Not too many quarterbacks are capable of winning a Super Bowl without a dominant defense. Aaron Rodgers is. Yet, for the sixth time in seven years, the Packers aren’t going to the Super Bowl. Only once during this span have the Packers even won two playoff games in a season – the year they did win the Super Bowl, 2010.
Yes, luck is involved. So is superior coaching and aggressive moves by the front office to patch up the normal injuries and wear-and-tear that come with a long season.
Mike McCarthy is a middle of the road coach. Not elite, not bottom tier. Rarely will the Packers win a game they aren’t expected to. Since 2012 they are 1-14 straight-up, 2-12-1 against the spread as underdogs.
McCarthy has been Green Bay’s coach the past 10 seasons. Ted Thompson has been the Packers’ general manager for 11 seasons establishing a good reputation for drafting except when it comes to defensive linemen.
Where Thompson comes up woefully short of his predecessor – Hall of Famer Ron Wolf – and other astute general managers is acquiring in-season talent. Do you know the last time Thompson gave up one of his cherished draft choices for a player? Try 2007. Thompson sent the Giants a sixth-round pick for Ryan Grant. All Grant did was finish as the Packers’ fifth all-time leading rusher.
Everybody, including Stevie Wonder, could see the Packers desperately needed more speed at wide receiver and tight end. Jordy Nelson went down in preseason. Thompson had all year to make a move. He didn’t.
When Randall Cobb got hurt against the Cardinals, Rodgers had to make due with a useless James Jones and inexperienced Jeff Janis and Jared Abbredaris along without any tight end speed. Janis and Abbredaris came up better than expected, but the Packers still couldn’t put enough points to beat a flat Carson Palmer despite having Rodgers, a healthy offensive line and Eddie Lacy.
One of many reasons why the Patriots are the team to beat every year is because they aggressively go after players when injuries strike like they did at wide receiver this season. Unlike Thompson, the Patriots addressed the situation and traded a fifth-round pick to the Texans for Keshawn Martin, who caught 24 passes for New England.
The Broncos gave the 49ers a couple of sixth-round picks to get Vernon Davis, who could have provided the Packers that needed deep tight speed along with an essential veteran presence sorely lacking.
Even the Tony Romo-less Cowboys and injury-racked Ravens – two teams that never gave up – dealt for wide receivers when their top wideout got hurt. Dallas swapped fifth and sixth round picks to the Raiders for intriguing Brice Butler and Baltimore gave the Rams a conditional seventh round pick for Chris Givens.
By sitting on his hands – year after year – the stoic Thompson sends a clear message without talking: That message to his team is no help for you.
The Packers should strive for better. They need to move on from McCarthy and Thompson. Go for the ring not stay in their comfort zone.
