FIRE JEFF HAFLEY

FIRE JEFF HAFLEY

Just kidding. Don’t fire Jeff Hafley.

At least, not yet.

Firing defensive coordinators is something of a cottage industry among Green Bay Packers fans. For years, fans wanted Joe Barry fired. Before him, Mike Pettine needed to go. Before him it was Dom Capers. And on and on it goes back into the annals of Packers history.

Fans aren’t always wrong. Some hires are wrong from the start, and sometimes coordinators start strong and overstay their welcome. It is sometimes true that defensive coordinators need to be fired.

But Jeff Hafley isn’t there yet, and maybe he never will be. But we figured it was a good idea to get in on the firing frenzy ahead of time and go ahead and buy FireJeffHafley.com before he’s even done anything deserving of being fired.

It could be that someday Hafley will need to be fired. But in the meantime, here’s a rundown of all the coordinators that have preceded him dating back to the 2000 season and how they ranked league-wide in a few key stats.

The stats in the table are as follows:

  • Points allowed

  • Yards Allowed

  • Takeaways

  • Passing Yards Allowed

  • Rushing Yards Allowed

  • EPA Allowed (available from 2012-present via rbsdm.com)

  • Defensive DVOA (via Aaron Schatz, formerly of Football Outsiders.com)

  • Overall Defensive Grade (available 2006-present via Pro Football Focus)

  • Tackling Grade (available 2006-present via Pro Football Focus)

  • Total Ballhawks (a metric we track at The Power Sweep. More information here.)

The numbers in the table for each of these stats represent the Packers’ rank in that category for the given season, except for Ballhawks. That number represents the total number of plays on the ball the Packers made that season.

As Hafley’s career with the Packers unfolds, we’ll add a table tracking how he did in these numbers. In the meantime, here are his predecessors.

Joe Barry (2021-2023)

The Packers hired Joe Barry on February 8, 2021. Over his three years as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, the Packers advanced to the playoffs twice, losing both times to the San Francisco 49ers. Barry’s defenses never ranked lower than 17th in points allowed, but his units consistently had problems defending the run. The Packers announced Joe Barry’s departure on January 24, 2024

Mike Pettine (2018-2020)

The Packers hired Mike Pettine on January 10, 2018. Pettine is noteworthy for surviving the transition from Mike McCarthy to Matt LaFleur after McCarthy was fired during the 2018 season. Pettine’s time with the Packers was marred by two noteworthy collapses in consecutive NFC Championship games. In 2019, the San Francisco 49ers ran wild on Pettine’s defense, gashing the Packers for 285 yards on the ground. In 2020, the Packers allowed key big plays through the air, including two touchdowns where Kevin King was the principal defensive back. On January 29, 2021, Mike Pettine’s contract with the Packers expired and he left the organization.

Dom Capers (2009-2017)

It may sound hard to believe, but Dom Capers was once a much-desired defensive coordinator. It may sound harder to believe, but Capers once delivered very good to great defenses in Green Bay. His 2009 and 2010 units are some of the best in modern Packers history, and even after that, the Packers had better defenses than many remember. Unfortunately, like Pettine after him, Capers’ postseason defenses left much to be desired. The Packers’ defense under Capers played a big part in postseason collapses in 2011, 2012, and 2014. Capers’ defenses represent some of the last great ball-hawking units of the 21st century. He was hired on January 19, 2009 and fired on January 1, 2018.

Bob Sanders (2006-2008)

Not to be confused with the defensive back of the same name, Bob Sanders was Mike McCarthy’s first defensive coordinator. It was Sanders’ first opportunity as a defensive coordinator in Green Bay, having previously worked as a linebackers coach with the Miami Dolphins under Dave Wannstedt and as a defensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills under Dick Jauron. Sanders’ defense was largely middling during his time in Green Bay, though they did rank sixth in points allowed during the 2007 season. Sanders was let go after the 2008 season after the Packers allowed several late comebacks during Aaron Rodgers’ first season as the Packers’ starting quarterback

Jim Bates (2005)

Hired for what turned out to be Mike Sherman’s lame-duck season in Green Bay, Bates’s defense ranked seventh in total yards allowed and first in passing yards allowed. After Sherman was fired, Bates interviewed for the Packers’ head coaching job, only to find out the next day that the Packers were hiring Mike McCarthy. McCarthy asked him to stay on as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, but Bates declined. He worked just two more seasons in the NFL, holding defensive coordinator jobs for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

Bob Slowik (2004)

Promoted to replace Ed Donatell, Slowik's defense was aggressive and inept, setting numerous team records…but not the good kind. Slowik’s defense finished 31st in the NFL in takeaways in 2004, the lowest any Packers defense has ranked in the 21st century.

Ed Donatell (2000-2003)

Donatell was the first of Mike Sherman’s three defensive coordinators, and his overall numbers stack up well against just about anyone on this list. During his four years as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, the Packers’ never ranked lower than 14th in points allowed and were never lower than 17th in yards allowed. In consecutive seasons, they ranked second and first in takeaways, league-wide, and were a top 10 team by DVOA three straight years from 2001 to 2003. However, perhaps in a bit of foreshadowing, Donatell’s time in Green Bay was defined by postseason collapses. Though he can hardly be blamed for how the Packers’ 2001 season ended (Brett Favre’s six interceptions had plenty to do with that), the Packers’ defense went down in flames in 2002 and 2003. In 2002, Michael Vick ran wild at Lambeau Field, handing the Packers their first home playoff loss ever. In 2003, Donatell’s defense surrendered the now-infamous 4th-and-26 completion that kept the Eagles alive and ultimately led to the Packers’ defeat. He was fired after the 2003 season.