Green Bay Packers: Is Week 14 a must-win for Mike McCarthy?

The Green Bay Packers are barely holding onto playoff hopes at 6-6. Is their matchup with the Cleveland Browns a must-win for coach Mike McCarthy?

Entering Week 6, everything was going great for the Green Bay Packers. Due to that, it’s safe to assume things were working out for head coach Mike McCarthy as well. One injury changed the course of a whole season, though.

When Aaron Rodgers went down, it was time to see what everyone else had. Was the rest of the roster up to the task of winning without their star? Something that might not have gotten as much attention was the coaching though. Could Mike McCarthy lead a team without a future Hall-of-Famer at the helm?

A 4-1 record was quickly thrown away. With the Packers now at 6-6, Rodgers is closing in on returning next week. A loss in Week 14 could spell the end of their playoff hopes, though. If that happens, a Rodgers return isn’t necessary. That’s not all, however. It would see the Packers record move to 2-6 without their superstar.

The question has been coming up a lot lately. Can McCarthy win without Rodgers? Or does the quarterback bail him out even more than previously thought? Now McCarthy has a task many would consider easy: Beat the 0-12 Cleveland Browns to keep your playoff hopes alive.

There are two things to think about though. First off, the Browns are an NFL team (contrary to popular belief). They won’t go down without a fight. Second, of course being that the Packers don’t have Rodgers. If McCarthy can lead Green Bay to a win. They’ll be 7-6 and with the return of Rodgers, be in solid positioning for the playoffs. Even if they fall short, a win this week could stall the questions somewhat.

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If McCarthy and the Packers drop a game to the Browns though? All hell could break loose. the coach has been on the hot-seat according to many for some time now. A 2-7 record and a loss to the worst team in football sans Rodgers could be enough to warm that seat up to dangerous levels.

Of course this is a must-win game for the Green Bay Packers. Mike McCarthy might need it more than anyone though.