Yeah depending on how things shake out, that final game with the Bears and Packers could be for a playoff spot. Same with Tampa/New Orleans (if ATL beats the Saints)

Get your popcorn ready.

My question for Packers Fan: Are you guys sure that McCarthy is the guy for the job?

yeah i really dont want it to get to that. i dont have faith w/ the bears winning at GB w/ that kind of pressure. just TCB tonight.

but really, who ever thought that the fucking bears would be in this position at this point in the season. sure, they've needed incredible luck, but most people predicted 5 wins at most. i certainly was one of them

I'll admit I was wrong about the Bears, rbtby.

i had to quote this.

but yeah, this season has been a very pleasant surprise, no matter how they got them. some weeks they look great, others they can barely beat the lions. each week is unpredictable and they make it interesting, i'll give them that

short answer, no.

Derris - I like medicine.

Robotboy - A lot of people have been barely beating the Lions.

Checked stubhub this morning to see what tix were going for right now. $170 is cheapest and those are about as nose bleed as it gets. If you want to get to lower level you're gonna fork over a minimum of $400 right now.

If the Falcons somehow get a home NFC Championship game, it'll be the hardest ticket this town has ever seen.

If it's the Eagles and MV7, forget tickets, I'll be worried about race riots.

you guys are counting on the bears to win, lolz

In his first season, I thought he was a brilliant play-caller but since then, he hasn't done anything that makes me believe he's better than anyone else. Dom Capers is the only reason the Packers have been decent the past two seasons.

I think I got frostbite just watching that game.

That last picture is great.

fantastic game, the best we've played all year

I hooped and hollered

it could have easily been 60-7 if it wasn't for some poor officiating

BEARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS

I disagree. He's the guy. Dom Capers is also awesome, but McCarthy has held this injury-plagued team together this season. Remember, they lost two huge weapons, Finley and Grant, right at the beginning of the season. That onside kick to start the Pats game wasn't brilliant play-calling? And usually, when he tries something like that, he pulls it off. He's even-tempered and plain-spoken, which is highly respected in these rural parts. The entire team seems disciplined, seldom draw personal fouls, and refrain from horseshit out-of-bounds hits or extracurriculars. They've lost a couple games this year they should have won, including the bears: they were handed the game due to GB's horrible penalties (and which hasn't happened again - due to coaching.)

I like McCarthy, a lot actually...I'm just not sold that he's the guy to take us to the Super Bowl. Hopefully he proves me wrong and soon, cause he's not going anywhere, I don't think.

I only asked because he's one of those coaches where it's hard to gauge how good he is; like he falls right in the middle somewhere.

I do know that if you guys fail to make the postseason or lose in the first round, he'll have one playoff victory in five seasons. That's not that great.

I think that in some respects, coaches get more credit in the playoffs than they deserve, good and bad. Look at Mike Holmgren, for example... when the Pack went to two superbowls, he was touted as the best coach in football. It couldn't just be that the team was stacked with talent, and mostly remained healthy? I don't think anyone considers him a genius coach now. Or take Tom Coughlin - before the 2007 playoffs, he was in danger of not only losing his job in NY, but probably never coaching again. Then the Giants go 4 and 0, and he is a genius... despite the fact that the Giants won those games through pure grit and luck, not astounding playcalling or trickery. Now, he's on the shit list again. Football head coaches have a much larger impact on outcome than, say, baseball managers. But I believe most of their impact happens before the game even starts, through preparation and discipline.

In the end, I'd rather have a coach like McCarthy or a Lovie Smith than a huge egoist like Shanahan, who causes havoc and disorder and becomes the focal point of the team.

He's got more career wins than Joe Gibbs and a better winning percentage than Bill Parcells, I'm not sure I ever heard Mike Holmgren called a genius, but he was a damn good football coach.

To be honest though, having been a Falcons fan for 30+ years, I'm really more an authority on bad coaches than good ones.

Same. I remain surprised Payton coaches the Saints.

Man, NFL coaching, business acumen, real estate, everything is a balance of talent, timing, opportunity, luck and ego. The usual formula is coach harnesses (T^2 + O + L)/E to success, and then when they win a SB or more than one, E>(T^2+O+L) or timing, and injuries or free agents outweigh the talent. Even Tom Landry was considered an over the hill Dumbie when he retired, and before JJ took the Vikings for a full squad worth of players and agreed to draft Emmitt, and declined to cut Irvin, he was seen as unable to coach on an NFL level.

And, JJ couldn't do shit with Miami, and Parcells left Dallas. Shit is a true crap shoot.

For Parcells, the equation is pretty simple: He never won a damn thing without Bellichik.

But, Bellichek was considered a failure and a dolt after his stint in Cleveland, and no matter what he has done, lucked into Brady being Jomo Mk. 2.

our perception of coaches and QBs ability to "win the big one" has more to do with kickers than most people are willing to admit.