed to make a change look what we did," and the Packers will go another year of having a HOF quarterbacking, making it about 20 straight years with only 2 rings to show for it.

Same crap different year.

I usually just hear snippets of the post game interviews throughout the week but my guess is today's went something like, "We had a great week of preparation and a great game plan we just didn't execute. 1-3 in this quarter isn't good but we're 4-4 on the year and the Colts played some good football today. I don't think anything's wrong we just gotta get ready for Tennessee" from Mac and, "We're right there we just have to get everyone on the same page and we'll be right where we expect to be" from Rodgers. It's like they have a script to just read straight off of about 14 out of 16 weeks a year.

[DegenerateDish]

I just don't know what Green Bay does well. They've given up 30-burgers three of their last four (they held Matt Barkley's Bears to 10). Rodgers is just not the same, and his receivers aren't very good. They had a missed FG, gave up a return TD, and had another 50 yd return.

The Vikes D is still good, but their offense stinks. They're averaging 12 points a game over their three game losing streak. Their line is bottom 5 in the league, they aren't running the ball well, and lead the NFL in punts. Their next four games are brutal, @Was, AZ, @Det (T-giving), DAL.

[MerrittsMustache]

Even if you're a Lions fans out there, you still want to punch Golden Tate in the throat, right?

That guy is so obnoxious.

[tower912]

Not really.   This year he has had bad weeks (zero catches) and answered every question in an adult, responsible fashion.    Considering how that game ended, an ounce of showboating on the way into the end zone for the game winning TD in OT is mouse nuts.   

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

So the Raiders are kinda good, huh?

[brandx]

Packers will win a crappy division, might even beat a crappy team in a wild card round game, and everyone in Green Bay will pretend everything is just fine as always. Some random, meaningless ILB assistant coach will be the sacrificial lamb in the offseason just so the front office can say, "Hey we needed to make a change look what we did," and the Packers will go another year of having a HOF quarterbacking, making it about 20 straight years with only 2 rings to show for it.

Same crap different year.

I usually just hear snippets of the post game interviews throughout the week but my guess is today's went something like, "We had a great week of preparation and a great game plan we just didn't execute. 1-3 in this quarter isn't good but we're 4-4 on the year and the Colts played some good football today. I don't think anything's wrong we just gotta get ready for Tennessee" from Mac and, "We're right there we just have to get everyone on the same page and we'll be right where we expect to be" from Rodgers. It's like they have a script to just read straight off of about 14 out of 16 weeks a year.

Couldn't agree more. Real changes need to happen.

Starting with Capers. How many times does the defense need to collapse before he is finally held accountable? Defense collapsed last week after Packers got a late lead. Defense collapsed again at the end of both halves yesterday. And that is not even considering the EPIC collapses in the playoffs under Capers.

I would have no problem with McCarthy leaving either. His offense is about as stale as they come. They have been blown out in two consecutive home games where they were completely unprepared to play a football game. The Colts are a crap team that just showed GB what it is like to play hard. GB needs to learn that lesson or the season is lost.

[4everwarriors]

Yeah but, dey got injuries, hey?

[wadesworld]

Couldn't agree more. Real changes need to happen.

Starting with Capers. How many times does the defense need to collapse before he is finally held accountable? Defense collapsed last week after Packers got a late lead. Defense collapsed again at the end of both halves yesterday. And that is not even considering the EPIC collapses in the playoffs under Capers.

I would have no problem with McCarthy leaving either. His offense is about as stale as they come. They have been blown out in two consecutive home games where they were completely unprepared to play a football game. The Colts are a crap team that just showed GB what it is like to play hard. GB needs to learn that lesson or the season is lost.

I neither hate nor love Capers.  I think he's fine.  Up until the last 3 years what have we really given him to work with?  When there are years that Eric Walden is your best LB, you aren't going to be very good on defense.  And as much as I hate to blame it on injuries, the injuries to the DBs (and the fact that you can rely on Clay being on the field about 50% of the time) has him in a pretty bad spot.

In my mind Mac has to go.  I just don't think the Packers ever win another Title with him at the helm.  Then again if you're getting rid of Mac you're probably getting rid of Capers.

Where do you go with the draft?  OL and QB are obviously set for a while.  Do you bring Cook back for another year?  Do you bring Lacy back?  Are you converting Montgomery to RB full time?  I would love to find a big, athletic, strong WR in the draft that can turn into a true #1 out wide, and I think you either move Montgomery to RB or you draft a RB who is similar to Montgomery, in the Darren Sprolls style.  I like Lacy but he doesn't fit the offense we should be running.  I think Shields is done playing football and I think you need to address DB there.  I don't think you can rely on Peppers and Matthews, I think ILB should actually be fine as I think Martinez and Ryan are going to be better than I expected.  DL should be fine.

I guess I'd rank the needs as:
1) DB
2) WR
3) OLB
4) RB

Most importantly, coaching needs to be addressed.  Someone who will hold Rodgers accountable would be nice.

[GooooMarquette]

This division has three mediocre teams, and one that aspires to be mediocre.

[GGGG]

I have been a supporter of the Thompson/McCarthy regime.  They have been very, very good.

However I think it is time for a change.  McCarthy for sure.  I am leaning toward replacing Thompson as well depending on who they might have waiting in the wings.

[mu03eng]

I have been a supporter of the Thompson/McCarthy regime.  They have been very, very good.

However I think it is time for a change.  McCarthy for sure.  I am leaning toward replacing Thompson as well depending on who they might have waiting in the wings.

If you could, it'd be great to bring McKensie back from the Raiders....learned at the knee of both Thompson and Wolf and has pulled together a pretty good team in Oakland.

[brandx]

I have been a supporter of the Thompson/McCarthy regime.  They have been very, very good.

However I think it is time for a change.  McCarthy for sure.  I am leaning toward replacing Thompson as well depending on who they might have waiting in the wings.

I am in the same camp. I have never stated before today that it might be best if McCarthy leaves.

Capers? I have been on the bandwagon to get rid of him for years. The defensive collapses are mounting higher and higher. The collapse in Seattle is among the worst in NFL history.

Thompson? He's not going to be let go under any circumstances. I would love to see a guy like Schneider come in here though. He is the kind of aggressive young GM that is needed

[mu03eng]

Couldn't agree more. Real changes need to happen.

Starting with Capers. How many times does the defense need to collapse before he is finally held accountable? Defense collapsed last week after Packers got a late lead. Defense collapsed again at the end of both halves yesterday. And that is not even considering the EPIC collapses in the playoffs under Capers.

I would have no problem with McCarthy leaving either. His offense is about as stale as they come. They have been blown out in two consecutive home games where they were completely unprepared to play a football game. The Colts are a crap team that just showed GB what it is like to play hard. GB needs to learn that lesson or the season is lost.

I don't think the defense has been that bad this season, especially given the injuries at corner and missing Clay for two winnable games. If the offense was half competent we could win with this defense.

McCarthy has to go....don't think he does unless they miss the playoffs. Don't think there is any mechanism to force a change after this season like an owner might feel the pressure to do.

[GGGG]

Both Thompson and McCarthy's contracts are through the 2018 season.  Thompson is in his mid-60s.  I have my doubts if he wants to deal with a rebuild so I don't think he would willingly drop McCarthy.

So my honest guess as to what happens is that the Packers will stand pat this year and that Mark Murphy will spend the next year identifying and vetting potential Thompson replacements.  If it another mediocre year, they will buy out the final year of both and give the new GM a blank slate to work with.

Perhaps they will do it this year and move Thompson into some sort of advisory role?  We'll see.

[cheebs09]

Eliot Wolf has long been rumored as a possible replacement. I know he is highly thought of.

I think McCarthy and Rodgers are two of the most to blame. Rodgers is throwing off his back foot on 2 pt conversions. I've also seen a lot of tweets today of him missing guys for easy 7 yd gains underneath and going for the home run. 3rd and 6 and we throw a bomb we probably complete 10% of the time was dumb.

I don't know if the offense is uncreative or if Rodgers is just not playing the way it is designed. Both mean McCarthy shares in a lot of blame. Very frustrating but hopefully they find something.

[4everwarriors]

Eliot Wolf is da GM in waitin'. Figurin' dis is da season ta miss da playoffs. 3 tough road games next up. If dey go 7-9, its adios mf'ers. Bring in da new regime, ai na?

[GGGG]

Eliot Wolf was always the guy in waiting for a smooth transition.  But that doesn't mean a smooth transition is going to take place.

[wadesworld]

Eliot Wolf has long been rumored as a possible replacement. I know he is highly thought of.

I think McCarthy and Rodgers are two of the most to blame. Rodgers is throwing off his back foot on 2 pt conversions. I've also seen a lot of tweets today of him missing guys for easy 7 yd gains underneath and going for the home run. 3rd and 6 and we throw a bomb we probably complete 10% of the time was dumb.

I don't know if the offense is uncreative or if Rodgers is just not playing the way it is designed. Both mean McCarthy shares in a lot of blame. Very frustrating but hopefully they find something.

I think up until the last 3 weeks there has been a lot that Rodgers has done pretty horribly.  While still not perfect, especially this week when he went back to falling in love with looking down field and down field only, he has been much better lately than he was early in the year.

The offense has just become stale.  It's the same thing we've always run but we no longer have the Jermichael Finleys and the Greg Jennings or even the younger James Joneses who will torch you if you play one on one coverage (and then will torch you if you sit back in zone).  Now we have a bunch of guys who can't beat 1 on 1 press coverage and we won't run routes off of each other to help them.  Mac's offense relies on players winning one on one matchups and we don't have the pieces to do it.  A coach needs to adjust his scheme to the pieces he has to play with.  Mac hasn't.

[DegenerateDish]

There's an outside chance that next year is Rodgers last year as a Packer. If there is a regime change, would they want a 34 year old regressed Rodgers, with a $21 mil cap hit? I hadn't looked closely at Rodgers contract before, but like Cutler's, the back third is all single year deals, with no dead money.

Rodgers (barring injury) can certainly play into his late thirties, but I wouldn't be shocked if he was a Ram or Chief at that time.

[wadesworld]

There's an outside chance that next year is Rodgers last year as a Packer. If there is a regime change, would they want a 34 year old regressed Rodgers, with a $21 mil cap hit? I hadn't looked closely at Rodgers contract before, but like Cutler's, the back third is all single year deals, with no dead money.

Rodgers (barring injury) can certainly play into his late thirties, but I wouldn't be shocked if he was a Ram or Chief at that time.

I would be very shocked.

[🏀]

I would be very shocked.

I would be more shocked if there's a new regime, unfortunately.

[brandx]

There's an outside chance that next year is Rodgers last year as a Packer. If there is a regime change, would they want a 34 year old regressed Rodgers, with a $21 mil cap hit? I hadn't looked closely at Rodgers contract before, but like Cutler's, the back third is all single year deals, with no dead money.

Rodgers (barring injury) can certainly play into his late thirties, but I wouldn't be shocked if he was a Ram or Chief at that time.

Not a chance in a league where "blah" QBs make $15-$18 million.

[DegenerateDish]

Not a chance in a league where "blah" QBs make $15-$18 million.

You have to look at their entire roster as they move forward. To me, this is the Pack's first year moving towards football hell. If you move forward to 2018, Rodgers is 34, Matthews 32, Nelson 33, Lang 31, Peppers gone. You have some nice pieces on your O-line entering their prime, along with Dix and Daniels. Maybe Montgomery keeps developing, but the skill position players are mostly trending the wrong direction. All depends on if a new regime comes in and wants to blow things up, if that's the case, there's no dead money with Rodgers contract.

[GGGG]

Really it also depends on how good Brett Hundley is.  If they feel he is the future, they should roll with it.  Next year is his third year.