Why Packers need to move on from DC Joe Barry

Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Matt LaFleur still doesn't think the Packers should move off Joe Barry, but he's wrong

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 11/28/22

It's time for the Green Bay Packers to move off second-year defensive coordinator Joe Barry. It's obvious that he's not the right guy for the job.

That fact seems crystal clear, but perhaps not everyone can see it. Barry needing to be fired, today, seems evident to everyone but head coach Matt LaFleur, who has made it clear that he's sticking with his assistant coach and friend.

"We’re not going to go down that road," LaFleur said when asked if he'd consider making a change at defensive coordinator the day after the Philadelphia Eagles put up 40 points and 363 rushing yards on Barry's defense.

It's clear Matt LaFleur isn't making a coaching change on his defensive staff now -- even if it's just giving play-calling duties to another person.

"We're not going to go down that road. If I thought there was an issue there, we'd make a change. We work collectively."
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 28, 2022

“If I thought there was an issue there, then I would certainly make the change. We work as a staff and collectively we’re all in this sucker together," LaFleur also said.

While there could be some validity in LaFleur's "all in this sucker together" approach — mainly that he's trying to keep his team from splintering under the weight of a 4-8 season — anybody with eyes and a modicum of football knowledge can tell that Barry is overmatched as a defensive coordinator.

Sure, the Packers are missing two linchpin players in Rashan Gary and De'Vondre Campbell, but this is still a unit that trotted out the likes of Jaire Alexander, Kenny Clark, Adrian Amos, Preston Smith and first-round picks in Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker.

There are still stars at each level for the Packers, but Barry has majorly underutilized his talent and the numbers reflect that. At the time of this writing, the Packers are giving up 342.6 yards per game, which is near the bottom of the league. The only team worse than Green Bay in rushing defense is the Houston Texans. Barry's Packers are giving up a whopping 154.8 yards per game on the ground.

Joe Barry needs to go. The sooner LaFleur figures that out, the better for the Packers.

More must-reads: