It’s not often you see a team part ways with a defensive coordinator who led his unit to a top ten finish in team defense. Yet that is exactly what the Packers did when they decided not to renew the contract of Mike Pettine. So after a long search that included the declination by Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, the Packers hired Joe Barry.
In 2020 the Packers defense was really good against bad offenses and really bad against good offenses, with the exception of the win over Tennessee when they shut down Derrick Henry. Other than that they just could not get off the field when they really needed to. When they finally did make some plays, intercepting Tom Brady three times in the NFC Championship game, they saw the Bucs’ defense not give an inch. That is what the Packers’ defense must become for the Packers to reach the Super Bowl.
The Packers’ defense is one of the reasons why the team isn’t the outright favorite to win the Super Bowl this year. Check out their chances with a visit to https://casinobonusesfinder.jp/online-casinos/casino-secret. You can probably find some favorable odds if you think the Packers are the team to beat.
Can Barry be the man?
Everybody knows the story of Barry and where he comes from and the kind of defense he brings. The question is can he be the one who finally gets the Packers over the hump? Not since early in the Dom Capers era did the Packers have a truly solid defense. If Aaron Rodgers really wanted to help himself maybe he would have talked J.J. Watt into choosing the Packers instead of Arizona. It’s been the fault of the defense and not the lack of a wide receiver that has kept the Packers from winning another Super Bowl in the Rodgers era.
The Packers have solid pieces on defense. Jaire Alexander is a star in the making at cornerback. They have a top nose tackle in Kenny Clark and a premier pass rusher in Za’Darius Smith. New inside linebacker, De’Vondre Campbell, seems to be the missing link the defense has badly needed.
The Packers are also solid at safety with Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage, so if rookie corner Eric Stokes can win the starting job over Kevin King the team may have the final piece to the puzzle. It’s up to Barry to put them all together and do what his predecessor couldn’t.
I have a good feeling about the defense. Barry is the polar opposite of Pettine personality-wise and I think the players will play with more emotion this year. Something that has been sorely lacking for years. It is time!