"You can’t hold Barry accountable for injuries, but his hesitation to adjust and adapt to game circumstances was plain to see. The way he used his corners to defend on third down was maddeningly ineffective."

And this has been the issue for the last two seasons. Barry won't or even worse, CAN'T seem to adapt to the game that's happening on the field at the moment. It's all fine and well to have a game plan going in. But when the opposing offense runs up and down the field, CBs are still WAY off on 3rd and 7, and teams seem to convert those 3rd downs with little resistance, you HAVE to adjust. This is where Barry has failed...BIG TME!

IMO the Packers have quite a bit of talent on this team. I'm very anxious to watch the offense this year, BUT they still need weapons. The Defense SHOULD be able to keep the team in most games. If they can't, or it's more of the same ole, same ole, the MLF may have a hard time saving himself at seasons end. Another year like that, watching a defense play like THAT, then EVERYBODY has to go. Especially after the Mo Drayton disaster.

Given the opposition, if LaFleur allowed himself to be fooled as you suggest, then he and we have bigger problems than just Barry.

Bears. Rams. Dolphins. Vikings. Lions.

Hardly a murderers row, since every one of those teams were compromised. Especially the first four.

D came to play v. DET, but GB’s high powered O (at least we had the players) couldn’t beat the Lions weak secondary.

That stretch should not have saved Barry’s job.

Whoosh. Is there a hotter HC seat than LaFleur’s?

Recall that early in 2021, this defense played pretty well for a stretch, too, and they lost their mojo.

"Was LaFleur Fooled by Strong Defensive Finish?"

Yes.

Maybe Barry is the right guy for DC. Maybe the last 5 games will springboard us into this coming year and our defense with thrive. Maybe Barry finally figured out the best way to use his players.
OR
Maybe Barry is not the right guy for DC. Maybe the last 5 games gave the LaFleur and the Packers false hope. The last 5 games they faced the Bears, Rams, Dolphins, Vikings and Lions. Not exactly a murderer's row of offensive talented teams. The Dolphins had a very explosive offense last year. But clearly Tua had a concussion in the 2nd half so who knows how much that played into the Packers defense looking better. The Rams were playing with Baker who was a new QB to the team.

They made the decision to stick with Barry so I am hoping for the best. I'm going to give him a chance. But my patience will wear extremely thin the first time I see a 3rd or 4th and a couple and our CB's are playing 10 yards off the ball. That is my biggest issue with how our defense looked last year. I have no idea how many drives were extended on a 3rd down and short and our CB's were giving up easy completions.

I am hopeful though. They figured out that Douglas is an outside CB only. They figured out down the stretch how to get the most out of Savage. The trio of 2nd year players (Walker, Wyatt, Enagbare) should improve. Hopefully Gary will be able to come back sooner then later and not miss much of a beat from where he left off.
I would be a bit surprised if they didn't come out of this draft without drafting a DL, Edge and Safety. I could also see them drafting a CB too.

I am hopeful that our defense can perform well to help Jordan Love transition into the starter role. If they can keep games lower scoring that will take a bit less pressure off of Love. He won't feel he has to score 30+ points a game to win.

Hey lets not be fooled, he is a cheap alternative and the packers brass love cheap. LeFleur caved to the bottom line. Lets be honest, a new coordinator would have sat down with LeFlower and said this guy, that guy, him needs to go or improve and we need more talent on defense.
That costs money and Rodgers is taking it all out the door with him. That's why Barry stays.
My pea brain says that if they start out the gate poorly Barry goes this time and they go interim but blame the problems on Barry the rest of the season.

Barry has under performed given the fact that the Packers have spent their top draft choice on a defensive player for well over a decade, except for the selection of Jordan Love. I believe it is the failure of Joe Barry for this defense not to dominate with all these top draft choices being spent on the defense. The only other alternative would be to put some (or perhaps more than some) on Gute for not making better choices on players with our top draft picks. However, I don't buy that option and put it on Barry.

Barry will be the end of LaFleur as head coach in GB. You will see RB as new head coach for the next season!

I still wonder if Matt LaFleur's offensive success his first three years as head coach was due in large part to having Nathaniel Hackett as his offensive coordinator. . . As we all know, LaFleur's fourth year, last year, without Hackett was a failure. LaFleur's offensive coaching ability has a lot to prove this coming second season without Hackett. In addition, deciding to keep Joe Barry as defensive coordinator will also go a long way in deciding whether or not Matt LaFleur has what it takes to be a successful head coach. Losing Jerry Gray because Gray was fed up with Barry's defensive schemes, or lack thereof, was not a good sign.

Matt LaFleur has much to prove this fifth year as a head coach.

DINGLE Barry was a terrible hire. Then we made things worse by keeping him.
OG was the best part of the defensive coaching staff. He had issues with Barry, because Barry sucked. Now OG is gone amd Barry remai s.
We should have dumped Barry and promoted Gray.

going all the way back to the Lombardi era the Packers have never won either the NFL Championship or the Super Bowl without a top 3 defense in terms of points allowed. Lombardi's defense never ranked lower than 3rd (1967) during the Packers 5 championship/Super Bowl seasons. Except for 1967 the Packers defense ranked either #1 or 2 in points allowed.

In 1996 the packers defense was #1 in the league and in 2010 the defense ranked #2 in points allowed.

For all of the HOF Qb play sine the 1992 season the Packers defense has rarely matched the level of play of the offense. In fact since Aaron Rodgers became the starting QB in 2008 the defense has ranked in the top 10 in points allowed only 3 times. The only top 5 ranking came in the 2010 Super Bowl season.

Going into 2023 the Packers need at least one DL to step up and and take some of the double teams off of Kenny Clark. At Edge we don't when or how effective Gary will be upon his return. ILB could be solid with Walker still evolving and if Campbell returns to 2021 form. Our secondary which was a strength of the team going into 2022 is now a question mark for 2023. Alexander is the only returning member the Packers can expect to be a solid player. Stokes return and ow effective he will be is another question mark at this point. Currently the Packers do not have a starting Safety and will need to draft a Safety and probably sign a veteran FA. Savage who needed to be benched during 2022 does not inspire much confidence at least not for me.

Then there is the coaching staff??!! Is Barry going to create a sense of urgency? Is the defense going to suddenly play aggressively. Will the DBs play the game in the same zip code where the field is located? Will tackling become more than a suggestion? These and numerous other issues will not be answered until we season begins.

The biggest question is what does it say about Matt LaChooch that he quickly decided to retain Barry as his DC? Was the decision made after a 15 minute interview over a post season cup of coffee with Barry or did he go the entire 2 hours as Murphy did when hiring MLF?

The defense will need to make numerous improvements if they are going to the Packers in their games as Love learns how to play QB in 2023. Thanks, Since '61

I would have let go of Barry before the end of last season -- but as long as he's here, I'm hoping he'll figure things out.
This is a decisive year for both Barry and LaFleur, as each of them have had ample opportunity to learn from their experiences coaching in the NFL.
If they overcome their past mistakes and build on their past successes, then this could be an exciting time for the Packers developing a young team into a winner.
More than the players, it's these two coaches who are integral to the future of the Packers.
It's time to show their learning and leadership in 2023, or go home.
***
What Barry needs to have learned, it seems to me, is that NFL players need to be given opportunities to be aggressive.
All of the calculations about not allowing an offense to make big plays must be balanced by the reality that defenders have to be given opportunities to make big plays.
The defenders have to be careful and disciplined on every play, but in that framework they also need times to cut loose on a blitz, for example, or to go for tight coverage on a wide receiver.
***
Also, one of the keys to success in the NFL is unpredictability.
Can't play soft all of the time. For that matter, can't blitz all of the time, either.
No matter how successful a strategy is working, it's likely the other offense will figure it out sooner or later and burn our defense.
Mix it up. Keep 'em guessing.
***
Then there's the matter of in-game adjustments.
We'll see this season the mental adaptability and agility of Barry within a game and in the moment.
It's his time to shine, or to find a different job.
All the best to him.

Agree completely with the concerns re Barry and the approach. Evidence being the number of F bombs I dropped when teams effortlessly completed on 3rd or 4th down - and numerous 3rd and long! That said I did have a degree of sympathy for the defence given the times they did shut down the opponent but within a minute or so they’re back on the field following an immediate dull, predictable and downright uninspiring and garbage three-and-out - predominantly due to LaFleur. We can argue 12’s role in this (that can’t be discounted) but LaFleur is head coach (supposedly) and play-caller.

JOE MUST GO!

I want to deviate from the excellent article from Lass and throw out some following unrelated thoughts about the Jet's signing Tim Boyle:

What does everyone truly think about the Jet's signing Tim Boyle as the back-up QB? From where I am sitting I believe everyone thinks they signed him because Aaron Rodgers requested him. Here is what I think is going on....but what do you think?

1. Lazard intentionally showed the video clip of Rodgers (with Rodgers full approval in advance) and him working out a couple of days ago with a couple of intentions. Obviously one of the intentions was to rub it in the face of the Packer organization, and fans after last year where he came to camp out of shape after missing all the off-season team workouts (OTA's, etc) that he is extremely motivated and preparing hard for the Jet's this year. More motivated to be a Jet than he was to be a Packer after signing the largest NFL contract in history. Also, the purpose of the video was to motivate the Jet's organization and fans sending a message he not only is coming, but diligently preparing hard. I am hopeful from watching the video Gutey and company are digging down even deeper in holding the line for the #13, and at least one 2nd rounder, and a player in 2023.

2. The second thing that comes to mind is that the Jet's signing Boyle is a form of leverage sending the message they are digging in on the trade and are okay if the trade drags out even if Rodgers would miss some, or all of the off season workouts and camp. Therefore, Nathaniel Hackett wanted a QB during camp that knows his offense, and even if it takes a couple of games with Boyle as the starting QB before Rodgers gets settled in the Jet's are willing to do that if necessary. There is a message there in the signing of Boyle & Gutey obviously knows this.

Bottom-line, I believe there is more to the signing of Boyle than most of us gave credence to. Your thoughts?

Ken….when you turn the ball over twice, on the road, against a good offensive team, like the Vikings, 23 points is a pretty good showing.

The Eagles scored 14 points directly off turnovers or they’d have been held to. 26. No other team scored over 28

And the defense played well enough to win in the finale against the Loins.

If you’re a hammer, every problem is a nail, and when you’re a Packer fan, the problem is always defense and it can always be fixed by adding a pass catcher.

Brethren…..the problem is on the offensive side of the ball. Don’t allow yourselves to be misled.

LaFleur is a fool to place significance on the last five games. Tua was shredding the defense until he got concussed. The Bears and Rams had awful offenses, and the Lions didn't score many points on the road all season. LaFleur found a reason to keep Barry when there really wasn't one.

There's a friendship thing there which is tough to overcome. I think MLF wanted to keep continuity for the upcoming season with several young players.

Overall I hope MLF can concentrate a bit more on being the head coach in all facets of the game instead of being Aaron Rodgers hand holder and keeping Rodgers ego in check.

I echo the comments of HodagHarry who is my twin brother by another mother or....the guy I invented when I couldn't log in. Looks like it's back to normal.

With less talent on defense this year, the defense will struggle again… It is the consistent playing off 10 yards on 3rd and 7 that keeps opponents drives alive.

Next year LaFleur will probably replace Barry to save his job.

With less talent on defense this year, the defense will struggle again… It is the consistent playing off 10 yards on 3rd and 7 that keeps opponents drives alive.

Next year LaFleur will probably replace Barry to save his job.

Barry could make life easier for himself by allowing the DBs to do what they do best, becasue he's going to have enough to worry about up front with Gary out, two veteran DLs gone, and three to four developing DLs (I'm including Ford and a yet-to-be-determined rookie).

I would be more worried about the level of ineptitude at the HC position.
I would guess EVEN with Joe Barry , the defense will be better than the offense this year. This team showed a decided lack of character and fight since MLF was hired. They simply cannot beat teams with physical lines.
I always go back to Quay Walkers second ejection… MLF was seemingly leaving him on the field, until the refs tossed him.
But the question was about Barry.. I predict he will be fired after a 6-11 campaign.

If the "D" stinks this year then LaFleur needs to go.I think Barry is awful & woulda made a serious run at Jim Leonard