Breaking news:Joe Barry left the Packers after three seasons as…
The Packers were 1-2 against the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers, allowing 29.3 points per game.
File: Joe Barry, the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, watches an NFL football game against…
File: On September 28, 2023, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Joe Barry, the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, watches an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions. As he struggles with rumors regarding his job security during the past several games, Barry is aware of the stakes that are high for him. (AP Image/File: Mike Roemer)(Mike Roemer | AP)
Through the Associated Press
Published at 3:36 PM PST on January 25, 2024 Following a rocky third season that concluded with a loss in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs, Joe Barry has left his position as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur released a statement on Wednesday announcing the move, saying, “We want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success the past three seasons.” “Joe is among the best men I’ve had the pleasure of working with in this league, and these decisions are really tough.”
With a defense that included eight former first-round draft picks, Green Bay finished the regular season ranked 10th in points allowed per game (20.6), 17th in yards allowed per game (335.1), and 23rd in yards allowed per play (5.4).
This includes a horrendous three-game stretch toward the end of the season when the Packers lost 1-2 to the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers while allowing 29.3 points per game.
Following a 34-20 loss to Tampa Bay in which Baker Mayfield recorded a perfect passer rating of 158.3, LaFleur was specifically questioned about the prospect of switching coordinators during the season during his news conference. Tommy DeVito of New York and Baker Mayfield were named NFC players of the week for their respective performances against the Packers.
After a day, LaFleur declared that he would keep Barry but assume a more significant position in the defense. The Packers’ next game saw them blow a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter and win 33-30 away from Carolina, who managed only one more point in their remaining two games of the season.
For the remainder of the season, the defense played significantly better.
In their final two games of the regular season, the Packers gave up just one touchdown, which was recovered by the Minnesota Vikings at the Green Bay 7-yard line after a mishandled punt. The Packers then defeated the Dallas Cowboys 48–32 in the wild-card round, keeping them scoreless until the very last play of the first half.
However, in a 24-21 divisional-round loss at San Francisco, the Packers gave up 25 points to the Cowboys in the second half and failed to hold onto a fourth-quarter lead as the 49ers drove 69 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:07 left.
For a large portion of the season, injuries plagued the defense.
Jaire Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, participated in just seven games during the regular season. Safety Darnell Savage missed seven games, cornerback Eric Stokes played just three, and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell missed six. Rashan Gary, an outside linebacker, was recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear that prematurely terminated his 2022 season, but he did not miss any games.
In 2022, the Packers tied for 17th place in scoring defense and were 17th in yards allowed per game. In 2021, Barry’s first season as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator, they tied for 13th place in scoring defense and finished ninth in total defense.
Despite the fact that the Packers’ difficulties in stopping the run existed before Barry joined the team, Green Bay dropped from 11th place in run defense in 2021 to 26th place in 2022 and 28th this season.
Barry served as an NFL defensive coordinator for three different periods. He had played that position with Washington in 2015–16 and Detroit in 2007–08. In 2017, Barry and LaFleur collaborated as assistants for the Los Angeles Rams.
NOTE: Kicker Jack Podlesny, who was cut by the Minnesota Vikings during training camp, has signed with the Packers, the team announced on Wednesday. Podlesny was a member of the Associated Press first-team all-Southeastern Conference in 2022 after making 82.4% of his field goals while attending Georgia for his undergraduate career.
