For a man who draws up plays for a living, this certainly wasn't in James Bettcher's game plan. Luckily, as an NFL defensive coordinator he is used to needing adjustments to overcome the unexpected.
Bettcher, 39, came to the New York Giants three years ago, an up-and-coming assistant with aspirations to be a head coach. He would be their defensive coordinator after adding three strong years to his résumé in the same role with the Arizona Cardinals. He didn't anticipate that two years later he would be spending a season at his new home in Arizona without a job during a global pandemic.