GREEN BAY – Another press conference produced, yet, another inquisition on the subject of what's wrong with the Packers offense.
Packers Coach Mike McCarthy fielded questions on everything from a lack of big plays to Aaron Rodgers metaphorically drawing plays in the dirt, but virtually nothing on any subject other than offense, unless you count David Bakhtiari's ankle injury.
"We haven't done the things fundamentally that need to be done. The execution isn't where it needs to be," McCarthy told reporters.
The subject was approached from the angle of casting caution to the wind and aggressively throwing the ball downfield, as Rodgers suggested in his postgame press conference following Sunday's night's loss to the Vikings.
"He's a great player. When things break down, he's going to make things happen," McCarthy said.
School yard offense?
"We don't want to do that. What are we doing here all the time?" McCarthy added.
Of course, no McCarthy press conference would be complete without another whirl around the play-calling block.
"The change in play-calling was more about a change in the general process. It wasn't about what Tom (Clements) was calling. I wanted to get back to the old process. I believe in it. I know it works. That's why I changed it," McCarthy said.
The Packers coach showed no signs of battle fatigue in Monday's press conference. He answered questions with vim and vigor, and even engaged in some playful banter. McCarthy went so far as to welcome the adversity he's facing as the coach and play-caller of an offense that is the No. 1 topic of concern in Wisconsin.
"I didn't grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth. There's a big part of me that likes where we are today. I've never entered a contest I didn't think we'd win and that's no different this week. I'm looking forward to the challenge, and we have every intention of going into Washington and winning on Sunday," McCarthy said.
Critics beware, the coach's hard outer shell is toughening. It's playoff time. He seemed energized by it.
"Fresh start. I think it helps everybody," he said.
The loss to the Vikings?
"Our tempo was poor. I've got to get that going. We can do better," he said.
"The second quarter was my disappointment. We had some things we should've been able to take advantage of. When you get what you're looking for, you need to execute and produce," McCarthy said.
The Packers will try again to improve their execution. Mercifully, they have reached the point in the season that each attempt must meet with success, or it'll be the last attempt. **Click here for all Packers-Redskins preview coverage**
