Where was Clay Matthews?

[ExpatPacker]

People can draw their own conclusions, but there's a reason that guys like Sherman and Earl Thomas were still out there with injuries even when the game looked dim for them. At no point did they have the perception that the game is over.

I will always consider Matthews a good defensive player for as long as he produces, but I will probably never again consider him to be a defensive leader.

This for me is a real consequence of the situation. How can Matthews claim to be a defensive leader anymore when he is not on the field at the very time when GB's Super Bowl appearance is at stake? As a matter of fact, Peppers seemed to have taken over that role this season.

Matthews is a great player, but his standing with the fans has taken a major hit. And I worry that an attitude settled over the team because of it that will not be changed with a few obligatory remarks from McCarthy. Someone on this team is going to have to step up and say never again to this sh**.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

What I mean is nobody checked to bother whether the hit the CM3's head was a sting like you say or a concussion. Cm3 played in the Pro Bowl because nobody checked. That is what the Packers are trying to sweep under the rug and is why they are all Being coy about the whole episode. I for one am releaved about it because if I am correct Clay is neither a quitter nor are the coaches idiotic enough to just bench him without reason.

There´s no way Matthews would have played in the Pro Bowl and practiced on Wednesday if he had suffered a concussion in Seattle.

 

[gonzozab]

Here's your confirmation.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/290115291.html

 

[Ogsponge]

As I have said in numerous posts, this is the exact problem with the Packers. They are soft. Needed a minute? Sherman played with one flocking arm for a full quarter. Clay could not be bothered to play for the most important 3 minutes of Packers football this season? It was "okay" that Burnett slid when he could have scored a touchdown?

WTF is wrong with the mentality of this football team? We were dominating defensively? So what you were NOT dominating the game, dominating means the other teams has a 0% change to win the game. Just so sickening yet so many people just think this way of thinking is acceptable because we will win lots of regular season games.

 

[7thFloorRA]

Did anyone catch HOF'er and Packer Great Dave Robinson on The Big Unit's show this week? He gave a tremendous account of what he though happened the 2nd half of that game and how to have a killer instinct. The best way to protect a 19 pt lead is to get a 26 pt lead. He also said that the attitude flows down hill and starts with the staff. MM Turtled and it permeated everyone. Very good interview.

 

[Narveson]

Did anyone catch HOF'er and Packer Great Dave Robinson on The Big Unit's show this week? He gave a tremendous account of what he though happened the 2nd half of that game and how to have a killer instinct. The best way to protect a 19 pt lead is to get a 26 pt lead. He also said that the attitude flows down hill and starts with the staff. MM Turtled and it permeated everyone. Very good interview.

Exactly. No killer instinct. I also agree that it starts from top and rolls down hill. Once the players saw MM and coaching co. go soft, they went soft as well. So disappointing.

As long as they learn from it and come out next year like possessed assassins.

 

[MadCat]

Exactly. No killer instinct. I also agree that it starts from top and rolls down hill. Once the players saw MM and coaching co. go soft, they went soft as well. So disappointing.

As long as they learn from it and come out next year like possessed assassins.

I'm not confident they will ever learn. It's been going on for years. And they (MM and DC) will continue to skate, as long as there is someone else to scapegoat.

 

[TJV]

I'm not confident they will ever learn. It's been going on for years. And they (MM and DC) will continue to skate, as long as there is someone else to scapegoat.

So you must be advocating firing both, right?

 

[PackerDNA]

I'm not confident they will ever learn. It's been going on for years. And they (MM and DC) will continue to skate, as long as there is someone else to scapegoat.

I'll believe it when I see it. As you said, it's been going on for years.
Look at the AFC title game. The Pats never let up. They've been doing that for years. Up 21? make it 28. Up 28? make it 35. Lots of complaints about it; they didn't care. They're in the Super Bowl again.

Did anyone catch HOF'er and Packer Great Dave Robinson on The Big Unit's show this week? He gave a tremendous account of what he though happened the 2nd half of that game and how to have a killer instinct. The best way to protect a 19 pt lead is to get a 26 pt lead. He also said that the attitude flows down hill and starts with the staff. MM Turtled and it permeated everyone. Very good interview.

Again , the no mercy, no prisoners attitude; the killer instinct. I've said this game was lost from the neck up. There has always been something missing from this team in these kind of games/big spots, against this type of opponent. You get on your opponent and stay on them; you don't let them breath or give them reason to believe there is hope. You get them down and you don't let them up. Vicious, merciless, singleness of purpose.
And you don't give one flying damn who doesn't like it. If the Packers don't have, or don't have enough of this kind of people, then get them.
Or keep settling for thisclose and consoling themselves with division titles and double digit regular season wins.

 

[MadCat]

So you must be advocating firing both, right?

DC should have been fired long ago, and certainly before SS, because his work product has a bigger impact on the outcome of games. I like MM but I'm not a fan of his coaching style and his stubbornness, and I think his situational play calling is baffling and it never changes. Add to that the predictable taking the foot off the gas every time we have a lead, no matter how small, is getting really old. But I would not advocate his firing if he brought in a play caller, because that would likely remedy much of the problem.

 

[MadCat]

Again , the no mercy, no prisoners attitude; the killer instinct. I've said this game was lost from the neck up. There has always been something missing from this team in these kind of games/big spots, against this type of opponent. You get on your opponent and stay on them; you don't let them breath or give them reason to believe there is hope. You get them down and you don't let them up. Vicious, merciless, singleness of purpose.
And you don't give one flying damn who doesn't like it. If the Packers don't have, or don't have enough of this kind of people, then get them.
Or keep settling for thisclose and consoling themselves with division titles and double digit regular season wins.

Exactly. It's not a youth league, it's the pros. You know what they say about nice guys...

 

[TJV]

DC should have been fired long ago, and certainly before SS, because his work product has a bigger impact on the outcome of games. I like MM but I'm not a fan of his coaching style and his stubbornness, and I think his situational play calling is baffling and it never changes. Add to that the predictable taking the foot off the gas every time we have a lead, no matter how small, is getting really old. But I would not advocate his firing if he brought in a play caller, because that would likely remedy much of the problem.

So to be clear, if he doesn't bring in a play caller (and it's extremely likely he will not) you think he should be fired?

 

[MadCat]

So to be clear, if he doesn't bring in a play caller (and it's extremely likely he will not) you think he should be fired?

Yes.

 

[Mondio]

He had the #1 offense in the league, who do we bring in better?

 

[OldSchool101]

I don't think it's so much trying to wait till everyone forgets as it is that the headcoaches brother died the morning he was to give his press conference..

I get the impression McCarthy comes from a close family and I'm sure it took priority, as it should have. I guess I haven't paid a lot of attention, but I don't think any of the staff have had any types of press conferences? I'm sure McCarthy wants to stand there and answer questions and take the criticism first, and I'm sure he will. At this point it will probably be after the super bowl and I guess I'm ok with it.

It's not going to change anything. I saw the collapse just like everyone else and the reasons for it were many. Like most things in life it's a chain of events, not an instant that determines the outcome.

thank You for that! While we all look so hard to blame someone there's always plenty to go around

 

[MadCat]

He had the #1 offense in the league, who do we bring in better?

His offensive players have a ton of talent. I give the bulk of the credit to them. What I would like to know is why he didn't trust his #1 offense in the league enough to finish off the game.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

McCarthy is a great offensive mind. Does he make some mistakes??? Of course he does, it happens to every coach. But people tend to overreact to those.

Since MM took over as head coach the Packers are ranked third in the league in scoring with 27.1 points per game. While it's true that he has worked with great QBs everyone believing he has nothing to do with Rodgers development is fooling himself.

I wouldn't mind him bringing in a play caller for the offense but people mentioning he should be fired forget that he's a phenomenal game planer.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Matthews says rib and knee injuries kept him out of the last three drives in regulation vs. the Seahawks.

http://m.jsonline.com/sports/blogs/290445591.html

 

[Ogsponge]

Matthews says rib and knee injuries kept him out of the last three drives in regulation vs. the Seahawks.

http://m.jsonline.com/sports/blogs/290445591.html

I am sorry but after reading that I have lost respect for him and believe his comments are exactly what is wrong with this team. Soft soft soft soft soft soft. He can deflect all he wants by saying people can say whatever they want but it sounds to me there was no reason for him to no be in the game. Wow I just don't even know what to say other than there you go ladies and gentlemen clay was unable to man up for the most important 3 minutes of the season. And before you try to defend him, if he could play in OT he could have cowboyed up. He was not physically unable to play, he was mentally unable to play and that is the overall problem with this team.

 

[yooperpackfan]

Matthews says rib and knee injuries kept him out of the last three drives in regulation vs. the Seahawks.

http://m.jsonline.com/sports/blogs/290445591.html

I guess he had to say something but It still sounds pretty lame.

 

[TJV]

His offensive players have a ton of talent. I give the bulk of the credit to them.

So according to this poster, the coaching staff deserves the bulk of the blame for anything that goes wrong and the players deserve the bulk of the credit for anything that goes right. Imagine if Ted Thompson engaged in that kind of flawed thinking.

 

[Mondio]

So according to this poster, the coaching staff deserves the bulk of the blame for anything that goes wrong and the players deserve the bulk of the credit for anything that goes right. Imagine if Ted Thompson engaged in that kind of flawed thinking.

and how many times have we seen teams loaded with talent, fall flat on their faces. Every year teams win the draft, they win in free agency, "dream teams" are announced, all-pro's are added, Superstars from super bowl winning teams leave in FA to another team, and by midseason they are all an afterthought.

The dream teams are duds, super bowl superstars become super high paid benchwarmers, FA winners are division losers and on and on. I'd take average talent with guys that want to play and great coaching over great talent and mediocre coaching any day.

GB has some very good players, we also have very good coaching. None are perfect, though I'm sure we'll be back in the hunt again next year. If there is a staff and headcoach that can get a team over the collapse they had in the Seattle game, I think it is this one. I can see a lot of teams that wouldn't recover from this and have a very bad next year. I guess we could to, but I don't think we will and a large part of that will be because of the head coach.

 

[gonzozab]

I guess he had to say something but It still sounds pretty lame.

Yes. Nothing he can say can hold any kind of water when Sherman is out there playing with one arm. Between this and not playing with a cast on his broken thumb last year I'm beginning to thing this guy is soft.

 

[gonzozab]

I'll believe it when I see it. As you said, it's been going on for years.
Look at the AFC title game. The Pats never let up. They've been doing that for years. Up 21? make it 28. Up 28? make it 35. Lots of complaints about it; they didn't care. They're in the Super Bowl again.



Again , the no mercy, no prisoners attitude; the killer instinct. I've said this game was lost from the neck up. There has always been something missing from this team in these kind of games/big spots, against this type of opponent. You get on your opponent and stay on them; you don't let them breath or give them reason to believe there is hope. You get them down and you don't let them up. Vicious, merciless, singleness of purpose.
And you don't give one flying damn who doesn't like it. If the Packers don't have, or don't have enough of this kind of people, then get them.
Or keep settling for thisclose and consoling themselves with division titles and double digit regular season wins.

Football players and coaches always preach about playing 60 minutes. The Packers coaches and players flat out quit after 55, the very moment the ball hit Burnett's hands. So what is it, Packers? Is it 60 minutes or is it just lip service? Because you played the game as if no team has ever scored two touchdowns in four minutes before. I've heard of conservative play before but those last five minutes were ridiculous.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Yes. Nothing he can say can hold any kind of water when Sherman is out there playing with one arm. Between this and not playing with a cast on his broken thumb last year I'm beginning to thing this guy is soft.

Matthews not playing with the broken thumb last year is a completely different story. He even re-broke it weeks after being cleared to play without a cast.