2018 Green Bay Packers Season Thread: 6-9-1: Mike McCarthy Fired, Philbin Interim HC

[pacopete4]

Figured a new thread was in order as we start into a new season.

 

Opening the season on Sunday Night Football against Mack and the Bears!

 

 

 

 

edited thread title to reflect FINAL record

[nodakfan17]

I was feeling really good about this game until the Mack trade. It adds an interesting wrinkle to the storyline. Also, I’m a little nervous about the run game. How many times have they gone through 2 RBs before? No FB to act as a third ball carrier either. Go Pack!

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I was feeling really good about this game until the Mack trade. It adds an interesting wrinkle to the storyline. Also, I’m a little nervous about the run game. How many times have they gone through 2 RBs before? No FB to act as a third ball carrier either. Go Pack!

 

They just signed ex-Cowboy Darius Jackson. He'll be RB3 until Jones returns.

[MrTPlush]

If it didn’t make sense for the Packers to trade for Mack I really just don’t get it for the Bears. Do they really think they have a good enough QB or will be in a few years max? They sold the farm of draft picks and shelled out millions upon millions. That’s a scary price to pay when you have no QB as it stands. They will win games, but are they Super Bowl contenders? Idk...and not having those 1st rounders isn’t going to help in the future.

[jerichoholicninja]

Mack will be released in 2 or 3 years when the Bears realize they have no cap room. Same as happens to every non-QB that signs a megadeal. The Bears mortgaged their future and cap space on a guy who will move them from 4th to 3rd in their division. The only way that trade isn't a franchise-killing disaster is if Trubles pulls a Goff and goes from joke one year to top 10 QB the next.

[homer]

Realistically they've got two years of prime Mack left before his inevitable decline (maybe three but that's pushing it). So they're saying that they can win a SB within the next two or three years? I'm not seeing it. Particularly after giving up all those high draft picks.

[Fear The Chorizo]

If it didn’t make sense for the Packers to trade for Mack I really just don’t get it for the Bears. Do they really think they have a good enough QB or will be in a few years max? They sold the farm of draft picks and shelled out millions upon millions. That’s a scary price to pay when you have no QB as it stands. They will win games, but are they Super Bowl contenders? Idk...and not having those 1st rounders isn’t going to help in the future.

 

There were some "insiders" who have speculated that the Bears' GM is feeling the heat and was willing to make a crazy move like this and hopefully luck into a good season to preserve his own job. It honestly all depends if their QB is good or not - if he isn't, their GM is fired anyway. The writing might already be on the wall for him that if the Bears don't show drastic improvement this year he's gone. Basically, if it doesn't work, he'll be fired and someone else will have to deal with the salary cap mess he created.

 

You'd think the Bears would've learned their lesson after the Cutler trade, but at least that move made some football sense as they were hoping to bring in a good QB to compliment a great defense. The Mack trade isn't something a rebuilding team does in the NFL - they're mortgaging their future before their present is good enough to borrow against.

[tmwiese55]

I think the idea for the Bears would be to try and copy the Seattle model of building and spending to make a great D while they have a cheap QB. Key to whether they can win big is still whether the QB pans out though. They made the move for the QB though so they have to have faith rather than just operate like he isn't any good. He was the top pick just a year ago and was coached terribly last year. See how he looks this year.

[FVBrewerFan]

The Mack trade isn't something a rebuilding team does in the NFL

 

Their really isn't much rebuilding in the NFL. Every season at least one team goes worst to first, and vice versa. You just never know when it's going to click. Mack was available, and they got him- good move for the Bears. Jags came out of nowhere with Bortles at QB, and there's 2 or 3 stories like that every year. The gap between being a bad team and a good team in today's NFL doesn't take much.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Mack will be released in 2 or 3 years when the Bears realize they have no cap room. Same as happens to every non-QB that signs a megadeal. The Bears mortgaged their future and cap space on a guy who will move them from 4th to 3rd in their division. The only way that trade isn't a franchise-killing disaster is if Trubles pulls a Goff and goes from joke one year to top 10 QB the next.

 

Peppers was very productive for them, but yes, was cut after 4 and came to GB.

 

They must really believe in Trubisky. I wouldn't be totally shocked if the Bears challenge. The Packers rarely seem to stomp the Bears anyway. I remember a lot of close games with Rodgers at the helm. This should be a strong division.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Mack will be released in 2 or 3 years when the Bears realize they have no cap room. Same as happens to every non-QB that signs a megadeal. The Bears mortgaged their future and cap space on a guy who will move them from 4th to 3rd in their division. The only way that trade isn't a franchise-killing disaster is if Trubles pulls a Goff and goes from joke one year to top 10 QB the next.

 

Peppers was very productive for them, but yes, was cut after 4 and came to GB.

 

They must really believe in Trubisky. I wouldn't be totally shocked if the Bears challenge. The Packers rarely seem to stomp the Bears anyway. I remember a lot of close games with Rodgers at the helm. This should be a strong division.

 

All four teams could be solid. Personally, though, I think the Packers are in the best position to be among the elite. The Vikings are due to regress defensively, and I'm not sold on Cousins being a top-flight QB. The Lions have good talent, but are seemingly always running in place. The Bears are a wild card.

[brewcrewdue80]

Mack will be released in 2 or 3 years when the Bears realize they have no cap room. Same as happens to every non-QB that signs a megadeal. The Bears mortgaged their future and cap space on a guy who will move them from 4th to 3rd in their division. The only way that trade isn't a franchise-killing disaster is if Trubles pulls a Goff and goes from joke one year to top 10 QB the next.

 

Peppers was very productive for them, but yes, was cut after 4 and came to GB.

 

They must really believe in Trubisky. I wouldn't be totally shocked if the Bears challenge. The Packers rarely seem to stomp the Bears anyway. I remember a lot of close games with Rodgers at the helm. This should be a strong division.

 

All four teams could be solid. Personally, though, I think the Packers are in the best position to be among the elite. The Vikings are due to regress defensively, and I'm not sold on Cousins being a top-flight QB. The Lions have good talent, but are seemingly always running in place. The Bears are a wild card.

 

What does Cousins have to do to show top flight QB ability? 38tds/12ints 5k yards? He's done it 3seasons now with who for receivers?

 

The Central is going to be a tough win for opponents top to bottom this year until injuries ruin someones season.

[JohnBriggs12]

The last time the Packers faced a team with Mack on it, they beat Oakland 30-20 in 2015. Mack had a grand total of 1 tackle and 1 assist in that game. Rodgers was sacked twice in that game, but not by Mack.

 

Hey Mack's a good player but when he was in Oakland, they had one winning season, and lost in the wild card game that year. Last year they were 6-10.

 

He'll likely only play a limited amount of downs this week. He does make the Bears better, but that hardly kills the Packers chances. In fact, he could hurt the Vikings enough that he actually helps the Packers.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Cousins's numbers aren't top flight. They were top flight in 1999 but his line the last three years is definitely low tier 2, I would say, for QBs. He also doesn't have any signature moments at this point in his career. He's played in one playoff game and got stomped by the Packers. Obviously that's not all on him, but that's why he doesn't have that kind of respect.

 

He's a good, but not great QB that has been solid for fantasy football and not much else. Maybe this is the change he needed, but that is why.

[MrTPlush]

The Cousins addition is overrated. It isn’t like they didn’t get good QB production last year, they did. Statistically he isn’t an improvement at all. They hope Cousins will have that special edge and make clutch plays...be a true leader. I don’t think he is, I think he is similar to an Alex Smith. Not a big moment/time guy.

 

That being said the Viking are way better than any other team Cousins lead. Regardless they will win on their defense. Not Cousins lighting up a scoreboard.

[tmwiese55]

Plush, generally true. I'd add to it though that he's more trustable or reliable than what they got last year. BAsically that I'm sure they figured last year was fluky so couldn't bank on it again from those guys, but now got a guy they should be able to trust to replicate that or even better. There's value in that.

[JohnBriggs12]

The roster construction of the Packers baffles me. When have more than 4 receivers tops seen the field on a week to week basis? I know they want to find "the guy" to play opposite Adams but apparently all the mini camps, OTA's, and preseason games haven't winnowed out the field. I suspect on Sunday, we'll see only Allison, Adams, and Cobb (if he's ready) and Graham split out a lot in double tight end sets, and there'll be at least 2 possibly 3 rookie receivers inactive.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

The roster construction of the Packers baffles me. When have more than 4 receivers tops seen the field on a week to week basis? I know they want to find "the guy" to play opposite Adams but apparently all the mini camps, OTA's, and preseason games haven't winnowed out the field. I suspect on Sunday, we'll see only Allison, Adams, and Cobb (if he's ready) and Graham split out a lot in double tight end sets, and there'll be at least 2 possibly 3 rookie receivers inactive.

 

It's all about value (both perceived and future) when you get to the end of the roster. Its obvious that they feel those rookie receivers have more value than some of the other positions, so that's where they kept the depth. Last year it was at RB with the three rookies and Montgomery. They were trying to find a team to offload Trevor Davis on, and it wouldn't surprise me if he is jettisoned soon when a depth need arises at a different position.

 

The Packers typically carry 5 receivers active week-to-week. That may change this year depending on if they view Tonyan as a TE/FB hybrid, which would mean 4 TEs are active.

[PeaveyFury]

Also, your 5/6 WR's usually see a lot of the field as gunners on special teams.

[nodakfan17]

Interesting that MVS and St Brown appear to be ahead of Moore on the depth chart. Also, shaking my head at Trevor Davis being a late scratch.

[pitchleague]

Well, looks like nothing has changed with the defense.

[trwi7]

Well, looks like nothing has changed with the defense.

 

Receivers still can't get open either. Says a lot that Rodgers was shaking his head two throws into the game.

[adambr2]

This, uh, does not look like a good season ahead by early returns.

[adambr2]

Well, looks like nothing has changed with the defense.

 

Receivers still can't get open either. Says a lot that Rodgers was shaking his head two throws into the game.

 

Who would have thought that replacing Jordy with a handful of late round picks wouldn't work out?

[FVBrewerFan]

It's not the receivers, its McCarthy. Two runs, then all empty backfield downfield throws. So predictable. No runs, play action, no screens, pass to rb in the flat, quick slant. Just all downfield attempts.