Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson: I thought we'd be better

Ted Thompson never has been one to ride the emotional roller coaster of an NFL season.

[wal0645]

Folks that dislike TT will jump all over this one!!! Looking at where we'd be at this point, most thought we would probably be 3-1, but the Bengals have turned out to be better than advertised. The thing about the 1st quarter of the season is to find out where your strengths and weaknesses are, make adjustments, then have it together come Nov/Dec as you make that run for the playoffs. We haven't dug that deep a hole that we can't climb out. I still believe this is a playoff caliber team and it will be proven as the season progresses.

[eric]

3-1 was a legit thought,although i thought we would be 4-0 but it wasn't to be. Cinny was better then folks thought and Minn is a div game so you never know.
Now again you are right,and we have a bye so that makes it easier.Its time to make adjustments and get it together and since we start with Detroit,Minn,then we have TB,SF which will be tough even at home,the Packers should win a nice group of games here and put them selves in a decent spot,we still have Pitts,Baltimore Seattle but they are all winnable as well oh yes Cleveland coming up as well,
Detroit,Cleveland,Minn,TB so if GB wins 4 of them then thats 6-2,and even if GB lost one of them thats 5-3,point is the schedule (even though its the NFL) isnt that bad the first few weeks after the bye,so coach Mc. should have them together and on a roll before the stretch and Playoff run.The string of wins should instill confidence but hopefully not overconfidence as they really shouldn't be overconfident about anything.

[GBPfan]

Big suprise! Ted Thompson thought wrong, again. I have to say this about TT: He's consistent. Consistently bad, wrong and incompetent.

BTW eric, I'm pretty sure that overconfidence is the least of Packer concerns right now. I do admire the ability to blind yourself. How do you do it? If it involves needles, count me out.

[bandz]

I posted this on the Bleacher Report, but will repost it here as there should be some different readers.[Hey!, maybe even TT will read it!]

I've suggested this elsewhere, but I think it's worth posting here. Would one solution to the defenseive problems be to move Aaron Kampman back to his old DE position? He's a proven pass rusher as a DE, and surely Dom Capers can figure out how to employ a DE as a pass rusher in the 3-4 defense. The Packers would not suffer unduly at LB as they would have Barnett and Hawk [ILBs] and Matthews and Chillar [OLBs] with decent backups in Bishop [ILB] and Poppinga [OLB].

Hopefully, they can resign Mark Tauscher, and that he will still be able to perform at OT as well as he did in 2008 prior to his injury. With Clifton healthy again, that should help both the run blocking and pass protection.

If Bigbe is healthy again, that will help in pass defense. I still fault whoever made the decision to cut Anthony Smith! That was flat-out DUMB. Likewise, the decision to cut Tyrell Sutton who would have made a perfect complement to spell Ryan Grant at RB. Opponents would then have had to prepare for two different kinds of runners, wherea now they can just prepare to stop a one dimensional Packer ground attack. Is there any way they could make a trade to get Sutton back? If not, I think Kregg Lumpkin would be a better option than Wynn who is virtually useless. And who knows how long it will be before Jackson is ever healthy enough to play?

I've suggested this elsewhere, but I think it's worth posting here. Would one solution to the defenseive problems be to move Aaron Kampman back to his old DE position? He's a proven pass rusher as a DE, and surely Dom Capers can figure out how to employ a DE as a pass rusher in the 3-4 defense. The Packers would not suffer unduly at LB as they would have Barnett and Hawk [ILBs] and Matthews and Chillar [OLBs] with decent backups in Bishop [ILB] and Poppinga [OLB].

Hopefully, they can resign Mark Tauscher, and that he will still be able to perform at OT as well as he did in 2008 prior to his injury. With Clifton healthy again, that should help both the run blocking and pass protection.

If Bigbe is healthy again, that will help in pass defense. I still fault whoever made the decision to cut Anthony Smith! That was flat-out DUMB. Likewise, the decision to cut Tyrell Sutton who would have made a perfect complement to spell Ryan Grant at RB. Opponents would then have had to prepare for two different kinds of runners, wherea now they can just prepare to stop a one dimensional Packer ground attack. Is there any way they could make a trade to get Sutton back? If not, I think Kregg Lumpkin would be a better option than Wynn who is virtually useless. And who knows how long it will be before Jackson is ever healthy enough to play?

[bandz]

Sorry! Don't know why the prebvious post was doubled up.

[Al Harding]

It might be interesting to see how many good o-lineman were available in the draft when we picked the dough-boy harrell or the receiver nelson that we most certainly did not need. That was tt's job and he has failed miserably. I want to know what he has done in the draft that anyone out there counl not have done. He is nothing but a loser. cut the cord now. All he was doing was waiting for the big paycheck and favre got it for him.

[eric]

GBPfan wrote:

Big suprise! Ted Thompson thought wrong, again. I have to say this about TT: He's consistent. Consistently bad, wrong and incompetent.
BTW eric, I'm pretty sure that overconfidence is the least of Packer concerns right now. I do admire the ability to blind yourself. How do you do it? If it involves needles, count me out.

GBP ive read my post over again,,exactly where do you think ive 'blind myself' i think its legit,a Win over Detroit,then Cleleland both teams aren't as good as us.Minn will be a dog fight and i think we should win it as we are home,and TB,SF so there are many winnable games to instill confidence and get us on a winning streak.
as for your admiration,,thank you.

[Ross]

Al Harding wrote:

It might be interesting to see how many good o-lineman were available in the draft when we picked the dough-boy harrell or the receiver nelson that we most certainly did not need. That was tt's job and he has failed miserably. I want to know what he has done in the draft that anyone out there counl not have done. He is nothing but a loser. cut the cord now. All he was doing was waiting for the big paycheck and favre got it for him.

Al,
I totally agree with you. You couldn't have said it better. Thompson will not open his wallet to get us good free agents that could help us. I honestly believe him and others involved are getting huge "incentives" for keeping the player cost as low as possible. Like I said before, the stands at Lambeau will always be filled, so who cares if they win as long as the cash keeps coming in. He elected to give a very mediocre RB (Grant) a nice contract and then decided we will get by on what we have for linemen to compensate for his contract. He is a very poor judge of players in the draft. What has Radji done so far for us? I can't believe he didn't go for any decent offensive linemen! We need to get rid of him bad. The only problem is, we have to go higher than him because those people are in support of his penny-pinching business practices. I honestly don't see us going better than 8-8 this season. All the easier games are now and the beefy part of the schedule starts in 3 weeks. We got Detroit, Cleveland Away and Minnesota. I'll be very generous and give them 2 wins in that stretch. Then we have Tampa Away, Dallas and San Francisco. I'll be generous and give them one victory in that stretch. Then we are at an improved Detroit team for Turkey Day, Baltimore at home and Chicago in Windy City. Again, I can't see them winning more than one of those games. Then we are at Pittsburgh, Seattle at home and last game in Arizona. I only see one win coming out of that stretch also. So let's do the arithmetic and add up their W's. 2 already, 2 more to come in next 3 games, then 1 W, then 1 more W and then 1 more W in final 3 game stretch. That total comes up to 7-9. I'll be really nice and take my happy pills and put on my Green & Gold glasses and give them one more W for a mediocre 8-8. How does that sound!

[Danger D]

Here’s the lineup for the Packers, given their current poor level of play:

Should win: Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Arizona

Tossup: Dallas, Seattle

Should not win: Minnesota, San Francisco, Baltimore, Chicago, Pittsburgh

I see that as 8-8 if we don’t get any better, mainly thanks to a soft schedule. We’d probably lose one to someone we should beat and surprise someone we shouldn’t, like Minnesota or San Francisco. You could maybe move Arizona to the “tossup” category, but I consider them a “Should win” myself.

If you don’t subscribe to the “we can’t improve” camp, 10-6 isn’t out of the question. The nice thing is that the teams that had the potential to be powerhouses when the schedule came out (Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Dallas), aren’t dominant this year. And the bad teams are still bad.

We should beat Detroit, then Cleveland (if not, I’ll just crawl in a hole and cry until next year). So we’re 4-2 going into the Minnesota rematch at home. Yes we sucked last week, but the fact is we played horribly, at a difficult road venue, in one of the most emotional games in NFL history, against a rival that always plays the Packers tough, with a depleted line and an opponent basically at full strength, and lost by 7 points (don’t give me that garbage-time points argument, the Vikings D coordinator making crappy calls is no better an excuse than me saying the Packers D coordinator should have blitzed more). It’s possible to defend home field against them.

That equals momentum, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

The Packers are not what we had hoped they would be. But they could still be good (not great) if they catch a few breaks.

[Danger D]

Ross, can you tell me with a straight face that you didn’t think Raji was a good pickup on draft day? And are you really dubbing him a bad pick after the 4th game, when he’s had a sprained ankle?

Yes, we knew the O line was thin, but the defense was our biggest concern, and I can’t really complain about this year’s draft. Matthews looks like he’ll be a stud, and Raji has shown flashes of what is to come. Now Harrell, OK. Bust.

The Packers are struggling, but come on. Let’s focus on the real problems rather than overreacting here. Is it really “generous” to say we can beat Detroit and Cleveland? Are we that terrible, having lost to two teams with a combined record of 9-1? I think we should expect to beat the worst teams in the league. Sure we could get beat, but do you really expect to lose? That’s sad.

Right now we’re average with a decent ceiling.

[GBPfan]

eric wrote:

<quoted text>GBP ive read my post over again,,exactly where do you think ive 'blind myself' i think its legit,a Win over Detroit,then Cleleland both teams aren't as good as us.Minn will be a dog fight and i think we should win it as we are home,and TB,SF so there are many winnable games to instill confidence and get us on a winning streak.
as for your admiration,,thank you.

The "overconfidence" comment. I can't understand how anybody can see that as a problem right now.

I agree that the Packers have many winnable games. Of course, the Packers had many, many winnable games over the last five seasons and failed to win. TT has not destroyed my hopes. However he has destroyed my confidence. I'm sure that he also has destroyed the Packers confidence to the point where "overconfidence" really isn't a problem for the players. Just another reason I want the guy outta here.

[eric]

They thought they should win against Cin.Bengals to a point they were overconfident and they lost. Im talking about stringing some wins together and get the confidence level up and get on a roll

[wal0645]

The two teams we lost to were better teams. We have some issues as everyone knows mainly because we thought certain guys would perform and that has not happened. I'm referring primarily to the offensive line. Both TT/MM thought this group would be pretty good based on how they performed in preseason; they did look good then. Of course the regular season is a different story, but what bothers me the most is moving all these folks around when one player goes down. We have not done that at other positions so it shows we don't have depth in the o-linemen. The scary thing is we may not have talent there either. That is what it will down to in the end; can these guys perform??? Their performance probably will determine TT/MM's fate in GB.

[normallylikeyell ow]

I agree with Ted. I thought we'd be better too. So far, we aren't.

[GBPfan]

Danger D wrote:

Here’s the lineup for the Packers, given their current poor level of play:
Should win: Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Arizona
Tossup: Dallas, Seattle
Should not win: Minnesota, San Francisco, Baltimore, Chicago, Pittsburgh
I see that as 8-8 if we don’t get any better, mainly thanks to a soft schedule. We’d probably lose one to someone we should beat and surprise someone we shouldn’t, like Minnesota or San Francisco. You could maybe move Arizona to the “tossup” category, but I consider them a “Should win” myself.
If you don’t subscribe to the “we can’t improve” camp, 10-6 isn’t out of the question. The nice thing is that the teams that had the potential to be powerhouses when the schedule came out (Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Dallas), aren’t dominant this year. And the bad teams are still bad.
We should beat Detroit, then Cleveland (if not, I’ll just crawl in a hole and cry until next year). So we’re 4-2 going into the Minnesota rematch at home. Yes we sucked last week, but the fact is we played horribly, at a difficult road venue, in one of the most emotional games in NFL history, against a rival that always plays the Packers tough, with a depleted line and an opponent basically at full strength, and lost by 7 points (don’t give me that garbage-time points argument, the Vikings D coordinator making crappy calls is no better an excuse than me saying the Packers D coordinator should have blitzed more). It’s possible to defend home field against them.
That equals momentum, and there’s a lot to be said for that.
The Packers are not what we had hoped they would be. But they could still be good (not great) if they catch a few breaks.

As you say, things could go either way. However, you have made a fair assessment at this point in the season. It feels like deja vous to me. After the first quarter season has passed, the Packer season feels questionable. If history repeats itself, our hopes will be crushed. I am sick and tired of hoping for good, not great. Is this what every season is going to be? After four, six or eight games we're all forced to lower our expectations in order to consider the season a success. I'm sorry, I had enough of that in the seventies and eighties. This way of thinking is part of a "culture of losing" that TT has brought to Green Bay, and it needs to go!

[Fed up with Ted]

Of course Ted would think the team should be better. These are his draft picks. "Build through the draft",says Ted.
Should the Pack loose to Detroit, Mark Murphy should be looking for his replacement Mui Pronto.
Ted has to GO for the sake of humanity.

[Ross]

Danger D wrote:

Ross, can you tell me with a straight face that you didn’t think Raji was a good pickup on draft day? And are you really dubbing him a bad pick after the 4th game, when he’s had a sprained ankle?
Yes, we knew the O line was thin, but the defense was our biggest concern, and I can’t really complain about this year’s draft. Matthews looks like he’ll be a stud, and Raji has shown flashes of what is to come. Now Harrell, OK. Bust.
The Packers are struggling, but come on. Let’s focus on the real problems rather than overreacting here. Is it really “generous” to say we can beat Detroit and Cleveland? Are we that terrible, having lost to two teams with a combined record of 9-1? I think we should expect to beat the worst teams in the league. Sure we could get beat, but do you really expect to lose? That’s sad.
Right now we’re average with a decent ceiling.

Hi Danger D,
I respect your opinion and realize there are many good people like you not so quick to give up. That may be a fault of mine. One thing about the internet, we can be as honest or dishonest as we like. Right now I prefer honesty. The answer to Raji. He wasn't my pick but I still thought he was a decent pick for as much as we needed help on our DL. He has been a dissapointment to me as he has shown good power but no speed. Speed kills! To be truly great you need both and not a cocky mouth. I don't know if you heard the comment he made about Tauscher, asking who's the maintenance man when he showed up. It may have to do with his ankle injury. Let's hope so. I would have went for another weapon for Rodgers and took Michael Crabtree. WR's like him don't come around that often and he will take the 49ers a long ways. I really do like Clay Mathews but come on, did we really need another linebacker that bad with the studs we already have? My favorite CHILLER!!! That guy is one awesome crazy dude! I think we could have got a very good offensive lineman in place of Mathews in the early second round by not trading to move up like we did and we would have had an extra 3rd round pick to get more help. A very good DL to fill Raji's place could have been gotten in free agency if Thompson wasn't so tight. Imagine the team we could have had this year with Rodgers, Crabtree, Driver, Jennings, Jones and Finley and most importantly a line that would protect Rodgers. We could have been real good but right now we have some major problems. Woodson is even coming out and talking about Thompson. The Packers are not a very cohesive team right now thanks to TT and company. They have talent but Thompson continuously refuses to make the move to take them to the next level. Watchout this week. Everyone is taking Detroit so lightly as a easy Packer victory after the Mighty McCarthy motivation speech. We will soon see :) I am picking Detroit to win this Sunday. I agree with you and others that say it is very sad to root for your team to lose because you want a coaching change so bad and prove you are right. I would rather see us go 8-8 or less and see TT and MM driven out of Titletown than see us go 9-7, being a wildcard tuneup for one of the better teams and seeing McCarthy and Thompson staying longer condemning our team to mediocrity. Is that really so bad?

[GBPfan]

If the Packers went into the last game 8-7 and need the win to make the playoffs, it would be wrong to wish for a loss. But if I found out after the season that 9-7 versus 8-8 helped TT and MM keep their jobs, I would be pissed. Five years to end up with a cumulative .500 record and you get to keep your job? Five years to notch up a 9-7 record? The Packers were 10-6 the year before TT took over! Let's hope the Packers aren't foolish enough to keep rewarding failure. No fan is wrong to expect meaningful improvement. If TT merely improves from the disaster he created last year, it doesn't mean anything.

[guy in county]

GBPfan wrote:

If the Packers went into the last game 8-7 and need the win to make the playoffs, it would be wrong to wish for a loss. But if I found out after the season that 9-7 versus 8-8 helped TT and MM keep their jobs, I would be pissed. Five years to end up with a cumulative .500 record and you get to keep your job? Five years to notch up a 9-7 record? The Packers were 10-6 the year before TT took over! Let's hope the Packers aren't foolish enough to keep rewarding failure. No fan is wrong to expect meaningful improvement. If TT merely improves from the disaster he created last year, it doesn't mean anything.

ANYTHING that helps MM, TT, and Murphy (he should go too) keep their jobs is a tragic thing. These guys, the brain trust, are horrible. Consistantly making wrong decisions, from personnel to play calling. I hate to root for a loss, but this year we have the situation presenting itself to boot these clowns out. There are quality, proven winners out there, Shanahan, Billick, Gruden, Dungy, Holmgren that have all won at least one SB. MM and TT are 500 guys at best it seems and they have had long enough to prove it.
What blows my mind is TT signing Tauscher and Green now. Now it is ok to have older guys with experience? I like both of those guys but if BF wasn't the answer then neither of these are either. They must have come cheaply. TT does not value anything other than his salary cap. It shows in the record. Murphy must approve that. I am a shareholder, along with a lot of other people, we can't make money on the team so why do we care if they are under the cap or not? Saving money for a rainy day when? Winning now is the only important thing, to distort Vince's phrase.

[Jerry]

They're are called fair weather fans. When things go right, they jump on the bandwagon. When things go wrong, no one knows anything but them.

At the end of the 2006 season, I heard the same old complaints about Ted Thompson. At the end of the 2007 season (13-3), I heard nothing but great things about Ted and Mike.

Some fans don't seem to know how the salary cap is managed. The teams must spend it or lose it, it's that simple. That don't get to put it in the bank.

Some have suggested these guys as a possible new HC. Billick, Gruden and Shanahan were fired. Dungy will not coach again by choice, and Holmgren will not leave the west coast for family reasons. It's way too early to talk about a coaching change. Besides it's unlikely McCarthy and/or Ted are going anywhere given the recent extensions of their contracts. The Packers will not spend that kind of money for buyouts.