Green Bay Packers Lose Again, Fire Mike McCarthy

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The lowly Arizona Cardinals pulled off a 20-17 upset at Lambeau Field that was so much a stunner that the Green Bay Packers fired coach Mike McCarthy after the game. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was promoted to interim head coach.

The 2016 Packers opened 4-6 but won eight straight to reach the NFC championship game, but the team was 7-9 last year and has fallen to 4-7-1 this season. The offense, even with Aaron Rodgers, has stagnated. The secondary, as it is pretty much every year, is ravaged by injuries. The offensive line is a mess more often than it is a plus.

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.”

The deeper problems in Green Bay stem from years of injuries to key players, particularly on defense, that approach an epidemic. Is players’ health not being vetted properly before they join the team? Are they not diagnosed or treated properly when they get hurt? Is it bad luck?

Packer fans get another chance to cheer on their team on December 9 when Green Bay hosts Atlanta.

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