Green Bay Packers: Mike Pettine must be replaced as defensive coordinator

The Green Bay Packers must move on from defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.

The Green Bay Packers suffered a heartbreaking 34-31 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 11. It was another discouraging performance from the Packers’ defense, putting into question how much longer Green Bay can go on with Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator.

Green Bay had four turnovers on Sunday, setting the defense up for failure on multiple occasions. Yet, that doesn’t excuse what we saw from Pettine’s side. The Packers gave up 420 yards to Philip Rivers and Co., all while the Colts milked the clock for much of the second half.

Multiple times on Sunday, we saw questionable personnel decisions and play calling from Pettine. On the Colts’ second touchdown of the game, Pettine assigned edge defender Preston Smith — primarily a pass-rushing specialist — to a one-on-one assignment against tight end Trey Burton. Philip Rivers recognized the mismatch and threw a 17-yard touchdown strike.

Perhaps the most notable blunder by Pettine came on a 15-yard gain by the Colts on third-and-19 late in the fourth quarter. Green Bay’s secondary was lined up 12-15 yards away from the line of scrimmage, which allowed the Colts to set up a screen underneath for a sizable gain. Luckily, the Packers got a stop later in the drive.

Losing to Indy is just the final nail for Mike Pettine with the Green Bay Packers.

The most eye-popping stat surrounding the Packers defense this season, though, has been the lack of takeaways. Entering Week 10, Green Bay had forced just seven turnovers, which ranked 31st in the entire NFL. The Packers employ a bend-but-don’t-break strategy, which doesn’t force enough pressure on opponents.

Pettine’s conservative approach has gotten the Packers in trouble far too often this season. It puts the defense at a major disadvantage from the start when players are placed in poor positions or given assignments that aren’t in their best interest.

There are just not many positives to take away from Pettine’s tenure with the Packers. Since joining the coaching staff in 2018, Green Bay’s defense hasn’t performed at a championship level, despite investing heavily on that side of the ball in both free agency and the draft.

It’s highly unlikely the Packers would move on from Pettine in-season but don’t be surprised to see the team find a successor in January. By that time, it’ll be too late.