Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers confirmed that defensive coordinator Joe Barry will continue to call defensive plays for the rest of the 2023 season.
Following the Packers’ 34-point loss to the Baker Mayfield-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers, questions about Barry’s job security arose. Mayfield passed for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns. He finished the game with a perfect QB rating of 158.3.
According to a Heavy post, LaFleur reacted to questions about Barry’s future. The Packers’ head coach would not rule out leaving after the season, but he did say that improvements to the defense were necessary.
“Right now, we’re looking for solutions,” LaFleur said after the game. “So, I’d like to return to it.” I’m heading to my office as soon as we leave here and go to work on that. Because, as I previously stated, having a home game against a club that is right in the heart of it in their division when you’re holding onto one of those positions and getting manhandled in the second half of a tight ballgame is tremendously upsetting.
“It’s extremely disappointing.”
LaFleur was asked explicitly if he would contemplate changing defensive coordinators in the middle of the season. He acknowledged his displeasure with Barry’s lack of adjustments in the Tampa Bay game, but deferred answers about Barry’s future until later.
“Now is not the time for that, to be honest with you,” he went on to say.
When asked why, LaFleur replied, “Because now is not the time, I am trying to find solutions.” I need to go back and see the movie.”
The Green Bay Packers and defensive coordinator Joe Barry showed glimpses of life early on, but they eventually finished in the lowest third of NFL defenses.
Prior to Mayfield’s debut, the Packers were in the middle of the pack, with the NFL’s No. 14 defense. Following the intraconference game, the Packers were defeated by the NFL’s 21st best defense.
While a bottom-third defense may appear unattractive, it is a huge improvement over Joe Barry’s previous defenses. Barry’s prior defenses with the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions finished 28th to 32nd in the NFL. His final season with the Lions saw the team go 0-16 and fail to win a single game.
While Barry had a top-ten defense in his first year with the Packers, his defenses have slowly decreased since then. Barry is 0-2 in 2023 versus teams that later fired their offensive coordinator. Barry has been named NFC Player of the Week twice in the last two weeks.
Barry is frequently chastised for his soft coverages in short yardage situations, as well as his penchant to use pass-rushing linebackers in coverage.
Green Bay Packers supporters react to Matt LaFleur’s decision to keep Joe Barry on the bench for the time being.
Barry has been at odds with Packers supporters since joining the team in 2021. His track record as the defensive captain of a 0-16 squad did not inspire confidence in the supporters.
After beginning his tenure with a defense that ended ninth in yards allowed, there was some hope that Barry could at least be a competent enough coordinator to assist former quarterback Aaron Rodgers in making a deep playoff run.
Rodgers’ replacement has had a solid “rookie” year at quarterback since his departure. While not technically a rookie, quarterback Jordan Love had only started one game prior to this season. So far this season, he has thrown 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, giving Packers supporters hope for future QB play.
Despite Love’s excellent play, the Packers are still 6-8. Fans primarily blame Barry for the team’s dismal record.
Barry was barred from being a coordinator for almost a decade after being partially responsible for one of the worst seasons in NFL history. When he returned to the post with Washington between 2015 and 2016, he took a significant break from the position. The Packers granted him a third shot in 2021, and it appears like he will be there until the end of the season.
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