Packers Find Scapegoat, Fire ST Coordinator

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum has been released from his duties with theGreen Bay Packers, head coach Mike McCarthy announced Friday afternoon.

Slocum just completed his ninth year with the Packers this past season, but after allowing seven blocked kicks along with other frustrating miscues, McCarthy made the tough decision to let him go. The Dallas Morning News also ranked the unit 32nd in their annual rankings.

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2015/1/30/7954547/shawn-slocum-fired-packers-release-special-teams-coordinator

 

He's been one of the worst ST coordinators in football in his decade here... This is long overdue. Feels more like Mike looking for a scapegoat though, because as stated.. He's been bad for a decade, and Mike has always defended him.

 

The two are like best friends, they've known each other for 25 some years going back to Mike's time at Pitt... Oh well, he will not be missed by me. Sorry you had to take the fall though, you definitely don't deserve that level of blame.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Favre4Ever

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

He has always been bad and our ST has always been bad but this year was the worst. The amount of blocks that we gave up was absurd. Fully support this move.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I think it speaks poorly on Mike McCarthy that it took one of the worst playoff collapses in NFL history to finally fire the guy.

[badgers 380]

Good move but... Counter idea: what exactly does this fix? We didn't lose games because of special teams errors. Not that I recall at least.

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

But have always been below average in special teams and this past season, we were ranked dead last. That's pathetic...

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Good move but... Counter idea: what exactly does this fix? We didn't lose games because of special teams errors. Not that I recall at least.

Bad coaching on the Fake FG and not being ready for it... Bad coaching led to Brandon not being disciplined enough to follow his assignment on the onside kick.

 

NO means do I blame just Shawn or the ST, especially because the KO Return coverage was EXCELLENT. Maybe the only good thing our team did from beginning to finish. Like I said, it should have happened years ago.. But other than getting rid of AJ Hawk and Brad Jones, this is one of the more impactful things we could have done this offseason, IMO.

[badgers 380]

But have always been below average in special teams and this past season, we were ranked dead last. That's pathetic...

 

I'm not defending keeping Slocum I wanted him gone too. All I'm getting at is that I don't think a change in special teams coordinator is what's going to get this team from yearly playoff disappointment to champions.

 

Bad coaching on the Fake FG and not being ready for it... Bad coaching led to Brandon not being disciplined enough to follow his assignment on the onside kick.

 

NO means do I blame just Shawn or the ST, especially because the KO Return coverage was EXCELLENT. Maybe the only good thing our team did from beginning to finish. Like I said, it should have happened years ago.. But other than getting rid of AJ Hawk and Brad Jones, this is one of the more impactful things we could have done this offseason, IMO.

 

Yeah this year in the NFCCG there were definitely instances where ST let us down. However our kicking and returning was excellent.

 

Something I also consider though with the situations you mentioned: Obviously Slocum is partially to blame. But we've ragged on Hawk and Jones for years. They're just as shit on defense as they are on special teams. At what point do you realize it's the players, not the coaches that need to change? I think that's slowly becoming apparent at least on the defensive end. For two years now we've been slowly improving and why's that, it's because our personnel on defense has been improving and those players (Hawk and Jones) have been reduced to minimal playing time.

 

 

 

In any case I don't mean to seem like I'm arguing, I'm just trying to produce discussion of the topic. I fully agree with firing Slocum for the reasons pointed out, in that we're just shit on that regard every year except once I believe. My main point is that I'm just a bit wary that this change in coaching staff will actually have much of an impact on our performance at the end of the year.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Oh ya, there are some players that need to be shown the door. Ted Thompson has had a massive crush on AJ Hawk since before he was a pro. I think that is changing, or has changed... I am really hoping we just dump them both and revamp that position completely. I don't even want those guys hanging around on the bench in case the coaches feel nostalgic and want to throw them in there. Yuck...