Green Bay Packers: Grading the Coaching Staff
By Matt LeVene
Mike Pettine
Mike Pettine has had a much more up and down season than some of his counterparts. The defensive mind propelling the Green Bay Packers’ unit is heavily criticized and carefully critiqued each game. The sort of attention towards Pettine stems from the defensive debacle that occurred in the NFC Championship game last season against the 49ers.
The biggest knock on Pettine, and the defense as a whole, is the inability to stop the run on a consistent basis. That trend has been a staple of the 2020 season, Dalvin Cook has had historic games against the Packers this season and numerous others have had stellar performances. Pettine’s unwillingness to adapt personnel on the field, and play calls to stop run-heavy teams is enraging. It is something that is very concerning going into the playoff run.
However, after watching the recent matchup with rushing leader Derrick Henry, I was thoroughly impressed. Pettine, and the defensive unit as a whole displayed what they have the capability to do. Which plays into their inconsistency, but offers hope going forward.
With that being said, the defense has shown flashes of being very good. Granted, many of these performances have been against lackluster teams, the defensive unit has displayed some potential. This potential runs through the young core of the Green Bay Packers’ secondary.
Headlined by Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, and Adrian Amos, the secondary has been very opportunistic in recent weeks. I mean this as they have turned up there level of play and generated a decent amount of turnovers. That sort of production could be attributed to their ability, but some credit must go to Pettine for calling the correct scheme. So in some aspects, Pettine has showed some level of excellence.
Overall, Pettine has had some positives, but too frequently the Packers defense has looked struggled against the run. Their recent performance against the Titans bumps his grade up a decent amount. It is also important to note, Pettine was hired by Mike McCarthy. Which means Matt LaFleur did not hire his own “guy.” So, if there is a disappointing defensive performance that causes a playoff loss, look for Pettine to be jobless in the offseason.
Grade: C+