McCarthy ties Lombardi for 2nd on franchise wins list

His own quarterback referenced the lack of ego. Publicly, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy deflects praise, directs compliments to everyone else.

So it was no surprise when McCarthy practically passed over one of his more noteworthy accomplishments. With a 43-37 win against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, McCarthy tied legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi for second on the franchise's all-time wins list with 98 victories.

Naturally, McCarthy was asked about the accomplishment after the game. If he had some postgame celebration planned, or was even willing to give himself a pat on the back when the cameras weren't rolling, McCarthy wasn't letting on.

"Well, I'm excited about the 10th win of the year," McCarthy said of his team's 10-3 record, which is tied for the NFC lead. "I've answered this question the last couple weeks. It's an honor to coach here. I think everybody clearly understands what Coach Lombardi means, not only to the Green Bay Packers, to the National Football League, but really the impact he made on society during his time. I'm thrilled to be coaching here, and to be able to win games."

His quarterback didn't mind singing McCarthy's praises.

Aaron Rodgers, with plenty of his own milestones, lauded what McCarthy has meant to this franchise. In his ninth season, McCarthy has led Green Bay to five NFC North championships. He is 44 games over .500, with a 92-48 regular-season record any coach would envy. Of course, his crowning moment was the 2010 Super Bowl title.

What happened Monday night has to be one of the sweeter accomplishments for McCarthy. When a coach ties a legend whose statue stands outside the front gates of the stadium, it matters a great deal.

"Mike, he's a phenomenal coach," Rodgers said. "He doesn't have a big ego, he's not going to draw a lot of attention to himself. He just goes out, does his job. He's the same person every day. His humor is expanding a little bit, but for the most part he's the same person every day and really takes care of our bodies.

"He's a players' coach, in the most respectful way to him because the guys respect him. They enjoy playing for him, and trust him. I'm really proud to be able to be a part of a lot of those wins."

-rwood@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ByRyanWood