There has been considerable criticism directed toward the Packers’ defensive coordinator, Joe Barry. Despite the significant investment of resources and talent, the team’s defensive performance has failed to meet expectations under his guidance. However, in a recent interview, Jaire Alexander, pro bowl cornerback and one of the team’s best players, shared some intriguing insights into Joe Barry’s coaching and the overall Packers defense.
What Jaire Alexander Revealed About the Packers Defense & Joe Barry
Here is the interview.
#Packers CB Jaire Alexander says they made “too many excuses” for their performance last year.
Says the biggest thing this year for the defense has been coming together to execute the call by Joe Barry👇 pic.twitter.com/6IpaNLBZUr
— 97.3 The Game (@TheGameMKE) July 31, 2023
Given Alexander’s stature within the team, his comments carry weight. Here are the key takeaways from the recent interview with Jaire Alexander:
Jaire Alexander Blamed The Defensive Issues On A Lack Of Communication
Jaire Alexander has taken responsibility for the issues the defense faced last season. He acknowledges that the blame lies with him and his teammates for not executing the plays that Joe Barry called. While there were some questionable play calls by Barry, the lack of execution was a major problem.
The whole defense, especially the secondary, seemed to struggle with understanding their responsibilities. Alexander has stepped up as a leader and is determined to improve the defense’s performance this season by executing the plays called by Barry.
Packers CBs Play Off-Coverage By Choice
Many are curious about why the Packers’ cornerbacks seem to play a soft coverage style when they perform better in bump and run-in-man coverage. Most would assume that this is all due to the play designs by Joe Barry, but that’s not entirely accurate. Barry gives the corners the option to choose between playing off or man coverage.
In his recent interview, Jaire Alexander even admitted that he often decides to play soft coverage on his own and even did it more frequently last year. It seems that Joe Barry is allowing the players a lot of freedom to make their own decisions, and therefore, it’s not fair to blame him solely when the Packers are playing with a soft coverage style.
Bad Secondary Play Is Why The Packers Allowed Jerry Gray To Walk
The Packers’ secondary had a disappointing performance in the 2022 NFL season, leading to the departure of defensive backs coach Jerry Gray. Although he was a respected coach, the team decided to take a new direction due to the lackluster play of the secondary as a whole last year.
The Packers then hired Gregg Williams during the offseason, and Jaire Alexander spoke positively about him in his recent interview, citing his help in improving his game. It is expected that Williams will bring improvement to the entire Packers’ secondary.
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