The Green Bay Packers’ defense improved during the 2022 stretch run, but they were wildly underwhelming for much of the early season. A year prior, defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s unit stepped up in the playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers after a fairly disappointing regular season.
The larger sample size suggested it was time to look elsewhere for a DC, yet head coach Matt LaFleur opted to bring his buddy back again for 2023. In an offseason that was filled with prime defensive coordinator prospects, LaFleur chose the easy route.
It took one year for head coach Kevin O’Connell to recognize Ed Donatell wasn’t the answer at defensive coordinator. For a first-time head coach to make that change after one season takes some guts. O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings’ braintrust didn’t waste time with a second season for Donatell and recently hired the coveted former head coach Brian Flores to replace him.
Donatell’s defense was laid back and near the top of the league in explosive plays allowed. Flores will be more aggressive and bring plenty of pressure. Given Green Bay’s talent on the defensive side, Flores could’ve been a perfect fit.
Vic Fangio is back in the fold after the Miami Dolphins hired him to be their defensive coordinator. Fangio has an impressive track record as a DC. At this point in his coaching career, it’s possible he’ll be settled in to that role instead of exploring head coaching gigs in the future.
Fangio has been the DC at multiple stops and helped turn around a Niners defense that led the league in takeaways with 35 in 2011. After the San Francisco stop, Fangio took over a miserable unit in Chicago and turned the Bears from the 30th-ranked team in total defense to 14th, 15th, and 10th in three seasons, respectively.
Green Bay’s defense has ballhawks in the secondary, most notably Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas. It would benefit from an aggressive-minded defensive coordinator like Fangio or Flores. Instead, LaFleur will run it back with Barry.
The list goes on and on. Ejiro Evero will take over the defense in Carolina while Steve Wilks is heading to San Francisco. The point is this: Not every offseason will feature this many top-tier DC candidates. This was an offseason full of opportunity, and it also provided the perfect opportunity for Green Bay to cut ties with Barry. No offense to Barry personally, but his defense has way too much talent to play as soft as it has, and he’s the man accountable for their lack of consistency. Little spurts of solid play don’t overshadow what has largely been flatulence in a windstorm with Barry at the controls.
Where the Packers go next season largely hinges on what happens with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. This isn’t a franchise that rebuilds. But at the very least, there will be some major retooling if Rodgers is out of the picture.
Whether No. 12 is back or not, it made all the sense in the world to find a new defensive coordinator. Barry’s defense was ranked No. 17 in points allowed and yards allowed in 2022. Yet it’s a defense that general manager Brian Gutekunst and the rest of the front office has heavily invested in.
They took Alexander in the first round of the 2018 draft, and he plays at an All-Pro level. Defensive lineman Kenny Clark has been a menace for years and a mainstay on the defense. They took Clark in the first round in 2016. Cornerback Eric Stokes, a first-round pick in 2021, and safety Darnell Savage, a first-round pick in 2019, are next to Alexander in the secondary.
Green Bay had two first-round choices in the 2019 draft. They took Savage with one, but they took outside linebacker Rashan Gary with the other.
The Packers again had two first-round selections in 2022. They used them on Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt and Georgia inside linebacker Quay Walker.
Time and again, this franchise has swung big on defense early in the draft. In large part, the picks have worked out. Alexander is regarded as one of the premier corners in the league. Gary has bursted onto the scene as a tremendous edge rusher. Clark is the pulse of the interior of the line. Walker shower plenty of promise in his rookie campaign.
Despite all that, the defense isn’t anything close to dominant. It’s gotten to a point where it just can’t be accepted or tolerated. Yet it is.
When this defense needed to make one more play to get the ball back for the offense and try to clinch a postseason spot against the Detroit Lions in Week 18, Barry did what Barry does best.
The Lions had it on a fourth-and-two in Green Bay territory. A first down puts the game on ice. Detroit quarterback Jared Goff took the snap and Green Bay’s corners on the outside immediately moved back. A bit head-scratching considering the Lions needed only two yards. The entire second level of the defense sank behind the chains, Goff made an easy pass and pulled the curtains down on Green Bay’s season.
Yes, the offense wasn’t great against Detroit — and in plenty of other games in 2022. Heck, they were woeful the year before against the 49ers in the playoffs while the defense was great.
Here’s what’s missing from that argument: The offense has largely been tremendous under LaFleur. However, while the defense has only shown little glimmers of hope under Barry, only to follow it up with more mediocrity.
This was the offseason to move on. The candidates were there. Still, LaFleur chose to run it back with Barry, a decision that could burn Green Bay in 2023.
