Hub Arkush: Former Packers DC Mike Pettine trades green and gold for navy and orange

CHICAGO – The announcement Wednesday that the Chicago Bears have hired recently fired Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine to be a senior defensive assistant is the equivalent of a statement from head coach Matt Nagy that while they are encouraged and excited by the prospects for newly hired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, there is a real possibility he is not ready yet and will need some help.

Immediately upon his arrival Pettine becomes the most experienced and accomplished NFL coach on the Bears staff.

He cannot match Nagy’s NFL Coach of the Year Award but his two years as the head coach of the Browns, eight years as a defensive coordinator – four years for the Jets from 2009-12 and the 2013 season with the Bills in addition to three seasons in Green Bay – and four years as a position coach dwarf even Nagy’s resume.

In Pettine’s four seasons running the Jets defense, albeit under Rex Ryan, that unit was 1st, 3rd, 5th and 8th in total defense, 1st, 6th, 20th and 20th in points allowed and played in the AFC title games in 2009 and 2010.

It is also worth noting that from 2006-08 Pettine and Vic Fangio worked together under DC Rex Ryan in Baltimore.

We have been lead to believe that Desai earned his internal promotion to defensive coordinator because of his tutelage by Fangio and the hope that he can return the Bears defense to 2018 levels.

But with just six NFL seasons as a quality control coach and two as a position coach teaching the safeties there has to be justifiable concern as to whether or not he is ready.

Now Desai has his own personal tutor and Nagy has a security blanket.

Much like Nagy’s first move upon arriving in Chicago was convincing Fangio to stay as his defensive coordinator, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur did the same in 2019, retaining Pettine from Mike McCarthy’s staff.

It is worth noting Pettine was fired in spite of the Packers defense ranking 4th in points allowed, 4th in opponents passer rating and 11th in yards per rush over the final five weeks of the regular season, dominating the Rams in the divisional playoffs and picking off Tom Brady three times in the conference title game.

But the dagger in his Packers tenure appeared to come on the final play of the first half of the title game vs. the Bucs when Pettine had the Packers in man-to-man coverage at his own 39-yard line and Tom Brady beat them over the top to Barrington’s own Scotty Miller to make it a 21-10 game going into the locker room.

While LaFleur said after he was responsible for the call, Pettine was fired three days later.

Make no mistake Bears fans, any knowledge Pettine might bring on how to handle Aaron Rodgers and the Packers may be gravy but has nothing to do with why he was hired.

In addition to possibly needing a veteran hand to avoid as many rookie mistakes as possible, Desai and Pettine will now jointly oversee the Bears defense with their number one focus on improving the pass rush and creating more takeaways.

In the two seasons since Fangio left, the Bears defense has been better than or at least equal to the Packers in almost every statistical category except two.

The Bears have finished 27th and 17th in quarterback sack percentage while the Packers have been 13th and 8th, and the Bears have finished just +0 and –4 in TO/TA Ratio after finishing +12 in Fangio’s last season while the Packers have finished +12 and +7.

There has been significant debate in Packerland the last two seasons whether Pettine has done an excellent job getting the most out of below par talent or he has done less than he could have with the resources at hand.

That debate will not follow him to Chicago.

The talent on this Bears defense is equal to or perhaps even a bit better than their ’18 No. 1 unit.

And the success of the NFL’s newest team, Desai and Pettine will almost certainly do a lot more to dictate the futures of Nagy and Ryan Pace than whomever ends up at quarterback.