FIRED: The Green Bay Packers’ head coach has agreed to terminate the defensive coordinator.
On Sunday, Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers destroyed the Green Bay Packers’ defense. How will the Packers handle defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s departure?
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN — Despite giving up the most points and yards in a home game during his three seasons as defensive coordinator, Joe Barry will remain with the Green Bay Packers, coach Matt LaFleur confirmed on Monday.
“Yeah, that is the plan,” LaFleur said the day after an ugly 34-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which Baker Mayfield threw for 158.3 yards.
Why?
“If I thought that [firing Barry] was the best solution today, then we’d make that decision,” he went on to say. “But when you’re having basic communication issues and you’re supposed to be in a certain coverage or a certain rotation and we’re not getting that communication, that’s what’s so disappointing to me.” And it is always initiated by us [as coaches].”
It is the coaches’ responsibility to get the players in the appropriate place and to prepare them. From that vantage point, the flaws that beset the defense on Sunday were perceived as an exception rather than a recurring theme.
“I’ve seen us execute this stuff before,” LaFleur explained.
Green Bay allowed just 17.4 points per game over a five-game run in which they went 4-1, beating the Rams, Chargers, Lions, and Chiefs but losing to the Steelers. However, the Packers were “shredded” by Mayfield after having no answers for dual-threat Giants rookie Tommy DeVito.
LaFleur didn’t completely absolve Barry. LaFleur, as he has on numerous occasions, questioned Barry’s decision to play too much soft coverage on third-and-short.
“Hopefully, we can learn from that and not make that same mistake twice,” she said.
LaFleur “absolutely” said he’d have a bigger part in ensuring the Packers’ (6-8) communication is on track for the last three games as they cling to postseason aspirations after back-to-back upset losses.
“I’ve got to be more present with those guys in making sure that we’re all on the same page,” he stated. “Obviously, it starts with our staff making sure all of our coaches are on the same page, but if you don’t have all 11 on the same page, it only takes one guy and then everything goes to hell and you get exposed.” Unfortunately, we were severely exposed yesterday.”
In 2021, Barry was named defensive coordinator. During his tenure, the 34 points allowed against the Buccaneers were tied for the most in a Lambeau Field game. The greatest overall yards were 452, 353 net passing yards, and four touchdown passes.
Following two games of 14-of-29 throwing, Mayfield dominated Barry’s defense with 22-of-28 passing for 381 yards. He had nearly as many touchdown passes as incompletions (four).
Mayfield had nine completions of 20 yards or more. His 13.61 yards per attempt were the second-highest in the NFL this season, trailing only Brock Purdy’s 13.63 yards per attempt against Seattle last week.
LaFleur watched the game alone on Sunday evening and Monday morning, as well as with the crew later that day.
“The same thing appeared every time I watched it,” LaFleur explained. “What’s disappointing is when you go out there and it’s basic concepts, regardless of phase, but basic install – like Day 1 install – and we have self-inflicted communication errors and guys who are, quite frankly, not in the right place.” That’s difficult to see.”
The Buccaneers controlled the ball nine times. They scored six times, fumbled once, punted once, and ran out the remaining four minutes.
For what it’s worth, the players were on Barry’s side.
“There’s a lot of trust in the game plan,” cornerback Eric Stokes told reporters on Monday. “As a defense, we messed up on a lot of things.” There are a lot of tiny things where we go back and shoot and a lot of people aren’t lined up correctly, and a lot of people aren’t doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
“There are a lot of minor things we can blame on ourselves before we blame anyone else.” You have to look in the mirror and know you did everything correctly. If you didn’t do anything correctly, you can’t blame anyone else.”
Green Bay’s defense, which entered the game with a league-high streak of nine consecutive games allowing 24 points or less, was horrifyingly bad.
Green Bay hasn’t allowed more than 37 points in a home game since a 43-37 win over Atlanta in 2014. It hasn’t allowed more touchdown passes in a home game since Matthew Stafford tossed five against Matt Flynn in the 2011 season finale.
Mayfield’s flawless passer rating was the first at Lambeau Field by a visiting quarterback. Vince Evans of Chicago was the only other quarterback to get a perfect rating against the Packers, doing it in a 61-7 victory at Soldier Field in 1980.
Finally, if communication is the issue, why is it still an issue after 14 games?
“I’m as dumbfounded as you are right now,” LaFleur admitted.
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