Eight members of the Packers (as well as coaches) will not return in 2024
Joe Barry
Recall Matt LaFleur’s statement that the defence keeps making the same mistakes following the Week 4 loss to the Detroit Lions? Five weeks after he made his pledge of transformation, nothing has changed.
The defence is continuously being hindered by defensive coordinator Joe Barry. It’s necessary to go deeper than just the fact that they have limited their opponents to an average of 18 points over the last three games.
The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders were the opponents in two of those games. The general manager and head coach of Las Vegas were just fired.
The Packers’ defence is terrible in this particular situation. Barry called plays like the Broncos needed to score a touchdown in under a minute after they took a one-point lead against Denver. He played the softest coverages, which made it easy for Denver to get inside field goal range.
The Packers were destroyed by those same lax coverages in Week 8 against Minnesota. Green Bay permitted conversions of eight yards or more on nine third downs. Barry had Rasul Douglas and Jaire Alexander seated at least ten yards away on one third-and-eight play. The Vikings took the first down and easy eight yards with gusto.
In the first quarter, Barry delivered another gem. Green Bay sent a two-man rush since Minnesota was facing a third-and-one. The plan was to pack the secondary with players so that there would be nowhere for the receivers to go open. T.J. Hockenson, the tight end, was still able to gain 23 yards despite being wide open right away.
Barry will undoubtedly go in 2024, but LaFleur’s decision to stay with him could also cost him his job.
