It could have been very easy for Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur to stick with the status quo after going 26-6 and making two NFC title games during his first two seasons.
Instead, LaFleur is shaking up the leadership within his coaching staff in a clear commitment to getting better.
The Packers moved on from special teams coach Shawn Mennenga and will do the same with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, according to reports from several media outlets.
Had he returned, Pettine would have entered his fourth season as the Packers defensive coordinator and third under LaFleur, preserving continuity and providing the opportunity for more discernible improvement under the same scheme. The improvement late in 2020, the knowledge base of the players in the system and Pettine’s experience as both a coordinator and head coach provided incentive for LaFleur to give him another shot.
Credit LaFleur for taking the risk. This isn’t change for the sake of change. This is change based on getting better and getting over the hump after back-to-back failures on the doorstep of the Super Bowl.
In January of 2020, the San Francisco 49ers ran all over Pettine’s defense on their way to the Super Bowl. In January of 2021, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers built a lead in the first half on failures of the defense and then sealed it late with one final mistake.
Pettine’s defenses were occasionally great, sometimes above average, mostly ordinary and at times terrible. The talent level on the Packers defense, especially individually, never appeared to mirror the results and production on the field.
The question was probably a simple one for LaFleur: Is my defensive coordinator maximizing the talent at his disposal?
Pettine’s expiring contract perhaps made the decision easier. Instead of having to fire the long-time defensive coordinator, LaFleur simply parted ways.
Of course, changing coaches doesn’t guarantee improvement. It opens the door, but it guarantees nothing. Pettine’s successor will have an opportunity to turn a talented collection of individual pieces into something great, but potential and opportunities are nothing if never realized.
Too many times over the past two seasons, but especially in 2020, either the defense or special teams let the Packers down. LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers and the No. 1 scoring offense in football can only so much. Football is a three-phased game, and too often the Packers were only operating at a high level on one of three phases.
Now, the Packers are opening the door for the other two phases to improve to a point past just competency in 2021. With the right hire on defense, the Packers could be great on defense and retain their spot as one of the powerhouses in the NFC.
LaFleur might have learned a lesson from the 2019 season. Never settle. He went with the status quo on defense and special teams and the end result was still the same. Now, he’s taking a different approach. He knows the Packers must get better in the two other phases. LaFleur is banking on a change in leadership to help the Packers clear the final hurdle and get to the Super Bowl.