For that reason, the Packers' new defensive coordinator confirmed to reporters last week he plans to call games from the press box this season. He feels the aerial view allows him to properly make calls and adjustments throughout the course of a game.

While Pettine is again working with two young inside linebackers, third-year veteran Blake Martinez and rookie third-round pick Oren Burks, he now can speak directly into the communication helmet.

"I'm an information guy. I'll have a lot of information spread out in front of me," Pettine said. "When you're on the sideline, you're usually limited to kind of what you're carrying, and I don't want to be that guy that looks like he's flipping through a Cheesecake Factory menu while I'm looking for stuff on defense. So I spread out a lot of stuff. I like to study in between series."

Both Martinez and Burks enjoyed working with Pettine this summer, picking up on his tendencies and learning what's expected when he makes checks.

Martinez got his first taste of running Pettine's defense last Thursday when he played the first 13 defensive snaps before handing the communication helmet to Burks, who led the defense with 41 defensive snaps against the Titans.

It's not a new phenomenon for Martinez, who wore the helmet in Dom Capers' defense during the second half of last season. However, he can see why Pettine's viewpoint is so important to winning the pre-snap battle at the line of scrimmage.