Yardbarker
x
Packers DC Joe Barry running out of answers regarding abysmal run defense
Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK

Packers DC Joe Barry running out of answers regarding abysmal run defense

Joe Barry should be on the hot seat in Green Bay.

A season after his squad — jam-packed with first-round talent — gave up a middling 21.8 points per game last season, which included an abysmal mark of 139.5 rushing yards given up per game, Barry finds himself in the same old predicament.

At 2-2, the Packers have shown flashes of being a good team under young quarterback Jordan Love, but they've also been extremely disappointing at times — especially on defense and especially against the run.

The Packers got gashed in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons for 211 rushing yards, and in last Thursday night's game against the Detroit Lions, they gave up the same amount and looked physically outmatched in the process.

Barry's defense is now giving up 155.3 rushing yards per game, which is the third-worst mark in the NFL right now.

It's gotten so bad that head coach Matt LaFleur has spoken about the definition of insanity, but still, on Monday, Barry could provide no real answers to the press.

“That’s something I’ve definitely have gone back the last 72 hours and looked at. I went back and looked at all four games and it’s not one thing that you can pinpoint," Barry said when talking about the problem for his run defense (h/t Bill Huber). I just went back again this morning and watched all 42 runs from Thursday night and it’s not one thing. It’s one thing on this play, it’s another thing on this play. You have 30 runs that you play really well.

“It’s a number of things but we’ve got to correct it, we will correct it. We’re exploring everything right now. When we’re in one of those games, we have to put our foot down and stop it.”

That can't be a confidence-boosting answer if you're Matt LaFleur, and moving forward there's no reason opponents won't just jam the ball down Green Bay's throat until Barry can somehow find a way to fix his Swiss cheese running defense.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have the best record of fixing issues, so his "we will correct it" speech may not inspire confidence either. Remember, Barry was the architect of the Detroit Lions defense that went 0-16 in 2008. That unit gave up over 30 points per game. 

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.