Aaron Rodgers

McCarthy: Packers 'didn't deserve to win the division'

Published Jan. 6, 2016 5:52 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Green Bay Packers paced the NFC North for most of the season and had a chance to take the division title against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17. They lost at home, 20-13, and backed into the playoffs as a Wild Card team at 10-6.

After starting the season 6-0 and losing six of their last 10 games, head coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers did not deserve to win the division:

The Packers have owned the NFC North for the first half of this decade, claiming five consecutive division titles from 2011-2014. They've hung their hat on their offense during that stretch of dominance That hasn't been the case this year, however. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers may have kept up his MVP-caliber play (31 touchdowns, eight interceptions), but the team as a whole averaged just 334.6 yards per game (25th in NFL).

Green Bay's defense has also been dragging. The Packers allowed an average of 20.2 points per game (12th) and they forced a turnover in every game except for one during the regular season.

In order to make a run in the playoffs, either the offense has to experience a renaissance or the defense has to shoulder even more of the load.