Mike Pettine and His Deployment of Defensive Personnel

Prior to his departure, Dom Capers was the highest-tenured defensive coordinator in the NFL. However, his “schemes” and tactics had become antiquated. His defenses lacked juice and effectiveness. Thus, the replacement of Capers with Mike Pettine, who for all intents and purposes is the polar opposite.

Pettine brings with him a wealth of coaching and defensive experience. He is known for getting the most out of the tools at his disposal. Doing a lot with a little. Pettine’s abilities in this department are going to be put to the test this year in Green Bay. He is going to have to mix and match guys, especially with the youth and early injuries in training camp, to create pressure and deploy effective pass coverage.

This preseason could be a lot of fun to watch. I fully expect Pettine to use the preseason games to experiment with coverages, blitzes, and schemes in general. One of the things that piques my curiosity the most is where some of these players are going to lineup. Under Capers, players were not played to their strong suits. Pettine, however, is known for putting players in positions to succeed.

The argument could be made that this one of the more talented defensive units Pettine has had to work with. I expect that talent to be on full display this preseason. When he was hired, Pettine stated the team would play multiple defensive fronts. I am incredibly intrigued to see these multiple fronts on the field and the players within them.