Pack93z
  • Pack93z
  • Select Member Topic Starter
16 years ago
The NFL hasn't seen our struggles before has it..

Teams have struggled after reaching title games with new coaches

By Tom Pelissero tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com November 27, 2008

In 2002, the Carolina Panthers tapped Fox to turn around a team that had hit a low point. A late-season surge in Year 1 set up a highly successful second season, ending with a trip to Super Bowl XXXVIII.

But the Panthers slipped in 2004, suffering key injuries on the way to a 7-9 finish, and just like that, Fox began hearing his team had crumbled under the pressure of raised expectations.

Its hard to predict, and so sometimes, expectations are built on the outside, Fox said this week in a conference call. Then, if the team gets whacked by injuries, its disappointment and the pressure got to them.

Bill Belichick has been there, too. So has Jon Gruden, among others.

From 2000 to 2006, nine NFL coaches took a team to a conference championship game in his first or second season at the helm. The following season, only three had winning records, two made the playoffs and none made it back to a conference championship game.

Belichicks New England Patriots were defending Super Bowl champions in 2002 when they missed the postseason at 9-7. Grudens Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl that year, then went 7-9 in 2003.

More recent, Jim Mora Jr. took the Atlanta Falcons to the NFC championship game as a rookie coach in 2004 but was fired after missing the postseason the next two years. Sean Payton took the New Orleans Saints to the NFC championship game in his first season in 2006, but they slipped to 7-9 in 2007 and are on the playoff bubble this season at 6-5.

The numbers speak to the parity of a league in which nearly two-thirds of teams miss the postseason and half the playoff field turns over from one year to the next.

Thats the reality, Packers end Aaron Kampman said. Thats the tendency for us, is to box things and generalize them. Theres so many variables that go into it.

The road to the playoffs also is an uphill one this season for McCarthy, who earned a new five-year contract worth roughly $4 million a year after taking the Packers to the NFC championship game in his second season, as well as Norv Turner, who has faced questions about his job less than one year after his San Diego Chargers reached the AFC championship game.

Both teams have lost key defensive players to season-ending injuries Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman for the Chargers, defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins and middle linebacker Nick Barnett for the Packers and both teams playoff hopes would be far dimmer if they played in better divisions. The Chargers are 4-7, two games back of 6-5 Denver in the AFC West; entering Sundays game against Foxs Panthers, the Packers are 5-6, a game back of 6-5 Chicago and Minnesota in the NFC North.

Injuries is the biggest bugaboo that hits teams that struggle, said Fox, who lost star running back Stephen Davis for 14 games in 2004 because of a knee injury and had four quarterbacks win games last season.

You want to keep continuity, as it helps with a team game, and the injury bug can bite you.

The previous Packers coach to take a team to a title game in his second season was Vince Lombardi, who lost the NFL championship in 1960 and then won it the next two years. But its been 13 years since any NFL coach made a similar leap and that was Barry Switzer, who took over the two-time defending champion Dallas Cowboys, lost in the NFC championship game after the 1994 season and then won the Super Bowl in his second year.

The Panthers stayed healthy enough to return to the NFC championship game in 2005, slipping into the playoff field as a wild card and pulling consecutive upsets on the road against the New York Giants and Chicago.

Thats the type of rebound the Packers will have to aim for if they cant complete a comeback to win the division this season. But with five games to go, including a visit to Chicago on Dec. 22, a more immediate rebound remains the focus.

The first time I stood in front of our football team, I told them their biggest challenge here in Green Bay will be handling success, McCarthy said. And its not only the ability of the individuals to handle success, whether its a new contract or recognition or having a winning season its really the challenges of how people now look at you and how they gun for you and all the different angles these challenges can come at you with. Its part of our business.

We had a successful year last year, and things havent gone as great as wed like up to this point. But thats something that you talk about and you try to prepare for. Its part of the National Football League.


"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
yooperfan
16 years ago
Looks like we are about to join that crowd.
Fan Shout
Mucky Tundra (21m) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (22m) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (35m) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (1h) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (1h) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (2h) : umm... what?
wpr (2h) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (2h) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (2h) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (2h) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (2h) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (8h) : Me do-ed it gooderly,
Zero2Cool (23h) : Bahah, I was like WTF why isn't anyone posting on PP.com ... oops no one has permissions
dfosterf (27-Aug) : tell her I reckon
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Micah Robinson cut. Probable PS player tomorrow. Has to call mom back and t
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : New site so much better. Might make switch and deal with it.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Mecole Hardman to our practice squad
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Nick Nieman from Texans our 5th linebacker. Special teams signing
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Looks like we signed Clayton Tune as QB3
wpr (27-Aug) : TKT people lose their minds over QB3. Point is almost none of them are ready that's why they are on the PS and other teams don't take them.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Unfortunately he doesn't seem ready to be an emergency QB.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : As a Canadian and a follower of Canadian University football. I am rooting for him
dfosterf (27-Aug) : I bet a lot of us will follow the Taylor Elgersma journey with interest. Personally, got a Kurt Warner vibe goin' on. I like him
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Not sure if either will be claimed though.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Tune or Hooker would make sense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Clayton Tune cut by the Cards? Don't know if that's the guy, we shall see
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Per Bill Huber, the Packers will not be bringing back Taylor Elgersma or Sean Clifford on the practice squad, so a new third quarterback
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Schefter must have deleted his tweet
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Hopefully Jerry reaches under the seat cushions and ashtrays of his jet and scrapes up the 45 million apr and spares us further nonsense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Have to admit the PO'd Cowboy fan videos would be fun to watch. Problem with draft picks is half their fanbase barely knows what that is
beast (27-Aug) : I think Cowboys fans are ready to get their pitch forks and burning sticks if Jerry were to trade Micah
dfosterf (27-Aug) : If Jerry traded Micah to GB, here in northern Va. they would have to quick build yet another data center to handle the internet hate traffic
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : its signing and trades that you don't hear about, other then announced
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : If you hear rumors about Packers sign or trade, won't happen. Not how they work
dfosterf (27-Aug) : 19 players in a contract year. Jones called loss to us worst loss in Cowboy history. Forget Parsons trade. Not happenin' Cap'n
packerfanoutwest (27-Aug) : The Packers, meanwhile, are the youngest team in the league for the third consecutive year.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : That it was darkest before the dawn in Bengals and Commanders before they got deals done
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : what is Schefter saying?
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He was getting Dorito infusion therapy
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He's outta shape. Why, just the other day I saw him splayed out on the trainers table
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Parsons has followed Rasheed Walker on Twitter. Quite the choice
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Kuhn is a former player who works for the team, if somethings going down, he would be close to it
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : @kuhnj30 Micah Freaking Parsons
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : A LOT of buzz on the Bird App regarding Parsons; even Schefter is saying it's serious
dfosterf (26-Aug) : *Orzech*
dfosterf (26-Aug) : Orzich long snapper 3 yr extension
Zero2Cool (26-Aug) : Packers signed someone for three year deal
Zero2Cool (26-Aug) : lol i know it's insane ... sign up for the waiver wire then you'll know
wpr (26-Aug) : YES!!!!!!
Mucky Tundra (26-Aug) : WE WANT THE LIST! WE WANT THE LIST!
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2025 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
COMMANDERS
Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
Browns
Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
BENGALS
Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
PANTHERS
Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
EAGLES
Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
Giants
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
Bears
Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
RAVENS
Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
Vikings
Recent Topics
now / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

4m / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

3h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

8h / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

23h / Feedback, Suggestions and Issues / Zero2Cool

23h / Fantasy Sports Talk / Zero2Cool

27-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

27-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / Cheesey

26-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

26-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

25-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

24-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

24-Aug / Around The NFL / beast

23-Aug / Feedback, Suggestions and Issues / Zero2Cool

22-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.