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A familiar face on offense and a fresh voice on defense headline the changes to Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s revamped staff in the wake of the team’s first losing season since 2008.
Joe Philbin Authentic Jameis Winston Jersey , a Packers assistant from 2003 until 2012, was hired Wednesday as offensive coordinator, a job he held for his final five seasons before being named the Miami Dolphins’ head coach in January 2012. On defense, the Packers tabbed Mike Pettine, the ex-Cleveland Browns head coach who built successful defenses with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills but was largely out of football the last two years, serving as a consultant with the Seattle Seahawks in 2017.
McCarthy has also installed run- and pass-game coordinators on each side of the ball. On defense, former cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt was promoted to pass-game coordinator, while new inside linebackers coach Patrick Graham will serve as the run-game coordinator. On offense, longtime offensive line coach James Campen will be the run-game coordinator, while new hire Jim Hostler, who coached wide receivers with Philbin in Indianapolis the past two seasons, will serve as the pass-game coordinator.
It’s all part of a staff overhaul that was the biggest of McCarthy’s tenure as he enters his 13th season as head coach.
”It’s like Year 1,” McCarthy said in introducing the new staff. ”Not only is the defense building a new playbook, so are we on the offense. We’re tightening that approach. And it’s been great. You have new input, you have new experiences that are in the room. You have a different way of saying the same thing. It’s been exciting. The energy is over the top.”
The changes come on the heels of a 7-9 season in which two-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed 10 games with a broken right collarbone. It marked the end of an eight-year streak of playoff appearances – the longest in franchise history – and led to defensive coordinator Dom Capers, offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and multiple position coaches being let go.
This is the first time McCarthy has changed both the offense and defensive coordinator in the same year. The seven new staffers are the most since Capers and an almost entirely new defensive staff arrived in 2009.
For Philbin, returning to the Packers was a matter of timing. On Jan. 8, 2012, his 21-year-old son, Michael, drowned in the icy Fox River near the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus.
”It’s very, very emotional for all of us,” Philbin said of returning to Green Bay, roughly an hour north of where his son’s body was found. ”But we care and love a lot of people here Womens Jameis Winston Jersey , and a lot of people care about and love us. So it’s not easy, but this is what’s so special about Green Bay. Ultimately you want to contribute, you want to help people you care about and want to be with. At the end of the day, that I feel very good about when I put my head down at night.”
In Pettine, the Packers have a coordinator whose defenses have never finished out of the top 10. And after going 10-22 in two seasons in Cleveland, Pettine made it clear he is not taking the job so he can become a head coach again.
”When I was the head coach, I didn’t enjoy the lack of interaction with the actual football part of it,” Pettine said. ”I always made the comparison, it was going from being the teacher to now you’re the principal. . And I didn’t like it. I missed the camaraderie of the room, the interaction with the staff, the interaction with the players. The chess-game part of it – the designing a game plan tailored to your opponent.”
The Packers have not had a top-flight defense since 2010, when they last won the Super Bowl.
”We’re going to be prepared. It’s about paying attention to detail,” Pettine said. ”There’s no magical (formula). People talk about scheme, what kind of playbook – that’s a very small part of playing great defense. … (When) you look at us, you’re going to see we’re going to be multiple and we’re going to be aggressive.”

Not only was it Canada Day with ”The Big Maple”, Canadian James Paxton on the mound for the Mariners‘ 1-0 victory over the Royals, it also was Paxton Bobblehead Day at Safeco Field.
This bobblehead included a bald eagle on his shoulder, a crazy moment that actually happened while working out in the outfield before a game this season in Minnesota. The video went viral.
Paxton allowed only two hits and struck out 11 in eight innings to lead the Mariners to their season-best seventh consecutive victory.
”Paxton enjoyed the moment,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. ”It was National Pax Day. A holiday in Canada, the bobblehead and the fans were really into it.”
Paxton (8-2) had plenty of family and friends at the game from his hometown of Ladner, British Columbia.
”It was cool to pitch on Canada Day and have the bobblehead,” Paxton said. ”It felt good today. The fastball, curveball and cutter all were working.”
Edwin Diaz struck out the side in the ninth for his 32nd save. The Mariners are 26-11 in one-run games this season and 22-0 when Diaz enters the game with a one-run lead.
”As far as being valuable to our team, he has to be the top of the list Authentic DeSean Jackson Jersey ,” Servais said about Diaz. ”He isn’t just getting it done, it’s also the efficiency of how he’s getting it done. When his timing is right, he’s really tough to hit.”
Kansas City rookie Brad Keller (2-3) also was tough to hit. He allowed six hits in eight innings. The only extra-base hit he allowed was a double by Kyle Seager in the seventh inning.
”He’s doing everything you want a starting pitcher to do,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”Complete game. He was fantastic. He’s out there attacking with his fastball, slider, throwing strikes and really commanding his pitch count.”
It was the first complete game of Keller’s career.
”After the game a few guys came up and said congratulations,” Keller said. ”I’ve never had one before and it’s pretty cool, but it’s frustrating (taking the loss). That’s tough lineup. A lot of good hitters over there. I tried to stay on the attack and not fall behind too much.”
The only run came in the second inning. Ben Gamel dropped a broken-bat single into shallow center to score Seager from second base. Seager singled to right before Ryon Healy singled to center.
That’s all Paxton needed, recording double-figure strikeouts for the seventh time this season. On his 110th pitch, his last of the game to close out the top of the eighth, his fastball was clocked at 99 mph.
”Late in the game he just dialed it up,” Servais said. ”Pax emptied the tank and let it rip. He had an overpowering fastball at the end. It’s pretty rare. There are only five to 10 guys in baseball who can do that and we’re lucky to have one of them.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy, who experienced tightness on his left side during his start Friday, had his normal throwing day in the bullpen Sunday, but Kansas City manager Ned Yost did not say whether Kennedy would make his next scheduled start. Yost said RF Jorge Soler (fractured toe and placed in the 10-day DL June 17) is still on a six-weeks-or-so recovery, so it’s likely another four weeks before he would return.
Mariners: Manager Scott Servais said they will monitor RHP Felix Hernandez and his back stiffness over the next few days. Hernandez pitched five innings Saturday night and earned the victory (three runs and six hits) but struggled with back pain and wasn’t able to sit down in the dugout between innings. ”We’ll keep an eye on it,” Servais said. ”We have the off day (Monday) so he’ll get an extra-day off between starts.” … Servais said he was hopeful RHP Hisashi Iwakuma, who underwent shoulder surgery last September, would be back by now, but Iwakuma’s throwing was shut down again last week. ”He’s frustrated by that,” Servais said. ”The doctors still are optimistic he’ll get back (this season) but I don’t have any timetable for it.”
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (5-9, 4.67) will make his 17th starts of the season Monday when the Royals return home to start a three-game series with Cleveland. Junis has allowed a major league-high 22 home runs over 96.1 innings.
Mariners: LHP Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 3.38) will make his 12th starts of the season Tuesday when Seattle starts a three-game series at home against the Angels. LeBlanc hasn’t lost a decision in his 11 starts and the Mariners are 8-3 in those games.

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