Mike McCarthy "Green Bay Packers earned the right to go for 16-0" - NFL News Update
The Green Bay Packers are at the top of their game and have remained so for the past year with some of the best performances ever seen in the National Football League (NFL), as they remained unbeaten for most of the season.
Packers’ coach, Mike McCarthy, usually dodged questions during the team’s unbeaten run, when asked if he will let the team go for the 16-0 record in the regular season and risk aggravating the push for a second Super Bowl title due to tiredness.
Now with those dreams put to bed, McCarthy has come out with a straight answer to the question.
"Would I have let them go for it? If I didn't think it was gonna jeopardize our chance to win a Super Bowl, definitely, the football team earned that," speaking to the NFL network, Albert Breer, said.
The Packers roster is made up of mostly home grown talent that has been playing together for a long time, and that single synergy in the team is the secret behind the team’s continued success.
McCarthy knows that his team has the talent to reach great heights, but his job is to keep the players focused rather than let the success get to their heads.
"We've been hitting that message consistently, really my whole time here in Green Bay, but more this year than ever, because of the successful season we've had," McCarthy said.
The Packers were in line to go 16-0 for the whole season during most of the campaign and looked unstoppable but that achievement was blocked by a Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with the Packers normally brilliant offence having an off day.
The defeat shed light on the weaknesses in Packers' defense, which ranks as one of the worst in the league.
Most of the time, Packers' high-octane offense bailed out the defensive line as they outscored each and every opponent that came in their way.
Normal service was resumed, however, in the final two games with the team securing a first seed playoff berth, along with a first week bye and guaranteed home games throughout the playoff rounds.
A 15-1 record is still nothing to scoff at and Green Bay Packers are the firm favourites to have a second straight Super Bowl championship season.
"I wasn't going to jeopardize a Super Bowl for the undefeated season. But we didn't get that far, we didn't take care of business in Kansas City. It's playoff time, We need to kick it into another gear."
Packers face their first game of the New Year against New York Giants on Sunday, January 15th, 2012, and the team is ready for the challenge to progress further on the road to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
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