Odds Say Mike McCarthy Won’t be Coaching the Packers in 2019
- The Packers lost 27-24 to the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football of Week 11
- Green Bay now sits at 4-5-1 and their playoff hopes appear grim
- See the odds on Mike McCarthy losing his head coaching job
Thursday Night Football of Week 11 was basically a must-win for both the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
Both teams entered the week on the outside of the wild card race, in desperate need of a win to keep close. And after the Seahawks took the lead back (27-24) with just over five minutes to play, it seemed almost certain Aaron Rodgers would add another 4th quarter game-winning drive to his resume.
But after their first two plays of the drive saw them pick up eight yards, Rodgers’ pass on 3rd-and-2 fell incomplete, and head coach Mike McCarthy opted to punt the ball away with 4:20 left on the clock and only one timeout in their pocket.
Another game.
Another 150+ yards rushing.@DJTheWarrior76 | #GBvsSEA pic.twitter.com/6AHlzKECva— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 16, 2018
Green Bay hadn’t been able to slow Seattle’s rushing attack all game, and it was the same story to close out the game.
The loss really dampens the Packers’ already dwindling playoff hopes at 4-5-1, and McCarthy is facing the brunt of the criticism for the team’s struggles. So much so that there is an increasing belief this could be McCarthy’s last year on the Packers sideline.
Odds Mike McCarthy is Head Coach of Packers in 2019
| Will McCarthy be HC of GB Week 1 of 2019 | Odds |
|---|---|
| NO | -180 |
| YES | +140 |
*Odds taken 11/17
McCarthy’s decision to punt the ball on 4th-and-2 is not the first time one of his decisions has been criticized this year.
Keeping Aaron Jones Sidelined
Mike McCarthy not featuring Aaron Jones earlier this year is like the guy who refused to watch Breaking Bad because everyone talked it up too much.
— Adam Rank (@adamrank) November 16, 2018
In spite of making the most of his limited touches after returning from suspension in Week 3, Mike McCarthy just refused to feature Aaron Jones in the GB backfield.
In Jones’ first four games of the season, he only received 36 touches even though he was averaging 5.88 yards per carry.
The last four weeks have finally seen McCarthy give Jones more opportunities, and the result has been 346 rushing yards on 52 carries (6.65 yards per carry) and 12 receptions for 100 yards (8.33 yards per reception), along with five total TDs.
It’s truly puzzling how McCarthy could justify keeping Jones off the field, especially when no other back on the roster was averaging more than 4.0 yards per carry.
Poor Play-Calling and Decision-Making
Fans and analysts aren’t the only ones who have found themselves criticizing McCarthy’s coaching over the last few seasons, as Aaron Rodgers has also taken openly taken issue with it.
Can't wait for Aaron Rodgers to give Mike McCarthy the Rock Bottom. pic.twitter.com/nsOCDVqz5R
— Mike Cole (@MikeColeNESN) September 24, 2017
Aaron Rodgers' postgame press conference was one big subliminal shot at the Packers' play-calling. pic.twitter.com/6AOymfro11
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) October 1, 2018
#Packers play-calling in 2nd half vs. Seattle some of the worst I’ve seen all year. Brutal clock and timeout management. Zero adjustments for Seattle pass rush. Zero schemed looks to Aaron Jones or MVS. GB route progressions were: 1) Davante Adams or 2) Rodgers off-schedule play.
— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) November 16, 2018
Did Mike McCarthy not see the replay? Clear no catch. Easy challenge & reversible call. #GBvsSEA #GreenBayPackers pic.twitter.com/3SZoU7YKux
— Blake Allan (@BlakeAllan93) November 16, 2018
Not sure what’s worse…Mike McCarthy only having 1 timeout at the end of the game…or Mike McCarthy choosing to punt on 4th and 2 knowing he only had 1 timeout at the end of the game.
— Cousin Sal (@TheCousinSal) November 16, 2018
Gotta believe Mike McCarthy has six games left as head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) November 16, 2018
To have only won one Super Bowl in ten years with a quarterback that too often makes throws like this look easy …
Rodgers pulls the rabbit out of the hat ?
?: FOX #GBvsSEApic.twitter.com/2Max2cPnPe
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 16, 2018
… is simply unacceptable.
Will McCarthy and the Packers Part Ways?
Although the Packers have shown some resistance to cutting the fat in the last decade – see Ted Thompson and Dom Capers – ownership knows Aaron Rodgers is nearly 35 years old and may only have a few more truly great seasons left in the tank.
They have to make the most of them, and it doesn’t appear Mike McCarthy is doing that.
I’ll take the NO for -180.
After working in TV, Matt turned his focus towards numbers, specifically odds. He has been with us since 2016 and serves as SBD's Editor-in-Chief, credited with creating our futures trackers, SBD's score predictor, SBD Sharp, and his own model for calculating NFL SOS, among other products.
