Bringing Back Rich Bisaccia Was the Right Move For the Packers

Special teams blunders have been the root cause of many Green Bay Packers fans seeking therapy over the years.

The onside kick off Brandon Bostick's face in the 2014 NFC Championship. The blocked punt

Rich Bisaccia was supposed to be the savior for the special teams woes when the Packers hired him in 2022. Things have improved, but not to the satisfaction level of some in the fanbase. Despite the lofty expectations that some view as not having been met, bringing Bisaccia back on a new contract extension was the right move.

If you take DVOA and PFF rankings as gospel, you've probably already been outside the Miller Lite gate by the atrium at Lambeau Field with pitchforks when the Packers announced the extension.

When zooming out to a broader perspective, did people really expect Bisaccia to get canned?

For all those in the camp who want Bisaccia gone, who's the "can't-miss hire" who would've been a lock to come to Green Bay?

It's understandable not to want to settle for average, and under Bisaccia, the special teams units have often been just that. However, it's also been convenient scapegoat for those just wanting a change, which ignores the positives.

If not for a

Was the block sheer luck?

Not even in the slightest.

As noted on NFL.com, Bisaccia saw a weakness at guard in the Chicago Bears' field-goal unit, coupled with a kicker in Cairo Santos who was swinging away with his boot on some low-trajectory attempts.

The Packers and Bisaccia were not surprised by the block; they expected it.

"Rich said to our team last night, 'I will not understand if we come out of this game without a block,'" Matt LaFleur said. "Whether a field goal or [point-after attempt]."

Defensive lineman Karl Brooks, who got his paw in the way of the attempt to thwart what would've been a game-winner for Chicago, was just as confident.

"It was just an unbelievable feeling," Brooks said. "At first, when I touched it, I didn't think I got enough of it, and then it fell short. That's when I really celebrated. It was fun. It was cool. It was a good experience."

That moment helped salvage a road win for the Packers and (temporarily) keep a winning streak alive, moving it to 11 in a row against the Bears.

Those predisposed skeptics won't bring up that play, though.

They'll point to the playoffs, where kicker Brandon McManus duck-snorted a 38-yard field-goal attempt, or the opening kickoff that Keisean Nixon fumbled.

Let's look at both examples.

McManus was 20 for 21 on the regular season in field-goal attempts. By any measure, he was brilliant. For all the rankings that have the Packers somewhere between "mid" and "not great," how much weight did kicker Brayden Narveson botching five attempts in six games have on those overall numbers?

As for the McManus miss in the playoffs? The operation was clean, everything looked fine. He just missed a chip shot.

If we want to divvy up the blame, Bisaccia isn't exempt. He is the special teams coordinator, after all, and will rightfully draw some of the ire when something goes wrong. But when your kicker is missing a clean operation, it's peculiar to sit back and point at Bisaccia as the lone culprit. The man can't will the kicks to go in himself. His job is to organize everything and watch the operation unfold — hopefully in seamless fashion.

Nixon's fumble on the opening kickoff falls in that same category. Bisaccia gets some of the blame, sure. If you want the Packers to practice ball security more on returns in practice, fine. Again, Bisaccia can't run onto the field with duct tape and firmly secure the ball for Nixon while everyone waits to resume the play.

I'm not saying Bisaccia is blameless. It's to point toward the real root of many fans' issues with all of this. That issue? When the Packers hired Bisaccia in 2022, it was on record that they made him the highest-paid special teams coordinator in the league.

Go ahead and scour the depths of social media that are anti-Bisaccia. I'd guarantee a lot of the posts that have complaints are also pocket-watching and mentioning his salary.

Bisaccia was highly regarded already throughout league circles when he jumped aboard. There were already high expectations because of that. By making him the highest-paid special teams coordinator, the Packers poured gasoline on the fire of expectations.

Have the Packers had banner years under Bisaccia with the special teams? No. Nobody is arguing that. Have they been noticeably better, especially the coverage units, compared to how things were with Maurice Drayton? Unequivocally.

The problem is many believed the hire would catapult the Packers into being the best of the best, and it hasn't panned out that way. For those upset at that, it's understandable.

For those who point towards miscues like the muffed punts (three this season) or the Bears pulling off a trick play to perfection on a punt return that went for six in Week 18, it all stung. On the punt return, the coverage unit has to pay more attention to detail, and that starts with Bisaccia. D.J. Moore was the deep man for the Bears on that look, and he never returns punts for Chicago. That should've been the first indicator something was up.

Bisaccia doesn't get a free pass, and the special teams must improve. However, if the Packers re-sign McManus, they have their kicker and punter (Daniel Whelan) cemented in for the future. Those are two big needs to check off the list.

The frustration that things haven't been much better under Bisaccia is valid, but it's a far cry from the dire days when Amari Rodgers was back as a return man under Drayton. It's an even farther cry from the Packers seeing a Mason Crosby field-goal attempt get blocked and then later getting a punt blocked, resulting in a touchdown all in one playoff game against San Francisco.

Making change for the sake of change isn't the answer. Bringing back Bisaccia was the right move.