I do agree that Drayton was never given a great long snapper, holder, or return man. The other thing that I think needs to change is the kicker. Crosby had a bad year. I’m sure plenty of had to do with the snapper/holder. However, I wish he was able to kick it out of the end zone consistently.
Hello Houston, be informed, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS!!!
@DocBenni posted:Thank god! Now all of the X4 hand wringing can end. Was there really any doubt MLF wasn’t going to do it? He’s moved on from other coaches when they didn’t perform. Going through a process and not completely embarrassing a colleague (by firing him immediately after the game) is what a good leader does. I assume incoming candidates will take notice of how it was handled.
Quit being so mature, LOL. Of course it was the proper way to go about letting Mo go, but it would have felt so great to see his ass get canned right after the game for most of us fans.
@DocBenni posted:Thank god! Now all of the X4 hand wringing can end. Was there really any doubt MLF wasn’t going to do it? He’s moved on from other coaches when they didn’t perform. Going through a process and not completely embarrassing a colleague (by firing him immediately after the game) is what a good leader does. I assume incoming candidates will take notice of how it was handled.
What are these "incoming candidates" you speak of?
You mean the Pack is not going to just promote Mo's assistant coach the way they did with Slocum ... and Zook ... and Mo himself?
The Packers ST coordinator is like the drummer for Spinal Tap. Or is it the Dark Arts teacher? Either way, who coaches in the Pro Bowl now?
Will the Saints ST coach be available now with a new coach coming in? The Shadow wants to know
@DocBenni posted:I do agree that Drayton was never given a great long snapper, holder, or return man. The other thing that I think needs to change is the kicker. Crosby had a bad year. I’m sure plenty of had to do with the snapper/holder. However, I wish he was able to kick it out of the end zone consistently.
I agree with that too, it didn't help with his ineptness at coaching. I think it's time to find some competition at kicker though.
The bar is low...fans are not asking for the #1 ST unit in the league...we are just asking for FG/XP and P to be blocked cleanly and consistently.
There are teams that go years without having anything blocked...Packers have had several over the last 3-4 years.
And the returners don't need to be the second coming of Desmond Howard, just need them to know when to return and when to stay in the endzone or fair catch. It would also be nice to have kickoff and punt return coverage that doesn't allow huge returns on just about every kick.
@DocBenni posted:I do agree that Drayton was never given a great long snapper, holder, or return man. The other thing that I think needs to change is the kicker. Crosby had a bad year. I’m sure plenty of had to do with the snapper/holder. However, I wish he was able to kick it out of the end zone consistently.
Those were problems, but his units got destroyed multiple times almost solely based on schemes. Crosby's FG at the end of the first half had no chance. The only way it was going through the uprights was if it was kicked hard enough to carry that guy that blocked it over the uprights with it.
@Chongo posted:The bar is low...fans are not asking for the #1 ST unit in the league...we are just asking for FG/XP and P to be blocked cleanly and consistently.
There are teams that go years without having anything blocked...Packers have had several over the last 3-4 years.
It's also not like the teams they were facing had Devin Hester, Desmond Howard, or Gale Sayers returning kicks. The Niners had some of the worst special teams units in the league. I think they were ranked 26th. Normally, they go into games trying not to screw up, but even they were licking their chops to go after the Packers STs (which is what Aikman said Shanahan told him in their pregame meetings).
@Blair Kiel posted:If I had a nickel.
You'd nickel in the morning, you'd nickel in the evening, all over this land?
@Harry Manback posted:I agree with that too, it didn't help with his ineptness at coaching. I think it's time to find some competition at kicker though.
He's been on the PS all year. They don't have to look far.
Glad Pack made the move before Flores went public with his NFL lawsuit. Ugly.
This is step 1 in a long offseason. Wake me up when Adams gets hit with the tag or Rodgers is signed / dealt.
@packerboi posted:I updated the thread title. And agree, hell, the fact that 10!!!! players were on the damn field on the last and most important part of the game was fireable in and of itself.
Not Mo's fault. He had King Kekesley penciled in and the guy didn't show.
@DocBenni posted:I do agree that Drayton was never given a great long snapper, holder, or return man.
He was also denied a great special teams coaching mind. Poor guy. The odds were against him.
@Packiderm posted:Will the Saints ST coach be available now with a new coach coming in? The Shadow wants to know
That’s Rizzi. According to the interwebs he’s interviewing for the Saints’ HC job this week.
"Oh, St. Vince,
Accept this sacrifice for atonement and bestow your blessings upon this team!
In Bart's name we pray
Amen".
Rizzi feels like a pipe dream...an experienced NFL ST coach is preferred, but I have no issues if they bring in a guy who has been an assistant with a historically good ST squad like Randy Brown from the Ravens or Tracy Smith from Seattle
or go get one of the top guys in college like Iowa's LeVar Woods who pretty much has his squad in the top 10 annually...not some slapdick like Mennenga who wasn't even in the top 10 in the SEC when he was hired.
This isn't as hard as the Packers seem to make it for the last decade.
I am with a lot of you having a #1 rated special teams would be awesome but I honestly will take something that resembles functional special teams. In today's NFL with how close the games usually are and especially in the playoffs you cannot have your special teams losing the game like that.
So now moving on to another chapter and hoping they can find someone who can filly get this thing back on track.
Kudos to MLF and the Front Office for making this change during the Bye week so we don't have late-season or even worse Playoff-ending Special Teams debacles.
I don't think the Bears have a chance against us next week, especially with AR and crew coming off a Bye that we....
wait... what month is it?
Shit.
As I said Mo had to be fired but FO didn't give him what he needed for success. That makes it a tough sell for new ST Coach. Is the commitment there? What success is there to build on?
No talented Kick Returner/Punt Returner. Maybe KR K Hill returns from injury and/or lights go on for PR Atari in 2nd year. Or sign David Moore from practice squad, but he's had muff/fumbling issues in past too.
Aging kicker with one of his worst seasons, replace?
Good punter who is below average holder, replace?
Replacement long snapper too small, replace.
Poor blocking for FGs and punts, several blocked, source?
Poor kickoff and return coverage, big returns given up. Draft/sign ST ace or 2?
Bonus: Cold weather stadium.
But new ST coach will likely have free rein and if they are able to produce middle of the pack special teams play they will be labeled a big success.
This should be an easy sell. Dude that comes in will look like a jeenious if he brings any competency.
@GreenBayLA posted:As I said Mo had to be fired but FO didn't give him what he needed for success. That makes it a tough sell for new ST Coach. Is the commitment there? What success is there to build on?
No talented Kick Returner/Punt Returner. Maybe KR K Hill returns from injury and/or lights go on for PR Atari in 2nd year. Or sign David Moore from practice squad, but he's had muff/fumbling issues in past too.
Aging kicker with one of his worst seasons, replace?
Good punter who is below average holder, replace?
Replacement long snapper too small, replace.
Poor blocking for FGs and punts, several blocked, source?
Poor kickoff and return coverage, big returns given up. Draft/sign ST ace or 2?
Bonus: Cold weather stadium.
But new ST coach will likely have free rein and if they are able to produce middle of the pack special teams play they will be labeled a big success.
Good points, GBLA, but a competent ST coach should at least get us back to not blowing games.
The Packers could literally hire anyone, or anything, and the odds are that they’ll be more successful next year than Drayton’s squad this past season. A Woolworths mannequin would have an almost 97% chance of showing an improvement. They could not have a coach at all and let the players take turns scheming ST’s plays and would do no worse than this year. They could put the 9 lightest guys in on FG attempts or the ten fattest guys on KOs and be no worse statistically on STs than this past year.
Thats how bad they were.
Not to be a dick but goaline was in favor of keeping Drayton. Wait I think someone else signed on as goal line…..
Special teams have been horrible for years and the idea that simply replacing Drayton is the answer is silly. Packers had bad special teams the year they won the SB and were just fortunate it didn't cost them (unlike 2014 and this year).
Over the past 17 seasons, the Packers finished dead last in special teams rankings five times — in 2005, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2021. Green Bay also finished between 26th and 31st six other times — in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019 and 2020.
If we hire someone that can get us to consistent top 20 - that fucker will get a street.
There goes another good candidate. https://t.co/PIhRjo2GEj
— Michael Rodney (@PackersNotes) February 3, 2022
@michiganjoe posted:Special teams have been horrible for years and the idea that simply replacing Drayton is the answer is silly. Packers had bad special teams the year they won the SB and were just fortunate it didn't cost them (unlike 2014 and this year).
So the FO should really work on getting better "core STers". Otherwise firing Drayton and actually hiring a competent ST coach is the only answer.
@13X posted:Not to be a dick but goaline was in favor of keeping Drayton. Wait I think someone else signed on as goal line…..
Don't be a dick, 13X. 
I was in favor of keeping him. His special teams were so bad I was hoping it would force MLF to pass up FG's and punts and go for 4th downs at every opportunity. Now he's gone and I am sad.
@michiganjoe posted:Over the past 17 seasons, the Packers finished dead last in special teams rankings five times — in 2005, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2021. Green Bay also finished between 26th and 31st six other times — in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019 and 2020.
That is ABYSMAL! Yikes! It is almost as if they were doing it on purpose.