New Packers DC Mike Pettine Is Saying All The Right Things
In his first public comments as the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, Mike Pettine hit all the right notes.
From defensive philosophy to player personnel, Pettine checked every box and then some, coming across as a coordinator bent on maximizing the talent he has on the roster and not worrying about things outside his control.
And with the caveat that one press conference does not a successful coordinator make, fans seem to be in favor of Pettine’s approach so far, giving him a resounding stamp of approval in our poll. As of the publishing of this piece (about two hours after the poll went live), 100% of fans were either happy or very happy to have Pettine on board.
The specifics of Pettine’s press conference were just as interesting as the broad strokes. Here are some highlights:
On his defensive philosophy and his base defense: “I think the 3-4/4-3 debate has really fallen by the wayside in recent years. Ten years ago you’re playing base defense 700 snaps a year and three wide receivers or more were limited to pretty much third downs and two minute. And now that’s completely flipped, especially with the advent of the college offenses being pushed towards the NFL and the college run game and more spread formations. We call it our base. It really isn’t our base anymore. It’s something you might be in 12, 15 snaps a game.”
On whether his defense is truly as complex as it’s reported to be: “We like to appear multiple without necessarily putting that much stuff in.”
On what makes his defenses succeed: "Scheme is worthless unless your guys play with great passion and great technique."
On why his pass defenses have been good at every stop in his career: "Because we prioritize it. I think you have to be sound against the run, but you lose a heck of a lot faster when you're giving up chunks in the pass game.”
On his mean-looking demeanor: "I've been told my natural resting gaze is not a pleasant one."
Now, if you rewound the tape to 2009 and listened to Dom Capers’s introductory newser, he may also have sounded like a world beater, and the 2009 version of Twitter probably had some choice fan comments about him as well, so early returns don’t count for much.
But for now, Pettine is something resembling the toast of the town in Green Bay. Let’s hope it lasts.