Barry discusses how Packers' defense must improve: 'It starts with me'

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Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry realizes he must raise his game to get the most out of a defense that didn't live up to expectations last year.

“It starts with me,” Barry said Tuesday. “I have to do better. In order for this group to play better, I have to do better.”

Green Bay probably will have to lean more on the unit this year as the offense adapts to life without four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. That means a repeat of 2022 won’t be good enough.

The Packers' defense features eight players they drafted in the first round, including this year’s selection of Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness with the 13th overall pick.

Other former first-round picks on Green Bay's defense are defensive tackles Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt, cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, outside linebacker Rashan Gary, safety Darnell Savage and linebacker Quay Walker.

“For all the talent we got on our side of the ball, we’ve got to hold up our end of the bargain," Clark said last week.

They didn't do that often enough last season as the Packers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs to end a string of three straight NFC North titles.

The only defenses that allowed more yards per play than the Packers (5.8) were the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings. The only teams that allowed more yards per carry than Green Bay (5.0) were the Houston Texans, the Lions, the New York Giants and Chargers.

Green Bay also ranked 17th in yards allowed per game (336.5) and tied for 17th in points allowed per game (21.8). Packers head coach Matt LaFleur still opted to bring back Barry for a third season rather than shaking up the defensive staff.

“I’m not a big rear-view-mirror guy,” Barry said. “I want to look forward. I want to look through the windshield at what’s ahead. But I think if you do go back and really critique last year, the inconsistencies were the things that really got us."

The Packers played better on defense late in the year. After forcing a total of 12 turnovers during a 4-8 start, they had 12 during a four-game winning streak that put them back into playoff contention.

“We can’t be up one week and down the next,” Barry said. “We’ve got to find that consistency and show up every single week. Like I said, the last five or six weeks of the season, we found that. We don’t have time to waste 10 weeks.”

Green Bay still has some questions on defense even with so much returning first-round talent.

Gary and Stokes are recovering from injuries that ended their 2022 seasons prematurely and that makes their return dates uncertain. The Packers’ pass rush wasn’t nearly as effective last year after Gary tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

The Packers also must determine who will start alongside Savage at safety. The Packers’ signing of former Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens last week makes it increasingly likely they won’t bring back free agent Adrian Amos, a team captain last season.

“I think anytime that you lose a guy that has had a ‘C’ on his chest, those are tough guys to replace, not only what he brought to us on the football field but what he brought to us in this building, what he brought to us in the locker room every single day,” Barry said.

Even so, the Packers realize they still have plenty of firepower. They’re eager to produce results reflecting the draft capital they’ve invested into that side of the ball.

“I’m very aware of our roster,” Barry said. “I’m very aware of the draft status of all of our players. But expectations are and should be high all the time, and this year will be no different. There’ s absolutely no doubt about that.”
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If this team winds up needing to be blown up it’s not going to be because of Jordan Love, it will be because they have almost a decade worth of first rounders invested in the defense and the group still stinks.
 
rpiotr01 said:
If this team winds up needing to be blown up it’s not going to be because of Jordan Love, it will be because they have almost a decade worth of first rounders invested in the defense and the group still stinks.
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i don't know if the group stinks or if the defensive plan stinks. but i do know that I watched the press conference live on youtube and there was nonstop posts from people calling for barry to be fired and mocking virtually everything that he said. the majority of fans clearly don't like him.
 
A few things here....

The scheme under Berry has been suspect from day 1 and historically his defenses are meh to gag me. So yeah a piece of it is on him. But to be fair our offense has been anything but stellar...we can't sustain or finish drives and tend to put the defense back on the field too quickly. Now that's a long hashed-out issue we've DHH( on here.... so I won't digress.

The bottom line is if they can't get it done this year he's out along with that whole side of the ball.
 
This defense will once again be a let down and Barry will finally be fired
 
Remember how Barry's units held up that first year. They were our only reliable phase is that last playoff game. They also started playing better down the stretch this past year. Anyway, I think there's a chance they can be ok. Wouldn't mind them stopping the run once in awhile.
 
Fair enough they were strong down the stretch in 2021, but last year was a disaster. They returned the same defensive roster as they had in 2022 plus additions at ILB and DL and the return of their stud corner, but it was all just bizarre. ML hired Barry, but both ML and Jerry Grey seemed at odds with what Barry wanted to do. In the end Barry adjusted to what the HC wanted but at the end of the year the HC fired the guy he seemed more in tune with and kept Barry. Not saying Jerry Grey was the answer but it's just strange. Now what are we getting out of the D? How are they going to play? What's their identity? Their identity last year was horrendous porous run defense plus poor coordination in the secondary and poor discipline overall. Every D wants to be aggressive but under Barry the defense just seems to take out its aggression on the opposing team's medical staff and undressed PS players after the whistle. His tenure brings to mind the phrase "what must be done eventually should be done immediately". I just hope ML doesn't take the fall with him.
 
rpiotr01 said:
Fair enough they were strong down the stretch in 2021, but last year was a disaster. They returned the same defensive roster as they had in 2022 plus additions at ILB and DL and the return of their stud corner, but it was all just bizarre. ML hired Barry, but both ML and Jerry Grey seemed at odds with what Barry wanted to do. In the end Barry adjusted to what the HC wanted but at the end of the year the HC fired the guy he seemed more in tune with and kept Barry. Not saying Jerry Grey was the answer but it's just strange. Now what are we getting out of the D? How are they going to play? What's their identity? Their identity last year was horrendous porous run defense plus poor coordination in the secondary and poor discipline overall. Every D wants to be aggressive but under Barry the defense just seems to take out its aggression on the opposing team's medical staff and undressed PS players after the whistle. His tenure brings to mind the phrase "what must be done eventually should be done immediately". I just hope ML doesn't take the fall with him.
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Maybe. I looked at it like the guys were had given up on the season, but then kicked it back into gear when they had a chance to make the playoffs. I don't know if that's true, but Barry also made changes to simplify the defensive scheme at the bye.

I've heard Jim Leonhard will be available after this season. Not sure.
 
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