Since head coach Matt LaFleur took the reins in 2019, the Green Bay Packers have built their team to rely on its offense. For almost three decades, it’s felt like the same blueprint for the Packers that relies on a dynamic offense more than their defense.
Exiting the bye week, the Packers are looking to get back on track. This time, they will need to rely on the defense, something that hasn’t looked great coming out of the bye week under LaFleur.
Green Bay’s defenses have given up 29.3 points per game in its first contest following the bye since LaFleur took over. Those teams have gone 2-2, with wins in back-to-back seasons over Chicago and the Los Angeles Rams. The win over the Bears in 2021 came in head-scratching fashion, with Green Bay ceding 30 points — the most Chicago scored in any game that year.
The bye week is meant to be a time to recharge the batteries and tighten up any loosened screws. In theory, an entire extra week of preparation for your next opponent is crucial in the NFL. Despite that, the Packers have been fairly miserable on defense following the time off under LaFleur.
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry has been under the microscope since last year. Many were surprised when the Packers brought him back for the 2023 season after a fairly deflating 2022. A hot finish by the defense, one that was opportunistic in the turnover department, likely saved Barry.
This year has been much of the same since Barry took over, and it’s not like the defense that finished strong a year ago. In the Las Vegas Raiders game there were a few looks defensively that had Packers fans pulling their hair out.
Outside linebacker Preston Smith found himself on an island matched up with superstar wide receiver Davante Adams. The result was as predictable as Barry’s calls on third downs when he plays cornerbacks a mile off the line of scrimmage.
Barry was asked earlier in the week about that play specifically and his answer was as inspiring as a Joel Osteen sermon.
It was a, uh, you almost have to just, if you’re Preston, survive the down and try to keep it as minimal as you can. But that’s a poor matchup for him to be in and that’s totally on me.
Barry’s press conferences have become repetitive. They are less about the upcoming matchup and more about the atrocities that unraveled the week before. To his credit, Barry does a good job squirming his was through questions to paint a much rosier picture than the reality of the situation.
Now look at the current picture.
Green Bay is coming off the bye and heading on the road this Sunday. They face a Denver Broncos team that has been an eyesore this year. They have become a running joke after a 1-5 start under new head coach Sean Payton.
While the defense in Denver has been more of an issue than the offense, neither side of the ball is instilling fear into the opposition.
On the one hand, the Packers haven’t been great defensively after the bye week with LaFleur at the controls, regardless of if it was Mike Pettine or Barry running the defense. Last year was better, when Green Bay yielded only 12 points to a Rams team that was out of contention in the middle of December and starting Baker Mayfield at quarterback. If you want to give Barry a pat on the back for that performance, by all means, go crazy.
On the other hand, this is a golden opportunity for the Packers and Barry to put on display that they have actually improved something during the off week against a team that is on life support with the doctor begging to pull the plug.
The seat is hot for Barry, at least on the outside looking in. Last year it felt hotter to outsiders than it must’ve internally because the Packers brought Barry back. There can’t be as much wiggle room this year. Green Bay has loaded its defense with first-round picks and has plenty of veteran leadership at all three levels. Getting back cornerback Eric Stokes soon, a first-round pick in 2021, will only boost the secondary regardless of what role he plays.
Sunday’s game feels like a last stand for this season. Lose to the Broncos after losing to Las Vegas, and Green Bay will be 2-4 with two sour losses in a row. It might be enough to drain out any hope of this team trying to stay in the wild card hunt as fall turns to winter.
Win and it will provide a jolt to a team that desperately needs one, having not sealed a victory in almost a month. Believe it or not, it all starts with the defense and whether or not it can step up in a big spot against a bad team. History gives reason to pause on the Green Bay defense. But if there was ever a time to strike, it’s now.
