Joe Barry is out as Packers defensive coordinator after three seasons
The Packers were 1-2 against the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers, allowing 29.3 points per game.
File: On September 28, 2023, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Joe Barry, the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, watches an NFL football game versus 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)(AP/Mike Roemer)
(AP) -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.
Coach Matt LaFleur of the Packers released a statement on Wednesday announcing the move, saying, We want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success over the past three seasons. These are really tough decisions, and Joe is among the best guys I’ve worked with in this league, the player said.
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 tough three-game stretch late in the season when the Packers lost 1-2 to the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers while giving up 29.3 points per game.
During his news conference after the team’s 34-20 loss to Tampa Bay, where Baker Mayfield recorded a perfect passer rating of 158.3, LaFleur was directly questioned about the prospect of switching coordinators during the season. 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 following game, the Packers lost to Carolina 33-30 after blowing a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Carolina would go on to win just two more games this season.
For the remainder of the season, the defense was far more effective.
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 went on to win 48-32 in the wild-card round, holding the Dallas Cowboys 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, the first year Barry was hired 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 worked as an NFL defensive coordinator for three different companies. Before, in 2007–08 with Detroit and in 2015–16 with Washington, he held the position. 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 finished his college career at Georgia with a field goal percentage of 82.4%, and in 2022, he was selected to the Associated Press first-team all-Southeastern Conference.