As the Green Bay Packers head to Seattle with a Super Bowl berth on the line, there are two story-lines that are bound to be drowned out by the overkill of cliche “keys to the game,” “who has the edge in this match-up?” and “Who is the X factor?” rubbish that will be exceedingly shopworn between now and Sunday.
Every single outlet will go with those three narratives ad nauseam. And of course, people will be searching online about Aaron Rodgers’ personal life. Because every time Rodgers is on television, that’s exactly what happens. Google’s numbers bear that out.
But here’s something different, here’s a fresh Green Bay Packers storyline.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Green Bay Packers assistant head coaches not being considered for head coaching jobs:
“I actually talked to Mike McCarthy over the phone during the bye week on this very topic and he told me I don’t understand why our guys are not part of the process. As far as McCarthy sees it, he has three really good head coaching candidates: Dom Capers, his defensive coordinator; Tom Clements, his offensive coordinator; and then Winston Moss, his assistant head coach, his linebackers coach and also the person who handles discipline on the team.”
“Rarely does a head coach speak out on this topic; rarely does a head coach want his assistants to get hired. But as McCarthy said we’re a draft and develop team, we take mostly college guys, we teach. He is a little miffed that his guys are not being given the opportunity to interview for head coaching jobs.”
Rapoport is completely right about how NFL coaches never speak out about these topics. Ever. On the rare occasion that they do, they never actually say anything. Right now, everybody with Denver Broncos and/or Stanford connections is being coveted. That’s what’s hot this coaching carousel.
Well, the Broncos are eliminated now and if Rodgers and company can pull off the upset in the pacific northwest on Sunday, well those Green Bay Packers assistants will start looking a lot more attractive then.
Capers is the intriguing name on that list. This off-season has been a lot about re-treads, with even Josh McDaniels seeing his name tossed around as a leading candidate for head coaching jobs. Capers led the Carolina Panthers, in just their second year of existence, to the 1996 NFC title game. They lost to…..the Green Bay Packers. Then things went downhill for Capers, as he was out of Charlotte after four seasons, with a 30-34 record, one playoff berth.
Then in Houston he flamed out, going 18-46 over four seasons, finishing last every single season but one.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports, Yardbarker Network, eBay and CBS Interactive Inc.
You can read Banks’ feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition and listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)