Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers during play against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Arlington, Texas.
The Green Bay Packers aren’t giving up on Mike Pettine just yet.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Packers will retain Pettine as their defensive coordinator for the 2020 season despite last Sunday’s miserable showing the NFC championship game bringing his job security into question. Pettine reportedly met with head coach Matt LaFleur after Wednesday morning’s wrap-up news conference and had a conversation that ended with the two of them agreeing to stick together for next year.
Pettine’s return didn’t sound so certain earlier in the morning after LaFleur delivered his first remarks since Sunday’s postgame with a critical tone, especially where the defense was concerned.
“They definitely outcoached us,” LaFleur told reporters Wednesday. “I just didn’t feel like we played with the same urgency, the same tenacity, the same toughness. We didn’t set the edge the same as we had been earlier in the season, and it’s disappointing because it’s not like we didn’t know what they were going to do. We knew exactly what they were going to do. We knew they were going to run the football, and for them to be able to do that was extremely disappointing.”
The 49ers trampled the Packers defense beneath 42 rushing plays during the NFC title game as Raheem Mostert was made to look like a superstar, running for 220 yards and four touchdowns. It was a cruel ending to a season that started promising but later raised warning flags with the Packers giving up 183 rushing yards in their four losses.
The Packers did finish the regular season as one of just 10 teams to allow fewer than 20 points per game, but they also ended up in a similar spot as the 2018 campaign with 5.7 yards allowed per play.
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LaFleur Not Putting Sole Blame on Defense
LaFleur might have had some harsh words about the defense’s final performance, but he didn’t try to pin all the blame on one side of the ball — nor did he discredit some of the better things the defense accomplished during his first season in command.
“I think our defense did a lot of great things,” LaFleur said. “Obviously, the last game was very disappointing in terms of our performance. It just wasn’t good enough, especially when you get to a championship game like that and you know what’s at stake. Just all across the board.
“It wasn’t just the defense. Our offense and special teams weren’t up to par as well. It didn’t seem like we had the same energy and effort that we had displayed throughout the course of the season.”
At the very least, the Packers will maintain some staffing consistency next season with Pettine coming back, but it will take further development of their current talent to see real progress in 2020. There is also a need for fresh talent on the defensive line and at inside linebacker with the top two options of the latter set to become free agents in the offseason.
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