Mike McCarthy explains using Randall Cobb on special teams: “I don’t understand how you play scared in the game of football”

Bill Belichick had to face this line of questioning when his star tight end Rob Gronkowski broke his arm blocking on an extra point. Boston media screamed how could Belichick be so dumb, a special teams play?

Why was Gronkowski out there? Belichick responded, “You tell me who is going to get hurt and I’ll take them out.”

Green Bay Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy is facing the same questioning about how he will handle the Packers top receiver Randall Cobb who injured his ankle Sunday, and if he’ll play on special teams when he’s healthy. McCarthy said:

“Randall Cobb is a big part of our success on special teams. Our special teams has been our most consistent unit of our football team from Week 1 to Week 15.

You don’t establish the way you play, the vision of the way you play, and then all of a sudden change going into the last week of the season,” McCarthy said.

“We’ll see what happens here with Randall and we’ll evaluate his injury and then we’ll make decisions as we go forward. The philosophy of him playing on special teams has not changed,” according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com.

“I’ll be honest with you: I don’t have a really high tolerance for this because I don’t understand how you play scared in the game of football. I don’t get that,” McCarthy said sternly.

“I think it’s convenient questioning. I understand the risk involved in every single play. Some plays are higher risk than others, and I’m fully aware of that.

“But you can’t sit here and say special teams is important if you don’t put a guy like Randall Cobb out there as a returner. Now, if we’re sitting here next year, we might be having a different conversation. But the way our team is built for 2012, Randall Cobb is a huge part of our success on special teams.”