The Packers have decided to make a change at play-caller, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who reports that head coach Mike McCarthy will take over the offensive reins from associate head coach Tom Clements. Green Bay’s game against the Cowboys later today will be the first contest to feature McCarthy as play-caller this season.
McCarthy had been the club’s de facto offensive coordinator since being hired as Packers head coach in 2006, but the club reshuffled its offensive duties during the offseason. Clements, previously the nominal offensive coordinator, was promoted to associate head coach and took over play-calling responsibility. Receivers coach Edgar Bennett, in turn, was shifted to OC (in name only).
But the changes haven’t helped, as Green Bay’s offense has struggled for much of the season (Jordy Nelson‘s season-ending ACL tear didn’t help matters). The Packers are averaging only 341.4 offensive yards per game, which ranks just 22nd in the NFL. And though the club does rank 12th in points per game and 10th in offensive DVOA, the lack of explosive plays have hurt them, as they place just 20th in yards per play.
As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes, the move is probably for the best, as McCarthy remains the best pure play-caller on Green Bay’s staff. Additionally, Clements hadn’t called plays in more than a decade, last acting as OC for the Bills in the mid-2000s.
Joe Philbon will be back next year too somebody will be gone as the cards get reshuffled most likely Clements to QB coach again