Under Bisaccia, Packers Kicking Special Teams History to the Curb
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – If NFL Network started a series called Special Teams Fixer Upper, new Green Bay Packers coordinator Rich Bisaccia might be the host.
Or, perhaps Food Network would air a series called Cooking Up a Better Special Teams. Who wouldn’t tune in with a show promo of “We didn’t invent the chicken. We just try to make it taste better,” a line he used last month? Is he talking about the four phases of special teams or a four-course Italian dinner? Whatever, set the DVR.
During a long and strong career as a special teams coordinator, Bisaccia has made bad units good and good units great. Through two games with the Packers, it appears he’s on his way to doing it again. Entering Sunday’s showdown at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay’s special teams rank 14th in DVOA at Football Outsiders. It’s not great. It’s also not 32nd.
Dogged by some of the worst special teams in the NFL during his first three seasons – Green Bay ranked 32nd in 2021, 29th in 2020 and 26th in 2019 in Rick Gosselin’s exhaustive annual rankings – coach Matt LaFleur made a big splash this offseason by hiring the esteemed Bisaccia. This week, LaFleur said there’s a “mentality brewing” on what had been the overlooked third phase.
“We’re trying to kind of build a team that knows what to do, cares about each other, competes with relentless effort and plays together,” Bisaccia said on Thursday. “I think that’s transcending through the entire team and I’d like to think we’re just a part of that.”
Talent, fundamentals and scheme – “it all fits” in his frequent stories of success on what he calls “we-fense,” a phrase he uses because special teams includes players on offense and defense coming together to form a unique unit. Offensive players aren’t asked to tackle until they're asked to cover a kick. Defensive players aren’t asked to pass protect until they line up for punt protection.
“I don’t know if I created it. I’m sure I stole it from somewhere,” Bisaccia said of we-fense. “I’m probably much better at stealing things than I am at inventing things.”
He’s also good at deflecting praise. He said his success is a credit to his players more than his scheme and coaching style.
“When you have good players,” Bisaccia said during training camp, “the system looks really good. When you don’t have as good of players, the system doesn’t look as good. Talent matters, offensively, defensively. In the kicking game, talent matters.”
To be sure, Bisaccia has been given better talent than the long list of failed coordinators who preceded him. In free agency, the Packers signed Keisean Nixon. Alongside Bisaccia in 2019, Nixon led the Raiders in tackles on special teams. Just before the start of training camp, the Packers signed Dallin Leavitt. Alongside Bisaccia last season, he led the Raiders in tackles on special teams. Just before the start of the season, the Packers signed Rudy Ford, who led the Eagles in tackles on special teams in 2020.
Rich Bisaccia (Photo by Mark Hoffman/USA Today Sports Images)
Leavitt had two tackles for the Packers against the Bears on Sunday to highlight a strong night of kick coverage.
“When you get in the huddle with Aaron Rodgers on offense, I think the hair on the back of your neck stands up and you have to know what you’re doing,” Bisaccia said. “I like to think when you get in the huddle with Dallin Leavitt, the hair on the back of your neck better stand up. You have to know what you’re doing and he’s been through the process.”
Bisaccia’s presence can make the hair on the back of his players’ necks stand up, too. He’s had more than a few of what he calls an “out-of-body experience.” When rookie long snapper Jack Coco sent a snap over punter Pat O’Donnell’s head during the first week of OTAs, Bisaccia lost his mind after the snap as well as when the punt team didn’t break the huddle to Bisaccia’s satisfaction on the next play.
Having people who’ve been around Bisaccia can help calm frayed nerves. Bisaccia’s top assistant is Byron Storer. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Tampa Bay in 2007, Bisaccia’s first season with the Bucs, and stayed with Tampa Bay as Bisaccia’s assistant in 2010. They’ve been joined at the hip professionally ever since. The quality control coach is Michael Spurlock, who played for Bisaccia in Tampa from 2007 through 2010.
“Byron got it about as bad as I’ve ever given it to anyone and he becomes our starting fullback and plays on teams,” Bisaccia said. “Having those two guys that have played in the system, have been around me, they do a good job with players, especially some of the younger guys. Because I’m probably the hardest on them because they have to come in and play.”
Scheme matters, too. Just not as much as talent, fundamentals and effort.
Bisaccia’s scheme, he said, has evolved through time as he borrows bits and pieces of what he sees around the league. But, in large part, the Packers are “doing the same” thing his players at Clemson did in 1995.
“Guys I had in 2002 can walk in today and call our punt protection and call our punt returns,” Bisaccia said. “The system has expanded a little bit but the base system has been in place for a long time. The fundamentals, the body position, where your eyes go, where your hands go, what it should look like has been in place for a long time. When you watch tape, you’re kind of stealing things that are good and try to get better at putting maybe your own spin to it. We didn’t invent the chicken. We just try to make it taste better. The system has been the system.”
The results haven’t been overwhelming but they have been encouraging. That’s especially true with kick coverage. On punts, O’Donnell is sixth in net punting average. On kickoffs, Green Bay is 10th in opponent starting field position.
LaFleur on Monday said that phase improved more than any from Week 1 to Week 2.
“I thought that’s as aggressive as we’ve been in my time here,” LaFleur said. “I think there’s a mentality brewing. It’s only one game and you’ve got to do it consistently, and our guys know that. Hopefully, we’ll see more improvement in this upcoming game.”
Bisaccia’s tough-love approach works. That shows up in the early results. It also shows up in relationships. Leavitt signed with the Packers in part because of his history with Bisaccia; when it was time to sign, Bisaccia hung out with Leavitt’s family. Bisaccia’s presence factored for Nixon, too.
“Rich, you know exactly what you’re going to get every single day,” said defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who worked with Bisaccia with the Buccaneers and Chargers. “And that’s a guy that’s hard-nosed, he’s passionate. He really doesn’t show it all the time, but he’s one of the most caring, sincere people that you’ll ever be around. I think he brings that to our staff. He definitely brings that to our special teams unit and, collectively, he brings it to our entire building and our team. That’s what makes him unique. We should all be lucky that we have a guy that really should be a head coach in this league leading our special teams.”
For Bisaccia, relationships and success go hand in hand. Building those relationships takes time, Bisaccia said, but is worth the effort.
“The great John Wooden, 'Until they know you care, they don’t really care what you know,'” Bisaccia said. “I think over my time, I’ve tried to adopt that. I think if they can understand that every word that comes out of my mind is to honor their dreams and for what they want to do and what they want to accomplish, then I think they take more about what I’m saying sometimes than how I’m saying it.”
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