Joe Barry is no stranger to criticism. His unit underperformed last season and with the talent on the roster, expectations are higher. Going into 2023, Barry talked about what he wants to see out of his unit. He also talked about what he is going to improve on for the 2023 season.
Joe Barry mentions situational football (third downs, red zone, 2 minute) as an area where he wants to improve this season. Also mentioned explosive plays and tackling as areas of improvement as well.
— Paul Bretl (@Paul_Bretl) May 16, 2023
Green Bay Packers DC Joe Barry On What He Wants To Improve
Barry apparently has heard the criticism and is working on his coaching. Situational football is something that the Packers seemed to struggle with last year. If I had a nickel for every time the Packers played 13 yards off on a 3rd and 3 last year, I would have a decent chunk of change. The defense never seemed to know the situation on the field and that all comes from coaching. Some of it is Barry’s system but there are situations where something different is necessary. Is this a signal of change or just an empty promise?
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Will Joe Barry Change His Gameplan?
The style of defense comes from the idea that you give up the small plays instead of the big plays. While this makes sense on paper, in certain situations it doesn’t hold water. If you have an opportunity to get off the field and give the ball back to the offense, you should try your best to make that happen! Too often last season the defense was on the field for 10-14 plays which takes a toll on the unit. If Barry can understand situational football better this year, the defense could see drastic improvement.
This is an “I’ll believe it when I see it” situation. I really hope that Joe Barry has changed his tune on playing off on 3rd and short but I’ll wait until I see it in week 1 when the Green Bay Packers play the Chicago Bears. Until then, I remain a skeptic.
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