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
Martha Careful (36m) : You can wear long-johns mittens and a hat. We want Hill and their other skill guys FROZEN
Zero2Cool (4h) : I'm not sure I hope for that. I'll be at the game.
Martha Careful (18h) : I hope it is colder than a well-diggers ass on Thanksgiving night.
Zero2Cool (25-Nov) : doubt he wants to face the speedsters
beast (25-Nov) : Dolphins offense can be explosive... I wonder if we'll have Alexander back
Zero2Cool (25-Nov) : No Doubs could be issue Thursday
Mucky Tundra (25-Nov) : Bears. Santos. Blocked FG
Zero2Cool (24-Nov) : Bears. Vikings. OT
Mucky Tundra (24-Nov) : Thems the breaks I guess
Mucky Tundra (24-Nov) : Two players out and Williams had an injury designation this week but Oladapo is a healthy scratch
Zero2Cool (24-Nov) : Packers inactives vs 49ers: • CB Jaire Alexander • S Kitan Oladapo • LB Edgerrin Cooper • OL Jacob Monk
TheKanataThrilla (24-Nov) : Aaron Jones with a costly red zone fumble
Zero2Cool (24-Nov) : When we trade Malik for a 1st rounder, we'll need a new QB2.
packerfanoutwest (23-Nov) : Report: Aaron Rodgers wants to play in 2025, but not for the Jets
beast (23-Nov) : That's what I told the Police officer about my speed when he pulled me over
packerfanoutwest (23-Nov) : NFL told Bears that Packers’ blocked field goal was legal
packerfanoutwest (22-Nov) : 49ers are underdogs at Packers, ending streak of 36 straight games as favorites
Zero2Cool (22-Nov) : 49ers might be down their QB, DL, TE and LT?
packerfanoutwest (22-Nov) : Jaire Alexander says he has a torn PCL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : Even with the context it's ... what?
Mucky Tundra (20-Nov) : Matt LaFleur without context: “I don’t wanna pat you on the butt and you poop in my hand.”
beast (20-Nov) : We brought in a former Packers OL coach to help evaluate OL as a scout
beast (20-Nov) : Jets have been pretty good at picking DL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He landed good players thanks to high draft slot. He isn't good.
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He can shove his knowledge up his ass. He knows nothing.
beast (20-Nov) : More knowledge, just like bring in the Jets head coach
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : What? Why? Huh?
beast (19-Nov) : I wonder if the Packers might to try to bring Douglas in through Milt Hendrickson/Ravens connections
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : The Jets fired Joe Douglas, per sources
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Jets are a mess......
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Pretty sure Jets fired their scouting staff and just pluck former Packers.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Jets sign Anders Carlson to their 53.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : When you cycle the weeks, the total over remains for season. But you get your W/L for that selected week. Confusing.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the totals are accurate..nrvrtmind
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : I don't follow what you are saying. The totals are not the same as last week.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : ok so then wht are the totals the same as last week?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : NFL Pick'em is auto updated when NFL Scores tab is clicked
Martha Careful (19-Nov) : The offense was OK. Let's not forget the Bear defense is very very good.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Who updates the leaderboard on NFLPickem?
beast (19-Nov) : Has the Packers offense been worse since the former Jets coach joined the Packers?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Offense gets his ass in gear, this could be good.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Backup QB helped with three wins. Special Teams contributed to three wins.
bboystyle (18-Nov) : Lions played outside thats why. They scored 16 and 17 in the only 2 outside games this year
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : The rest of the NFL is catching up to Packers ... kicking is an issue throughout league
packerfanoutwest (18-Nov) : Packers DL Kenny Clark: We knew 'we were going to block' Bears' game-winning field goal attempt
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Lions seem to be throttling everyone, but only (only) got 24 lol maybe the rain is why
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Packers vs Lions game doesn't seem so bad.
beast (18-Nov) : Dennis Green "They are what we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!"
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2024 Packers Schedule
Friday, Sep 6 @ 7:15 PM
Eagles
Sunday, Sep 15 @ 12:00 PM
COLTS
Sunday, Sep 22 @ 12:00 PM
Titans
Sunday, Sep 29 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Sunday, Oct 6 @ 3:25 PM
Rams
Sunday, Oct 13 @ 12:00 PM
CARDINALS
Sunday, Oct 20 @ 12:00 PM
TEXANS
Sunday, Oct 27 @ 12:00 PM
Jaguars
Sunday, Nov 3 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Sunday, Nov 17 @ 12:00 PM
Bears
Sunday, Nov 24 @ 3:25 PM
49ERS
Thursday, Nov 28 @ 7:20 PM
DOLPHINS
Thursday, Dec 5 @ 7:15 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 15 @ 7:20 PM
Seahawks
Monday, Dec 23 @ 7:15 PM
SAINTS
Sunday, Dec 29 @ 12:00 PM
Vikings
Saturday, Jan 4 @ 11:00 PM
BEARS
Recent Topics
33m / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

3h / Featured Content / Zero2Cool

18h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

18h / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

25-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

25-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / buckeyepackfan

24-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / buckeyepackfan

24-Nov / GameDay Threads / Zero2Cool

23-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

23-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2024 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.