When Mike McCarthy abdicated playcalling duties for the Green Bay Packers in 2015, he clearly recognized the need for him to be able to make important in-game decisions without the clutter of playcalling questions looming over him. The collapse in the NFC Championship Game against Seattle towered over this decision. It’s hard enough to make the right call to go for it on fourth down without having to also think “What play are we going to pick?”
Instead, the Packers lost Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams struggled with injuries, Eddie Lacy battled his weight, and Aaron Rodgers appeared to lose faith in his supporting cast, coaches included.