It’s finally over after a season where Matt Lafluer stayed loyal to Joe Barry to the bewilderment of fans. The Green Bay Packers have moved on from Joe Barry. Most people had given up on Barry by the Steelers game, and for good reason. Barry didn’t show that he could get the players to buy into the big picture of what he was trying to coach.
Some individual players shined, but defense isn’t about individuals. It’s about collectively taking care of your responsibility so the team succeeds. Beyond just scheme, he seemed unwilling early in the season to adjust personnel and matchups to benefit the team. For example, Preston Smith matched up with several of the NFL’s best receivers all season.
At the beginning of the season, everyone acted this defense to be what the Packers would hang their hats on. With all the draft capital and free agents signed on that side of the ball, can’t you blame Packers fans for high expectations? Nobody thought the offense would be where it ended up at the end of the season. You could see the improvement every game, not in Jordan Love but in the entire offense. The Defense has never had that. You don’t see the improvement from week to week. Most importantly, you don’t see the consistency.
However, the most condemning stat is that the Packers lost five games when leading in the fourth quarter this season; that number would have been six if the Saints hadn’t missed a field goal to win. That can’t be a part of this culture moving forward.
Here are Joe Barry’s defensive ranks during his tenure as the Packers’ defensive coordinator.
Green Bay Packers Have Fired Joe Barry
2021 Season
- Total Yards Allowed – (9th)
- Total Points Allowed – (13th)
- Take Away Rank- (8th)
- Rushing Yards Allowed – (11th)
- Rushing Yards Per Attempt – (30th)
- Passing Yards Allowed – (10th)
- Net yards gained per pass attempt-(5th)
- DVOA defensive rank – (12th)
- PFF defensive rank – (3rd)
2022 Season
- Total Yards Allowed – (17th)
- Total Points Allowed – (17th)
- Take Away Rank- (12th)
- Rushing Yards Allowed – (26th)
- Rushing Yards Per Attempt – (28th)
- Passing Yards Allowed – (6th)
- Net yards gained per pass attempt-(26th)
- DVOA defensive rank – (25th)
- PFF defensive rank – (21st)
2023 Season
- Total Yards Allowed – (17th)
- Total Points Allowed – (10th)
- Take Away Rank- (23rd)
- Rushing Yards Allowed – (28th)
- Rushing Yards Per Attempt – (23rd)
- Passing Yards Allowed – (9th)
- Net yards gained per pass attempt-(17th)
- DVOA defensive rank – (27th)
- PFF defensive rank – (22nd)
Fresh Start
It’s clear from the product Packers fans saw on the field this season that the defense needs a fresh voice. They need someone with new ideas and schemes to take this group of talented young players and get them to the next level. The Packers saw what a good defense looks like against the 49ers. They played disciplined, hard-nosed football for 60 minutes. The Packers need a leader that can unify the locker room. Get everyone on the same page and, most importantly, mold this young group of talented players into NFL superstars.
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