Packers fire McCarthy after loss to Cardinals
The Green Bay Packers fired coach Mike McCarthy and made offensive coordinator Joe Philbin the interim head coach shortly after a stunning 20-17 loss on Sunday to the Arizona Cardinals, dropping Green Bay to 4-7-1.
Zane Gonzalez kicked a 44-yard field goal with 1:41 left before Green Bay’s Mason Crosby missed a 49-yard attempt as time expired.
Then the Packer s announced McCarthy’s dismissal following the postgame availabilities with the media.
Team president Mark Murphy, in a statement, said the 2018 season “has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers. As a result, I made the difficult decision to relieve Mike McCarthy of his role as head coach, effective immediately.”
McCarthy was in his 13th season as coach. The Packers won the Super Bowl under McCarthy in the 2010 season. He finishes with a record of 125-77-2.
McCarthy shook up his coaching staff this season, including bringing Philbin back as offensive coordinator and hiring Mike Pettine to replace Dom Capers as defensive coordinator. Different problems emerged.
This year, quarterback Aaron Rodgers hurt his left knee in the season opener, though he is feeling better now. Receivers Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison have missed time with injuries. The same issues kept popping up for the offense, most glaringly, empty third downs and a lack of explosive plays.
Cobb’s return on Sunday didn’t help, with the Packers just 3 of 14 on third downs.
The opening play of the fourth quarter was a perfect example of Green Bay’s offensive struggles. Rodgers found Cobb for a 36-yard completion on third-and-11, but the play was wiped out by a holding penalty on right tackle Jason Spriggs.
The offensive players, Rodgers said, bear blame for whatever happens in the future.
“Yeah, a lot probably,” he said. “We haven’t played very well.”
PANTHERS LOSE OLSEN >> If the Carolina Panthers are going to pull out of a frustrating tailspin, they’ll have to do it without Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen re-injured his right foot during Sunday’s 2417 loss to Tampa Bay. It’s Olsen’s third injury to the same foot. He missed nine games last season with a broken foot and had surgery but returned to play. Then he broke it again this year.
KAEPERNICK HONORED >> DeAndre Hopkins said he arrived to Houston’s game against Cleveland on Sunday in a No. 7 jersey bearing the hashtag “IMWITHKAP” to support Colin Kaepernick and his protests of social and racial injustice because: “he’s standing up for what’s right.”
RUN TOM, RUN >> Tom Brady reached another milestone in New England’s 24-10 win over Minnesota: 1,000 yards rushing in his career. He hit the mark on a 5-yard scramble in the first quarter. He slid to a stop, popped to his knee and signaled for a first down. It took Brady 19 years and 265 games to reach the milestone the most by a player since the merger.