Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Packers have history of special team farces
OK, what was the biggest surprise of the Green Bay Packers’ season? The early playoff exit?
Nah.
Aaron Rodgers was immunized? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Nobody can cover Davante Adams? Nope.
The biggest surprise, shockingly, was that Maurice Drayton was still drawing checks as the special teams coach until the team onside-kicked him to the curb last Saturday.
This probably should have been done after the ill-fated blocked punt by the San Francisco 49ers. Maybe they could have at least gotten 11 guys on the field for the game-losing kick then.
“We are grateful for all that Mo brought to our team the last several seasons,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur in a release. “He is a great man who is loved by our players and coaches and contributed a lot to our success.”
Success?
The special teams certainly didn’t have anything to do with any success LaFleur thought this team had. LaFleur, by the way, was coaching the NFC in the Pro Bowl last week instead of preparing the Green and Gold for the Super Bowl.
Blame it on the Bossa Nova?
No.
Special teams, baybeeeeeee. Drayton’s units ranked 32nd in the Rick Gosselin special-teams rankings. There are 32 teams in the National Football League in case you were wondering.
Drayton, however, is the latest scapegoat in the franchise’s inability to put together a squad that is respectful.
Those old enough know there were plenty of years where they couldn’t find a guy who could kick the ball between then uprights.
Who could forget the comic stylings of Max Zendehas?
They also have had trouble finding a guy who could adeptly punt the football. And they’ve wasted high draft picks on punters who couldn’t punt.
The kick-and-punt returners have been abysmal. They haven’t had a scoring threat back there since Desmond Howard.
You may recall that Ty Montgomery wasn’t the answer.
The Packers haven’t returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 11 years, when Randall Cobb went 108 yards against the Saints.
Cobb eventually was replaced because of injury risk.
Well, the teams that are still playing use front-line guys on special teams. Not the walk-ons. There has to be some commitment to this thing. Maybe there is too little too late. An apple must have hit LaFluer in the head as he is in talks with former Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia to replace Drayton.
Bisaccia has 20 years experience as a special teams coach. And to prove he can work wonders, he led the Raiders to the playoffs after the Jon Gruden train wreck.
The Packers are sitting at home this week because of their awful special teams.
If Bisaccia is the answer, he better bring a magic wand with him.
Fearless forecast
Super Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Los Angeles Rams. Didn’t the pregame show start after Matthew Stafford took the knee against the 49ers? Speaking of Stafford, how long will it take him to break all of Jared Goff’s Super Bowl passing records? And is one of the commercials a Joe Burrow Dutch Masters spot? The Best Team Money Can Buy 34, Bengals 20.
Vinelines
Norman Chad, syndicated columnist: “I have enormous respect for Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals – and will be thrilled for them if they are NFL champions this season – but any team that loses to the New York Jets should be automatically disqualified from making the Super Bowl.”
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Bucs QB Tom Brady, to no one’s surprise, announced his retirement last week. That takes the undecided list down to Brett Favre (yes/no/yes/no/ maybe) and Aaron Rodgers (still doing his own research).”
Bears great Dick Butkus: “I think it’s great Giselle let Tom Brady retire. Hopefully she’ll let him keep Rob Gronkowski in the yard.”
Brad Dickson, comedy writer, on Supreme Court Justice Breyer calling it quits: “Man, first Stephen Breyer and now (Tom) Brady. What is it with all these 83-year-olds suddenly retiring?”
The Onion.com: “Washington Commanders primed to sign free agents after receiving $30 billion from defense budget.”
Country singer Walker Hayes after his halftime performance at the AFC Championship Game drowned out the CBS studio crew live on the sideline: “Sorry guys, next time we won’t turn it up to 11!”