The quarterback position will understandably receive plenty of attention in 2023 for the Packers, but the team’s defense will be subject to considerable scrutiny as well. The coordinator leading the unit could be facing a make-or-break situation. 
[RELATED: Recapping Packers’ Offseason]
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry has been in place for the past two seasons, overseeing a group littered with first-round picks. However, that hasn’t yielded the desired results in terms of on-field performance. Green Bay ranked 13th and 17th in points allowed in 2021 and ’22, respectively, a far cry from expectations given the pedigree of the team’s roster. That has led to increasing criticism of the 53-year-old, though he received an endorsement from head coach Matt LaFleur in January and again in April.
In spite of that, Barry should not be considered safe over the long term. A strong sentiment that 2023 will be his final opportunity to retain the DC role exists entering training camp, as noted by The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman (subscription required). A step forward from Green Bay’s front seven in particular would go a long way in aiding Barry’s chances of remaining in place beyond the coming campaign.
The Packers allowed just under 140 rushing yards per game last season, which ranked 26th in the league. The ACL tear suffered by Rashan Gary also crippled the team’s pass rush, and they finished the year in 27th in the NFL with 34 sacks. The secondary fared much better by comparison, especially later in the campaign, but shortcomings on defense contributed in large part to Green Bay’s 8-9 record and the resultant failure to qualify for the postseason.
A healthy Gary (who, Schneidman adds, still does not have a firm recovery timeline), along with first-round rookie Lukas Van Ness, should give Green Bay upside in the edge rush department. As for the defensive interior, progression from recent draftees T.J. Slaton and Devonte Wyatt could give two-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark much-needed support. Expectations will likewise be high in Year 2 for former first-round linebacker Quay Walker.
Pressure will no doubt increase on Barry if the Packers struggle out of the gate defensively, something which could foreshadow a third straight season of underwhelming play. For now, he has the public backing of his head coach, but the extent to which that may change will be a key storyline at the onset of the regular season.
He was the Lions coordinator when they went 0-16. He should have been out of the league after that. As a Packer fan, most fans wish he was replaced already.
As a Bears fan, we think he’s doing a fine job
The worst part is he’s still a step up from Dom Capers….but that is saying very little. Someday we’ll have a good defense again….I can dream….
I recall when the Packs held onto the awful ST coordinator and that cost them a playoff game. That was just a few year ago. Should remember their own history.
And they replaced that ST coach with…his assistant. And it didn’t get any better.
They also kept Mike Pettine too long. I could probably think of a few more, but I’m already depressed.
I didn’t know that abut their STC’s. That’s classic! Was it Mike M. or Matt F. that made that decision?
I don’t think that Pettine did completely badly, but he honestly never seemed that invested as the Packers’ D.C. it seemed like a swing for fences, bring in a big name type hire that was supposed to fix things by getting a known commodity. I also don’t hold Barry completely responsible, either, despite feeling that he has had some missteps. Maybe it’s him, but the picks never seemed to gel with the unit as a whole. They haven’t been bad, but something seems to be lacking in the Packers’ defense overall. Maybe it’s that Barry seems better suited as a position coach than leading a locker room on a team with a very independent defensive side of the ball. The unit just still feels like a work in progress, and not solid enough in all phases despite having a few years in.
But this is a long-standing issue, it seems The Packers have had at best average defenses since the 2011 season, when they rostered a Colts-style heavy sacks and heavy takeaway but bad yardage wise unit. Capers’ unit deteriorated after that. That year, they were dead last in yardage, despite being first in takeaways. That’s not the worst, but that’s also how you give 37 points at home to a Wild Card team (granted, the Giants won the SuperBowl, but that’s still not good for a 15-1 team that’s the league favorite).
There are obviously areas where the coaching seems to be an issue, like with player usage and scheme choice, but the Packers have had offensive head coaches who were not defense knowledgeable for a over a decade. Despite the heavy investment in first round picks, Green Bay seems to lack defensive acumen on a deeper level than just the coordinator.
Green Bay has a bad history of keeping coaches past their expiration date. AR has taken a lot of heat for failing in the playoffs, but the defense has failed even more often throughout the years.
Nobody was excited when Barry was hired. There was a collective “WTF?” And his poor performance has confirmed that feeling.
I believe they had 2 opportunities to hire Jim Leonhard instead, and said nah we good.
Barry felt like a transitional coach more than anything to me, and does not feel like the one to build the defensive culture that the Packers need on a team with a hands off head coach (hands off defensively, that is). Of course, I am on the outside looking in, but it seems like more cohesion and better assignments for certain players could help, especially on a team who will likely need even more investment in the near future (Campbell, Douglas, Smith).
Safety and inside linebacker are the questions on defense but their cb, dline and edge should be strong
They have Campbell and Walker inside. Assuming Campbell is healthy now, and Walker can refrain from shoving non-players during dead ball/injury timeouts that area should be ok as well. Really, the entire unit should be fine. The scheme and personnel groupings need to make more sense.
Like maybe have Jaire play everyone similar to how he played Jefferson in the rematch last year…and make some kind of adjustment before letting a wr like Jefferson run completely free for an entire half.
Another comical example of how the sports media sometimes operates. Every other team in the NFC North had a defense that ranked 29th or WORSE last season but Joe Barry is the guy they’ve decided should be thrown under the bus…lol.
With all those 1st round draft picks on defense, there’s no reason why the packers can’t be a top 5 defense even a top 3
Talent is one thing. Terrible coaching, schemes, and personnel grouping can cripple talent and make it mediocre at best.
And let’s not forget 2 of those 1st rounders didn’t contribute much last year either.
Lions beat them twice last year. The Lions are better this year than they were last year. The Packers are worse without Rodgers so I would bet on the Lions sweeping them again this year.
Did you watch the game in Detroit? Rodgers 100% cost the Pack that game.
And stunk at home in the finale too