The Green Bay Packers are officially on the market by a new defensive coordinator. On Friday, the Packers made the decision to part ways with Mike Pettine, their coordinator for the past three seasons. Pettine coached the 2020 season in the last year of his contract, a rarity in the NFL, and the Packers chose not to renew their contract in the future.
The news comes first from Tom Pelissero of the NFL.com, which confirms that the Packers will not renew Pettine’s contract. The Packers confirmed Pettine’s departure, as well as the resignation of Shawn Mennenga, in a press release late Friday afternoon.
While the Packers’ attack took a big step in 2020 to become the best of the league in several measures, the defense remained a median unit, finishing ninth in yards and 13 in allowed points, but only 17 in DVOA. Once a vending machine, the Packers finished 25th in the NFL in 2020 with just 18 items to go.
The defense showed tangible signs of improvement in the latter part of the 2020 season, after a difficult start. After costing the team the expected points in each of the team’s first eight games, the defense had four positive performances in the second half and had only one game that was worse than negative – 10 points against four in the first half. However, performance in the NFC championship game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers proved to be the last straw as coach Matt LaFleur decided to make a change.
That game saw the Packers award 31 points, their third consecutive NFC Championship Game allowing for more than 30. Pettine’s team gave up 37 for the San Francisco 49ers a year ago, being hit repeatedly by Kyle Shanahan and the zone racing game of the 49ers. On Sunday, against the Buccaneers, there was a third and long failure – the Bucs converted 9 of the 14 third attempts at descent, including five conversions of seven yards or more – and an inexplicable cover call in a de facto attempt by Ave Maria at the end the first semester that ended up being the main reasons for his resignation.
Now, the Packers enter the off-season of 2021 looking to replace a coordinator for the second time in the term of coach Matt LaFleur, both in this off-season. LaFleur dismissed special team coordinator Shawn Mennenga on Wednesday, replacing him by promoting assistant special team coach Maurice Drayton, the coordinator. Pettine was originally hired by Mike McCarthy prior to the 2018 season and the Packers chose to retain him after hiring LaFleur as McCarthy’s replacement.
Green Bay may have some internal candidates, but it is also likely to launch a wide network while looking for Pettine’s replacement.