Reworded: This news article was written by Steve Megargee, a sports writer for the Associated Press (AP).

Joe Barry is out as the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator after a turbulent third season on the job that ended with a loss in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Joe for his dedication and efforts that have led to our success over the past three seasons,” stated Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Wednesday when announcing the decision. “Making these choices is not easy, and Joe is one of the most exceptional individuals I have had the privilege of working with in this industry.”

During the regular season, Green Bay’s defense, which included eight players who were first-round draft picks, ranked 10th for points allowed per game (20.6), 17th for yards allowed per game (335.1), and 23rd for yards allowed per play (5.4).

During the end of the season, the Packers faced a tough three-game period where they gave up an average of 29.3 points per game. This resulted in a record of 1 win and 2 losses against the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers.

During his press conference after a 34-20 defeat against Tampa Bay, LaFleur was directly questioned about the potential of replacing coordinators mid-season. The game saw Baker Mayfield achieve a perfect passer rating of 158.3, resulting in both him and New York’s Tommy DeVito earning NFC player of the week honors for their impressive performances against the Packers.

The following day, LaFleur announced that Barry would remain on the team but that he would also have a greater responsibility in managing the defense. During their subsequent match, the Packers lost a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter but still managed to secure a 33-30 win against Carolina, who failed to score any more points in their last two games of the season.

The defense improved significantly for the remainder of the season.

The Packers only gave up one touchdown in their last two games of the regular season. This occurred when the Minnesota Vikings recovered a fumbled punt on the Green Bay 7-yard line. Additionally, the Packers prevented the Dallas Cowboys from scoring until the final play of the first half in their 48-32 wild-card win.

However, the Packers surrendered 25 points in the second half to the Cowboys and were unable to defend their lead in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 24-21 loss to the 49ers in the divisional round at San Francisco. The 49ers managed to drive 69 yards and score the game-winning touchdown with only 1:07 left on the clock.

The defense was hindered by injuries for a significant portion of the season.

Jaire Alexander, a Pro Bowl cornerback, only played seven regular-season games. De’Vondre Campbell, a linebacker, was absent for six games, while safety Darnell Savage and cornerback Eric Stokes were out for seven and three games respectively. Rashan Gary, an outside linebacker, did not miss any games but was recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended his 2022 season prematurely.

In 2022, the Packers placed 17th in yards allowed per game and tied for 17th in scoring defense. In 2021, which was Barry’s debut season as the team’s defensive coordinator, they ranked ninth in total defense and tied for 13th in scoring defense.

In the 2021 season, Green Bay’s run defense was ranked 11th, but in 2022 and this current season, it dropped to 26th and 28th respectively. However, the team’s difficulties with stopping the run began before Barry became a part of the team.

Barry served as an NFL defensive coordinator for the third time. He had previously held this position with Detroit in 2007-08 and Washington in 2015-16. Barry and LaFleur had previously worked together as assistants for the Los Angeles Rams in 2017.

The Green Bay Packers have officially signed Jack Podlesny as their new kicker. Podlesny, previously with the Minnesota Vikings, was cut during training camp. He had a 82.4% success rate in field goals while playing for Georgia in college and was also named to the Associated Press first-team all-Southeastern Conference in 2022.

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Source: wralsportsfan.com