Packers’ Barry: Focused on fixes over job status

Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterDec 21, 2023, 06:47 PM ET
Close

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Joe Barry said he was more concerned with fixing the issues that befell his unit in Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers than he was with his job status, but the Green Bay Packers‘ oft-criticized defensive coordinator acknowledged Thursday that he might be coaching for his job over the final three weeks of the regular season.

The Packers (6-8) remain in playoff contention heading into Sunday’s game at the Carolina Panthers even after Baker Mayfield shredded Barry’s defense to the tune of 381 yards passing, 4 touchdowns and the maximum quarterback rating of 158.3.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday that he planned to stick with Barry as the coordinator and defensive playcaller for the rest of the season.

Still, Barry knows his status could depend on how the team — and specifically his defense — finishes the season.

“Oh yeah,” Barry said Thursday. “I read what you guys write. I hear what you guys say. But I think that’s, again, that’s the great thing about our league. That’s the great thing about the National Football League. It is the top of the top, the best of the best and I think that’s not only an every-year thing, that’s an every-week thing.

“When you sign up for this, when we sign up for this, we know that’s what we’re getting into. That’s the thing I love about this league. That’s the thing I love about the sport, and yeah, it’s the highest level of competition at every level with every position.”

Barry’s defense ranks 23rd overall in yards allowed per game and is tied for 17th in points allowed per game. And as bad as the Packers’ pass defense was against Tampa Bay, that part of the unit still ranks in the upper half (12th) of the league. It’s the run defense, at No. 30 overall, that has been the bigger problem for Barry.

LaFleur blamed communication issues for some of what went wrong against Tampa Bay.

“There’s so many subtle nuances that have to take place on every single play with all 11 players,” Barry said. “But that’s part of my title as the coordinator — to get it coordinated. And when it doesn’t go right, it is on me and it’s my job to get it done.”

It was one of Barry’s more downtrodden sessions with reporters during his three years in Green Bay.

“It was hard on me, hard on my family,” Barry said when asked what this week has been like.

“You deal with it,” he added. “We had a bad game. I have to be better for our guys, completely, and I put that on me all the time. Anytime we don’t go play well, it’s on me. But yeah, this week was, in particular, hard, to be honest with you.”