NFL Analysis Network

Packers’ Joe Barry Receives Vote Of Confidence From Matt LaFleur

Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry looked like he would have to be updating his resume during the 2022 season. The Packers have added a lot of talent to the defensive side of the ball in recent seasons and were expected to have one of the better units in the league.

They certainly fell short of those expectations earlier on in the season. When the Packers went on their midseason spiral, it was the defense that more often than not was springing leaks. The offense wasn’t clicking, but Joe Barry’s unit wasn’t playing up to snuff either.

From Week 5-12, during which the Packers went 1-7, the defense gave up at least 23 points in all but one game. It was a recipe for disaster when taking into account that the offense reached that number only twice during that stretch.

It is no surprise that once the defense regained its footing that the team found more success. During the last stretch of the season when the Packers made their push for the playoffs, Joe Barry had his guys playing some great football.

From Week 13 on, the Packers didn’t surrender more than 20 points in a single game. They certainly did their part, which head coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged, saying the defense got better as the season went on.

“We played well enough to win [against the Lions] on the defensive side of the ball.”

The overall rankings aren’t great, as Green Bay finished 17th in both points and yardage allowed. When taking into account some of the key pieces that were missing throughout the season, finishing right near the middle of the pack isn’t too bad. But, that late-season push is likely what saved Joe Barry’s job. 

“I don’t really anticipate a whole lot, if any staff changes at all,” LaFleur added. “Certainly I think there’s a lot of things that all of us can improve upon, most notably myself. But I do believe in the people, not only in the locker room, but our coaching staff. And like I said, are there a lot of things that we’ve got to improve upon? Absolutely. No doubt about it.”

While Joe Barry is safe for now, he knows that he has his work cut out for him this offseason. Improving their discipline this offseason will be key, as that was a major reason the Packers were unable to defeat the Detroit Lions in Week 18.

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