Much has been made about the Green Bay Packers’ defense throughout the course of the 2023 NFL season. Fans have been begging head coach Matt LaFleur to fire defensive coordinator Joe Barry. In Week 17, however, Barry called all the right shots and helped lead the team to a massive blowout victory on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.
Granted, that performance isn’t one that should save Barry’s job. He has been bad all season long. But, it gives hope for the future of the Packers’ defense with another coordinator calling the shots.
Looking ahead to Week 18 against the Chicago Bears, the Packers will need their defense to step up once again. Justin Fields and company have been playing much better over the last few weeks. If Green Bay can pull off a win, they will get into the playoffs as either the No. 7 or No. 6 seed in the NFC.
5 Insane Defensive Stats For The Green Bay Packers From Week 17
Just how good was the Packers’ defense in Week 17 against the Vikings? Here are five insane statistics that the unit was able to put up.
A Packers’ fan account on Twitter named BrianGoudakunst shared the five crazy stats.
Packers D yesterday:
– 2 turnovers
– 2 stops on 4th down
– 10 points allowed only after a muffed punt (7 yard TD drive) and a turnover on downs (40 yard FG drive)
– 4 sacks
– 211 total yards allowedWe NEED to keep Joe Barry!!! pic.twitter.com/PjGdzui8FE
— BrianGoudakunst (@goudakunst) January 1, 2024
Most notably, the Green Bay Packers were able to put pressure on the quarterback. That has been a major issue for the team this season. Against teams like the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers, the Packers struggled to make the quarterback work and allowed them to sit in the pocket and pick the secondary apart.
In this week’s matchup against the Bears, the Packers will need to do more of the same. Putting pressure on Fields while also keeping him contained is easier said than done. However, Green Bay has to figure out a way to do it.
Should the Green Bay Packers be able to pressure Fields and force quick decisions, they should be in a good spot. Fields is more than capable of making mistakes under pressure.
Joe Barry and company have their work cut out for them this week. If he wants any chance of keeping his job, another nearly the same performance as last week’s will bet needed. Even if that happens, the Packers will likely still have a new defensive coordinator in 2024.
