Anyone who has paid attention to the Packers in the past month-plus is well aware that the team’s last two games–while frustrating on a few different levels–still could have, and perhaps should have, resulted in Green Bay wins if not for critical special-teams errors.
There was the blocked field-goal allowed that would have cinched a win in Cleveland with 27 to go in the game, and instead was flipped into a Browns game-winner. There was the missed extra point, too, against the Cowboys in Week 4, a game that ended in an unsatisfying tie. In that one, the Packers wound up with some perplexing plays in the return game, too.
All that raised the question over the bye week about what’s happening with the Packers special teams and whether changes–specifically, the removal of veteran coach Rich Bisaccia–were needed.
Rich Bisaccia’s Job Is Safe
The notion of dumping Bisaccia never gained much traction in the building, but it was a topic among fans and media members. And Bisaccia spoke about it this week, admitting that the team’s high-leverage special teams plays have fallen flat too often.
Bisaccia pointed out that there have been some pluses for the Packers’ special teams.
He said: “It’d be easy to come in here and cite some of the things that we’ve done really well. I just don’t live in that world. I think I do a better job with the players, of, here’s what we’ve done, here’s what we’ve got to keep building on.
“But really it’s kind of incumbent on me, or incumbent on us, to be critical of the other parts that we need to get better at. So, it’s not really all gloom and doom. Nothing’s going to happen to kill my spirit or attitude. I know we have some issues that we have to correct. But as a whole, we’ve covered pretty good now, I think, on kickoffs. I think our punter is playing really well.
“We had a drive start at the 5, a drive start at the 11 in the last game. I think we have a lot of things to build on. We’ve had some pieces go down in crazy situations.”
Packers Remain ‘A Work in Progress’
Of course, the problem with special teams is that mistakes are magnified. While a game might run 70-plus plays, special teams will only account for a handful each week. With 24 years as an NFL special teams coach, and the last three with the Packers, Bisaccia has a thick skin.
“I have learned to be, I’m certainly self-confident enough to be self-critical,” he said. “I can promise you that there’s no question that you could ask that’s going to be, like, I’m going to want to fight somebody, something like that.
“Trust me, I’ve been through worse. I’ve been through a lot better, and I expect, hopefully, not to go through anything worse. But I expect better to come.”
He is, he said, focused on the Packers’ progress, not perfection: “I like to think we are always going to be a work in progress. I tell you guys all the time, special teams is one play. And that one play, magnified over time, it’s going to be a big play in the game.”
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