Special teams is becoming so bad that people are starting to wonder whether assistant coach Mike Stock should stick around next season. So what's been the problem?

It's possible that getting rid of Tracy White might have been a mistake. Arguably the team's best special teams player, White was asked to be special teams captain during the playoffs last season.

Now he's gone, and the Packers special teams units are faltering, especially the coverage units. Kickoff coverage has been an obvious sore spot. The problem really started sticking out after the Carolina loss in which the Packers gave up three returns of 40 or more yards.

But they also gave up a long return in their previous game against the Saints and haven't really been up to par all season long. The same can be said of punt coverage.

Gone is White from those coverage units. What else has changed from last year? Some of the other good special teams headhunters -- Jason Hunter and Charlie Peprah -- have been injured for lengthy amounts of time this season.

And since the Packers signed defensive end Kenneth Pettway, he's been a good addition on special teams if not the defense. Now he's gone too.

The Packers looked to be headed in the right direction last season. After finishing ranked dead last in the Dallas Morning News' special teams rankings for the 2006 season, the Packers made the biggest jump in the entire NFL to seventh last season. Now the coverage units are below average and the punting situation hasn't helped.

It's not like kickoff returns have been much better either. It's difficult to watch when the Packers can't even get back to the 20-yard line on returns.

Not all has been terrible, though. Will Blackmon has been a bright spot on punt returns. But it is baffling that he can do well on punt returns and not kickoffs.

And kicker Mason Crosby has been a model of consistency this season. Although it is interesting to note that Crosby doesn't have a game winning field goal since his very first game as a rookie last season.

As for special teams the rest of this season, keep your fingers crossed.