Packers Morning Buzz: Would Mark Murphy have the fortitude to fire Mike McCarthy?

Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com.

The Packers (4-6-1) will try to get back on the winning track when they host the Arizona Cardinals (2-9) at noon Sunday.

We'll start with Tom Silverstein's column on why Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy should allow general manager Brian Gutekunst to make the call on coach Mike McCarthy's future.

Tom writes:

From all indications, Gutekunst and McCarthy get along. It’s unlikely he would make a coaching decision based on personal bias. He, more than Murphy, knows who’s available to fill a head-coach opening and whether the field could provide someone better than McCarthy.

The best reason to allow Gutekunst to make the decision on his own is that Murphy let McCarthy dictate who his boss would be when Thompson was removed from his position. Murphy wanted to hire a true general manager, but McCarthy, according to a source, told his coaches that he would quit if Murphy hired Ball in that capacity, so Murphy changed his mind and created the new structure.

Murphy could have called McCarthy’s bluff and reminded him he had a contract and wasn’t going anywhere, so he’d have to accept that the new general manager had complete hiring and firing authority. Instead, he created an ill-conceived structure in which everyone reported to him instead of the general manager.

That move showed he may not have the guts to fire McCarthy, if that’s what is necessary.

You can read the entire column here:

Don't miss Tom and former Packers safety LeRoy Butler doing their weekly "5 Questions" segment:

Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report writes that the Packers have failed to surround Aaron Rodgers with enough weapons:

The Ringer offers some interesting theories about why the Packers are struggling:

Mike Garafolo of NFL Networks muses on how McCarthy would fit with Cleveland:

Jim Owczarski provides an early look at what could be a get-well game for the Packers:

Packers safety Josh Jones talks about everyone being held accountable during his "Clubhouse Live" appearance:

The Packers picked up an offensive lineman for their practice squad Tuesday:

The Packers were the last team to pull it off:

Jason Wilde writes about the Packers' offense for the Wisconsin State Journal:

Will the Packers begin rebounding as their schedule softens?

ESPN's Rob Demovsky writes about how there's not the same "run the table" feeling that existed in 2016: 

Peter Bukowski of Acme Packing Co. writes that there's still plenty the Packers can accomplish even if they don't make the playoffs:

After finally .... preparations for Christmas at the Crosbys (Mason, not Bing):