Green Bay Packers: Mike Sherman’s Exciting, Disappointing Tenure
By Tim Muma
After one year with Ray Rhodes, the Green Bay Packers turned to Mike Sherman to enter the 21st century.
Rhodes took over for Mike Holmgren in 1999 with near-impossible standards to live up to. It was his only season at the helm.
The team went 8-8 that year, snapping a string of seven straight winning seasons and six consecutive playoff appearances. Rhodes was fired just hours after the season ended.
Two week later, Sherman was hired and the journey began.
Players lauded his preparation and discipline, holding players accountable for their actions. That was often cited as an area of weakness for Rhodes.
However, the season didn’t get off to a positive start. The Packers lost the season opener at home, then fell to 0-2 in Buffalo the next week.
The Packers were an inconsistent, average team in 2000. Green Bay was 11th in points scored and 14th in points allowed.
Running back Ahman Green led the team in receptions with 73. He was followed by the “star” you all remember – Bill Schroeder.
Schroeder finished the season as the receiving yardage leader with 999. That’s rather telling in and of itself.
Despite missing the playoffs, the late-season run and wins over quality opponents gave fans something to hold onto heading into 2001.
After falling to 5-7, it looked like the season was cooked once again. But the Packers would run off four straight victories, including a road win over the division champion Minnesota Vikings in Week 16.
On the season’s final day, the Green Bay Packers took home a gutsy 17-14 overtime victory at Lambeau Field. They beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that day, another playoff team with a better record.
That got the Packers to 9-7, but they would need losses from the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams in order to reach the postseason once again.
The Lions (predictably) did their part, but St. Louis pulled out a 26-21 win to finish 10-6, a game ahead of Green Bay.
Many pointed to the Packers home loss to the Chicago Bears as the key defeat. Chicago was a 5-11 team, and the Packers defense was torched by Cade McNown and Marcus Robinson (2 receptions, 126 yards, 2 touchdowns).
Despite missing the playoffs, the late-season run and wins over quality opponents gave fans something to hold onto heading into 2001.