Packers coach Matt LaFleur seeks ‘solutions’ after defense…
Green Bay, Wisconsin As the head coach of the Green Bay Packers for over five seasons, Matt LaFleur has fired three coordinators. Even after his defense was “shredded” and “outcoached” by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, LaFleur will need more time to consider if Joe Barry will be No. 4.
After Baker Mayfield produced one of the best visiting quarterback performances ever at Lambeau Field, LaFleur was deluged with inquiries concerning Barry’s status and the defensive effort in the 34-20 loss.
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LaFleur responded, “Uh yeah, now’s not the time for that, to be honest with you,” when asked if he would think about switching coordinators.
He reiterated, “Because it’s not the right time,” in response to the question. I need to watch the movie again and try to figure out what to do.”
Maybe LaFleur was saying that it wasn’t appropriate to think about that right after the game. However, it’s also plausible that LaFleur intended to wait until after the season to consider acting. He didn’t let go of special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga (after 2020), defensive coordinator Mike Pettine (after 2020), or special teams coach Maurice Drayton (after 2021). Instead, he did so only after previous seasons.
Due in significant part to his prior positions as a defensive coordinator in Detroit and Washington, Barry’s 2021 hiring was widely criticized. In the end, his defenses were ranked in the NFL between 28th and 32nd (last).
Barry, though, was expected to be more talented in Green Bay than he had been at his prior stops. Throughout his tenure, the Packers have used up to eight first-round picks to play on that side of the ball.
Generally speaking, Barry’s defensive issues have mostly involved stopping the run. Despite missing All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander for the majority of the season due to a shoulder injury, the Packers were a respectable eighth against the pass going into Sunday. However, they ranked 31st in the NFL in terms of rushing yards allowed prior to Sunday. Alexander was sidelined for the sixth straight game on Sunday.
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But largely, it was in the passing game this time. Mayfield was the first visiting signal-caller to throw four touchdown passes and complete 75% of his throws at Lambeau Field in history, including postseason games. He also became the first opposing quarterback to ever have the highest passer rating (158.3) in this stadium.
Barry made the commitment to play a lot of zone defense against the Bucs, which Mayfield exploited. 22 out of 28 throws were completed by him for 381 yards and four touchdowns. ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats indicates that Barry played zone 66% of the time, and Mayfield was 16 of 20 for 255 yards and two touchdowns against it. With ESPN starting to measure it in 2017, that was the highest the Packers had permitted while they were in action.
Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary stated, “Going into the game, I feel like we’ve got the right game plan, feel like we’re going to be able to execute and come out on top.” “But I have to go back and examine the tape, which I’m going to do in a few minutes, to see where we went wrong or right, to see the breakdown of the game and see how things went, right or left. And as I mentioned, please return so that we may correct them and begin to work.”
The coverage had too many openings, even if the Packers sacked Mayfield five times. With 10 catches for 155 yards, receiver Chris Godwin averaged 4.06 yards of separation on all of his targets. That’s in contrast to NFL Next Gen Stats’ league average of 2.95.
Among LaFleur’s remarks that can be interpreted negatively for Barry were:
“They’re outcoaching us, they’re outscheming us and outplaying us, ultimately.”
“Baker went out and shredded us and it’s disappointing.”
“You know, it’s all worrying when it appears like there’s some uncertainty happening back there. It’s definitely necessary for you to be really coordinated and tuned in on all three levels. Each guy feeds off the other, and miscommunication of any kind results in gashes, which is exactly what happened. 22 completions for 381 yards is just not good enough, in my opinion.”
After the game, a few players said that Packers outside linebacker Preston Smith had a conversation with the defense.
Smith stated, “We all talked.” “And we know there’s a lot of things we’ve got to fix, and there’s a lot of things we can improve on to be a better team and a better defense.”
The Packers, who held the eighth and final NFC playoff place going into the game, have now dropped two straight after pulling even at 6-6 and looking outside with three games remaining. Their chances of making the playoffs dropped to 27%, per ESPN Analytics.
“All I know is this: We’ve got three weeks left,” LaFleur replied in response to a question about if he believes Barry’s message and plan have been lost on the players. There are three games left, and each one is played with a playoff mindset. Who can predict what may occur? But you have to work for it every day; we can’t have it all back at once. From now on, you must return to practice and simply give it your all.”
