Mike McCarthy and Five Other Coaches on the Hot Seat

Green Bay got out to a comfortable 14-3 lead after the first quarter of Thursday night's game in Seattle. You got arguably the best quarterback in the league in Aaron Rodgers, a defense that is shutting the Seahawks and their offensive line down, and a comfortable lead. What could go wrong? Mike McCarthy is what went wrong.

Questionable play calling and a quiet offense in the second half led Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to come back and pull off a 27-24 victory, leaving the Pack in a deeper hole. Granted, Green Bay has had a difficult schedule with tilts in Washington, Los Angeles, and Foxboro. However, McCarthy's shortcomings are nothing new. Remember the 2014 NFC Championship game when the Packers also had a comfortable lead in that game? They lost that game (that was also in Seattle). The Packers have a hard time playing in Seattle, but that is hardly the point. Green Bay has also had difficulties with teams like San Francisco and New York (Giants) in the playoffs as well.

When your franchise is blessed with not one, but two, once-in-a-generation quarterbacks, you're expected to win more than two Super Bowls. Unfortunately, the Packers met some stiff competition and dynasties during Brett Favre's time (i.e. the Cowboys, 49ers, Patriots, and Broncos). But Aaron Rodgers' time is less excusable. A failure to build a competent team around Rodgers has only yielded one Super Bowl for the Packers during Rodgers's career. I mean, Joe Flacco has as many Super Bowl victories as Rodgers does (now that is inexcusable). ELI MANNING has more Super Bowl wins than Aaron Rodgers (that is even more inexcusable). They relegated Ted Thompson to the padded room with a strait jacket as a result. The defense also wasn't getting the most when it was necessary. Dom Capers was let go as a result. But none of these go back to McCarthy putting the weight of the world on Aaron Rodgers's shoulders. After all, Rodgers doesn't play defense.

Until Green Bay realizes that McCarthy's shortcomings are hurting the team, Rodgers will just be stuck with his one Super Bowl. That is unfortunate since a man of extraordinary talent should have more than one Super Bowl. McCarthy may not be the only one who should be given the pink slip.

• Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals: How does a head coach still stay with a team for 15+ years despite never winning a playoff game (0-7 career record in the playoffs)? Does Lewis have nude photos of the owner or something?
• Todd Bowles, New York Jets: The Jets may not fire Bowles now. But they do need a change of direction again with a young team.
• Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quarterback controversies and mediocrity have the Buccaneers thinking about canning their coach. Will they ever get it right?
• Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys: Like Green Bay, a franchise's great legacy is being wasted by mundane coaching. Who punts on fourth and one inside the opponent's territory?
• Jon Gruden, Oakland Raiders: I mean, he just got a good deal to return to Oakland. But he cannot be serious about this tanking thing, especially if his first-round draft picks do not work out.