Bears May Already Have A Lead On Next Defensive Coordinator - James Bettcher

legendxofxlink

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Sounds like the Rams with and without Wade Phillips.
We all know Phillips was at home punching air when Snead signed Nardflo, he never had a tool in his pouch like him.
 

dweebs19

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I remember I wanted him when he was in Arizona. That Cardinals defense was amazing....then he went to the Giants and shit the bed. Idk if it was a talent issue with the Giants or he was just figured out.
 

hyatt151

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he Chicago Bears have officially began their search for recently-retired defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano’s replacement. As first reported by Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, the Bears have put in a request to interview current Indianapolis defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon for their vacant DC role.
 

Probie2429

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New DC will be hard pressed to improve on anything Pagano accomplished. This is an old defense that has huge money tied up in players not capable of playing at the level that got them paid in the first place.
 

Butkus34

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He stalled out in NY, but was that a lack of talent? Was he figured out schematically?

Here is a look at what he did when he was in AZ and had that Cardinals defense playing at a high level.

I think disguising the defense and bringing pressure in multiple ways would help many of the players get back to making big plays. Pagano was good at setting up individual players for success nor disguising what was going on.
 
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New DC will be hard pressed to improve on anything Pagano accomplished. This is an old defense that has huge money tied up in players not capable of playing at the level that got them paid in the first place.

Ok....but what exactly did Pagano do to actually help this defense? Players might be aging, but the scheme was dogshit the past couple years.
 

mecha

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Ok....but what exactly did Pagano do to actually help this defense? Players might be aging, but the scheme was dogshit the past couple years.

it's really not complicated. they were never in position to get stops. that's the scheme. they're consistently 10 yards away from where they were supposed to be. they got no pressure up front. go figure why the secondary got blasted so much. they were poor against the run. I don't know if the Bears were ever poor against the run until 2019. he was also supposed to be a secondary expert, look how significantly the amount of interceptions dropped. amount of fumbles dropped. the team was consistently not good on defense. until the red zone. then mysteriously they got stops. it's Lovie Smith's bend but don't break dialed to an 11.
 

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He stalled out in NY, but was that a lack of talent? Was he figured out schematically?

Here is a look at what he did when he was in AZ and had that Cardinals defense playing at a high level.

I think disguising the defense and bringing pressure in multiple ways would help many of the players get back to making big plays. Pagano was good at setting up individual players for success nor disguising what was going on.
I like what he did in Arizona and I would be happy with this hire. I think today's NFL requires an aggressive mentality on defense. It's hard to beat the Rodgers types unless you are aggressive and make them a bit uncomfortable. The top QB's are going to make plays anyway, so I hate sitting back and getting picked apart all game and seeing the big plays happen anyway.

The lack of turnovers also has a correlation to the passive defense Pagano played. This team needs more possessions and better field position until they can compete with the league at the QB position.
 

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What could be worse than Pagano rushing 3 while Aaron Rodgers picks us apart all game long?
 

remydat

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Bettcher has a rep of blitzing. Then again so did Pagano before he came here.
 

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I remember Bettcher’s name being thrown around for the Bears DC position in 2018 when it was uncertain Fangio would return. Here’s an excerpt from a recent article on him...

Bettcher had big plans to spend the off year visiting NFL training camps and colleges. He scheduled professional development sessions/consulting visits that were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.


So he did the next-best thing -- a thorough self-assessment that included digging deep into the tape at the "lab" he built in his home. There he scribbled constantly on dry erase boards while consuming NFL and college film that seemed to be on an endless loop on the big-screen TV connected to his computer.

"First thing I did was sit down and just evaluate," he said. "All of us that coach, one of the most important things we always look at is that we own our tape. I can't talk to our players about taking ownership for their work or their play if I don't take ownership for the tape."

Bettcher spoke of redoing his playbook a bit, getting rid of plays the same way his wife, Erica, regularly sheds the living room of toys their young children (Colton, Addison and Brooks) outgrow. His focus was on his foundation, player development and schematics. He regularly spoke with the coaches he's closest with, such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians (Bettcher's former boss in Arizona) and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy and defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. Bettcher also studied the defensive schemes of five major conference college teams.

"It's neat to see different people's ways to defend different offenses," he said.

Bettcher came to New York with an exotic 3-4 defense designed to produce pressure. His Arizona teams ranked in the NFL's top 10 in blitz percentage each of his first three seasons.

"Lives and dies by the blitz," said one personnel executive familiar with Bettcher's defenses. "You need to have good personnel, especially in the back end."

His Giants' defenses couldn't be so aggressive. They weren't especially talented on the back end, finishing the 2019 season with cornerbacks DeAndre Baker, Corey Ballentine, Sam Beal, Grant Haley and Antonio Hamilton -- none of whom played much for any team this season. It was an aggressive coach with misfit toys, and his defenses with the Giants ranked 16th and 19th, respectively, in blitz percentage, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

There is belief from the executive and some of Bettcher's former players he can still be the fast-rising assistant he was before coming to New York.

"Absolutely, yes. Especially if he can get his style of football players. His style of [defensive backs] specifically or his style of pass-rushers to go along with his coaches that can explain exactly what he is trying to do," said safety Michael Thomas, now with the Houston Texansafter two years with the Giants. "I think Bettch can definitely be a top DC in this league."

Former New York Giants D-coordinator James Bettcher hungry for next chance

So who does this guy think he is?? Mike McCarthy LOL!!! No thanks!!
 

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