The Green Bay Packers obliterated the Minnesota Vikings and their 2023 NFL Playoff hopes by completely dismantling them 33-10 on Sunday night. Jordan Love‘s performance made NFL history, Jayden Reed broke a 35-year old franchise record, and Bo Melton, who had been called up from the practice squad due to injuries to Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks, had 105 yards receiving. It was the first 100+ yard game for any Packers wide receiver this season.
In addition to these accomplishments, running back Aaron Jones posted his second straight 120+ yard game. Even rookie backup quarterback Sean Clifford got in on the action, completing his first NFL pass in the fourth quarter.
While the offense is deservedly getting a great deal of attention, it does bear recognizing the fact that Joe Barry called a brilliant game and that his defense played extremely well. Granted, the Vikings were using their third and fourth string quarterbacks last night; but Corey Ballentine and Carrington Valentine held Minnesota’s dynamic duo of wide receivers, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, in check.
In addition to good pass coverage, the Packers held the Vikings to just 67 yards rushing and registered four sacks. While the performance may not be enough to save Barry’s job in Green Bay after the season is over, it is only fair to give him and his defense credit for good performances when they happen. Linebacker Quay Walker, for instance, had high praise for the embattled defensive coordinator after the game.
Green Bay Packers Linebacker Quay Walker Praises Joe Barry’s Play-Calling vs the Minnesota Vikings
One of the reasons the Packers’ defense was so successful on Sunday night was because of the constant pressure they were able to bring on the Vikings’ inexperienced quarterbacks. In order to accomplish this, Barry called a series of blitz packages that they had not run very much, or at all, this season.
These blitzes resulted in both inside linebacker Quay Walker and cornerback Keisean Nixon registering 0.5 sacks each. The creative play-calling had the Vikings guessing and played a major role in the defense’s ability to get off the field quickly.
After the game, Walker praised his defensive coordinator for the way he called the game:
Do I think last night changes Joe Barry’s employment status for next season? No, but the guy is allowed to have a good night, everyone.
Per NGS, no team this season has had more players (13) register QB pressures in a game.
Quay Walker: “I loved the way he called plays today.”
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) January 1, 2024
Walker’s comments come after a week of intense criticism of Barry from fans and the media. Many presume that star players De’Vondre Campbell and Jaire Alexander are both incredibly frustrated by the way he has been calling games this year.
Quay Walker Is Having a Solid Year for the Green Bay Packers
Walker is not the perfect linebacker. Indeed, he does cover the field horizontally as well as many would like him to. However, he is an incredible athlete that has an incredible 84.8 PFF tackle grade.
So far this season, in just 13 games played, Walker has 109 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Last season, in 17 games, he had 121 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
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