Waiting for the yellow flag

A scout we talked to in February was stunned when Mike McCarthy chose Shawn Slocum to coordinate the special teams after Mike Stock retired at the end of last season. “I just don’t get it,” he said. “With so many proven coaches out there, it makes no sense to hire the guy who worked for the guy who produced one lousy unit after another for the past two decades. Look, maybe Slocum will do a great job now that he’s the one calling the shots, but I simply wouldn’t take that gamble. The Packers – and McCarthy – have way too much riding on this season.” This sentiment came from an expert, but it was hardly unique. The vast majority of opinions from fans and media members ranged from skeptical to bewilderment. And nine games into the season, it looks as if skepticism was apropos because the special teams have often look bewildered.

There’s no question that losing Will Blackmon, Jordy Nelson, Brett Swain and Korey Hall has hurt, but that’s hardly a legitimate excuse for what has happened all too often his season. “The game against Tampa Bay was very telling,” said the scout. “There were terrible punts, penalties on returns, missed tackles in coverage and blown assignments in all areas. And while a lot of that is on the individual players, you can’t look past the coaching. In my opinion, an experienced teacher like Scott O’Brien (hired by the Patriots last February) would’ve been a perfect fit for a unit that relies on so many young players.”

With things crumbling around him, Slocum decided to use a few more starters on special teams in last week’s win over Dallas. That helped – at least for one game. “The punting, penalties and returns weren’t much better against the Cowboys, but the coverage units were vastly improved,” said the scout. “And while most teams don’t want to expose key players to such hazardous duty, I’m not sure if Slocum had a choice. Green Bay isn’t good enough on offense or defense to compensate for losing the field position battle every Sunday.” Few teams are, and that’s why McCarthy should’ve looked beyond his comfort zone when hiring a replacement for Stock.