In Week 14, Joe Barry’s intransigence results in yet another humbling of the Packers defence.
What does the term “insanity” mean? It’s “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” in the words of Albert Einstein. It’s official—the Green Bay Packers are nuts.
This season, the Packers have given up more than 200 running yards to rival teams four times. No other side has conceded 200 yards rushing twice. After Week 14, the Packers are 31st in the NFL in terms of run defence, allowing 141.8 rushing yards per game.
Against the New York Giants, Joe Barry’s defence only had one goal in mind: stop Saquon Barkley and make Tommy DeVito beat you with his arm. The Packers were not successful.
The run was too much for the Packers to contain as they gave up 209 yards (6.1 yards per rush) and two scores on 34 tries. The opposition may set up play-action throws to wear down the defence and build lengthy, sustained drives when you give up this many yards running.
The Packers’ defence gives Tommy DeVito a star-like appearance.
Against a Packers defence that has the potential to be great but always falls short, DeVito was effective the whole evening. 17/21 for 158 yards, one touchdown throw, and zero sacks was how he ended the night. By Week 14, the Giants had given up a league-high 69 sacks.
It was important that DeVito was able to climb the pocket and utilise his legs to escape pressure rather than being subdued. In addition to only throwing four interceptions, the Packers allowed DeVito to gain 72 yards on the ground. On Monday Night Football, Barry’s defence turned a third-string undrafted rookie quarterback into a prime Michael Vick. Disgusting.
It’s unacceptable to continuously perform below par, especially when the defence is made up of veterans, many first-round selections, and a large portion of the team’s cap space. It has nothing to do with player personnel. Starting with head coach Matt LaFleur and defensive coordinator Joe Barry, it is a coaching issue.
Jordan Love had just driven the Packers 40 yards on a short field with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 22-21 lead over the Giants. Tommy DeVito had too much time on his hands. In order to set up the Giants for the game-winning field goal, he completed 4/4 for 60 yards. In a one-point game in the fourth quarter, the undrafted rookie marched down the field against a Packers defence that was playing soft coverage. terrible.
LaFleur remarked, “We certainly gave up too many big plays and lost our leverage twice.” “In that dire scenario, you cannot do that. On one of the tosses when they get an easy hitch and gain about ten yards, we were off, far off. It was simply a terrible ball.”
Will this be the final straw for Green Bay’s Joe Barry era? Perhaps. Something has to give. Barry, from the field, could call the defence? Has a defensive position coach made the play calls? On the defensive side of the ball, though, something has to give.
The Packers will return home to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game that is now crucial for both clubs to win if they hope to make it to the postseason.
Although they remain the NFC’s seventh seed with their loss on Monday Night Football, Green Bay still has control over their fate. However, with a six-team tie at 6-7, there is now very little room for mistake.
Barry’s defence must recover from this humiliating setback. Can they? We’ll find out.
