Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry is on the hot seat, and by the looks of it, the fans are not the only ones who want him gone from his position.
According to the latest report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the “heat is on” Barry because the Packers’ defensive coordinator job is something that many other coaches will be eyeing in the offseason.
“Speaking of coordinators, several spots will be closely watched over the coming weeks. The heat is on Packers DC Joe Barry. That’s a job on the radar of many in the coaching industry,” Fowler wrote.
While Green Packers head coach Matt LaFleur backed his defensive coordinator and refused to remove him from calling the shots on defense, noting that it’s not the time to talk about such issues, it doesn’t mean Joe Barry is safe.
“Right now, we’re looking for solutions,” LaFleur said when asked about Barry’s job status after their Week 15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “So, I want to go back to it. As soon as we leave here, I am going to go right into my office and get to work on that. Because, like I said, it is extremely disappointing to have a home game against a team that is right in the thick of it in their division when you’re holding onto one of those spots and, you know, you get manhandled in the second half of a tight ballgame. It’s extremely disappointing.”
If the Packers don’t show any signs of improvement on the defensive end, it could very well spell the end of Barry’s tenure as defensive coordinator.
Can Joe Barry Really Keep His Green Bay Packers Job?
It’s unknown, however, if there is anything Joe Barry can do to keep his job. While they did well to limit the Kansas City Chiefs to just 19 points in Week 13, the Green Bay Packers reverted to their bad habits and gave up 24 points to the offensively-inept New York Giants and 34 to the Buccaneers.
The numbers don’t lie as well, with the Packers ranking 30th overall with 138.8 rushing yards allowed per game. They are also 17th in the NFL in scoring defense this 2023 campaign.
Green Bay will be playing the the league-worst Carolina Panthers in Week 16, and they should be able to shut them down easily. If their defense continues to struggle, though, it’ll be a bad look for Barry once again.
They will be tested more in Weeks 17 and 18 against their NFC North rivals Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. Anything but an impressive showing, nonetheless, could prove fatal for Barry’s job.
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