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The Green Bay Packers have fired defensive coordinator Bob Sanders, according to a report on nationalfootballpost.com.

The Web site, run in part by former Packers negotiator Andrew Brandt, offered no further information on the move, which has been the subject of much speculation over the past month.

Sanders –– who joined the Packers in 2005 as defensive ends coach –– has coordinated the defense for all three seasons under coach Mike McCarthy. This season, the Packers finished No. 22 in the NFL in points allowed and No. 20 in yards allowed. The defense also failed to get key stops late in several close losses and gave up more points in the fourth quarter (135) than all but one NFL team as the Packers stumbled to 6-10.

Packers spokesman Jeff Blumb said Sunday night McCarthy was unavailable and could not confirm the report.

Sanders’ defensive scheme, which comes from former Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson and former Packers defensive coordinator Jim Bates, is based on getting pressure on the quarterback with the front four and disrupting receivers’ routes with every-down bump-and-run coverage by the cornerbacks.

McCarthy repeatedly has said over the past three years he especially likes the aggressive nature of Sanders’ coverage scheme.

Asked in his postseason press conference on Wednesday whether he would stick with the scheme no matter who is coordinating, McCarthy danced around the question, saying, “All of our schemes are under evaluation right now. That's what you do right now. That's what this time is for. We'll look at the run defense, we'll look at all those things. We'll look at the base concepts in normal (down and distance) all the way through. That's what you spend the time for. That's why you make educated decisions. It will be no different when I sit down with the offense and special teams.”

Among the defensive coordinators available are former San Francisco coach Mike Nolan, former New York Jets coach Eric Mangini, former Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel and former Jacksonville defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, plus probably Jim Haslett, who likely won’t be retained as coach by the St. Louis Rams. McCarthy served on Nolan’s staff in San Francisco and on Haslett’s staff in New Orleans.

Assistant head coach/linebackers coach Winston Moss could be a leading candidate to replace Sanders if he does not get the St. Louis Rams head coaching job. Despite an NFL.com report to the contrary, Moss isn’t scheduled for a second interview with the Rams.

Even if the Rams had a lot of interest, Moss may very well feel being a coordinator would be his best move at this time. He has often talked of his plan of being a head coach. That would undoubtedly call for him to call his own defense, something he has not done in 10 years as an NFL assistant.

“I feel as though that if an opportunity was to present itself to become a defensive coordinator, yes, I would like that opportunity when the time is right,” Moss said recently.

Moss said he is not married to Sanders’ scheme or the blitz-heavy strategy used by Jim Haslett, Moss’ boss for six seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

“I’m more along the line of whatever players that you end of having, put them in a great scheme, put them the best possible position to make a play and then get the hell out of the way,” Moss said.

The only current assistant who does have experience as an NFL defensive coordinator is secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer, who had those duties with the Kansas City Chiefs (1999 and 2000), Washington Redskins (2001) and Detroit Lions (2002 and ‘03).

McCarthy had season-end meetings with his three coordinators last week. Special teams coordinator Mike Stock announced his retirement on Friday. McCarthy is scheduled to meet with other assistant coaches this week.

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