Despite sitting at 5-2, the Green Bay Packers have one massive weakness which teams around the league could exploit. The consistently poor defense. After this was exposed once again on Sunday in the 28-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, it became clear that what needed to happen at the end of the season can no longer wait. Matt LaFleur must fire Mike Pettine immediately.
Ever since joining Green Bay back in January of 2018, Pettine has been given a pass by both management and the fans due to the poor job Dom Capers did from 2011. His honeymoon period, however, is long over.
Why the Green Bay Packers Must Fire Mike Pettine Immediately
Has Mike Pettine Improved the Green Bay Defense Since His Hiring?
For all the criticism lobbed against his predecessor Capers, his defenses clearly excelled in one area, turnovers. During his time with the Packers, Capers’ defense accounted for 165 turnovers in total. An average of 18.33 turnovers a season. Mike Pettine, on the other hand, in his two full seasons, has only had 28 turnovers averaging 14. This being a dropoff of over four turnovers a year on average. This despite the fact that both started their time in Green Bay with one of the best defensive backs in the game in Charles Woodson and Jaire Alexander respectively.
One area where the numbers clearly show that Pettine has improved the Green Bay defense is in the pass rush. His defenses have been averaging 42.5 sacks per season, an improvement on the Green Bay pass rush under Capers.
Mike Pettine’s Biggest Weakness
It’s been clear since Pettine joined the team that the defense’s biggest weakness since 2018 has been stopping the run. This has been an issue that has been exposed multiple times during his tenure, most notably in the 2019 NFC Championship game. A game where the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Green Bay Packers 37-20 despite throwing only eight passes all game. This all due to the defenses complete inability to stop Raheem Mostert, who had 29 rushes for 220 yards that day for four touchdowns.
Then we have the game that showed the need for immediate action. The Packers Week 8 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. A game in which Dalvin Cook carved up the Packers defense, rushing for 163 yards, 111 of which were after contact, and three touchdowns. During this game, Pettine decided that the way to stop Cook was to rush three and leave everyone else in coverage. A mistake that allowed an in-form Cook to get to the second level constantly. This forced the linebacker core, already weakened thanks to the absence of starting middle linebacker Christian Kirksey, and the secondary to bring the big man down.
Why Fire Him Now?
I’m generally hesitant to call for mid-season firing and have been in the ‘Fire Pettine at the end of the season’ camp since the season began, but drastic times call for drastic measures. This team still has to face a 49ers team that ran the ball down their throats twice last season. A Carolina Panthers team with a healthy Christian McCaffrey and a Tennessee Titans side led by a dominant backfield featuring Derrick Henry. The defense’s weakness is likely to get exposed more throughout the season unless Pettine is fired immediately.
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