The San Francisco 49ers are advancing to the NFC Championship Game after a heart-stopping finish against the Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers may have reached the divisional round of the NFL playoffs in the first year of the Jordan Love era, but they aren't simply going to run it back in 2024.
The team announced on Wednesday that it is moving on from defensive coordinator Joe Barry after three seasons.
"We want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success the past three seasons," head coach Matt LaFleur said in a statement. "These decisions are extremely difficult and Joe is one of the best men I’ve had the opportunity to work with in this league."
Barry began his coaching career in 1994 as a 24-year-old USC graduate assistant. He got his NFL break with the San Francisco 49ers in 2000. He spent time as defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions (2007-08) and Washington (2015-16) and held other positions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams across two decades before becoming Green Bay's DC in 2021.
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The Packers were ninth in total defense in 2021 before dipping to 17th in 2022. They were 17th in total defense once again in 2023, though they allowed the 10th-fewest points.
The bigger drop came in run defense. After finishing 11th in 2021, Green Bay ranked 26th against the run in 2022 and 28th this season.
Green Bay had a notably poor defensive stretch in December in which they gave up 24 points in a loss to Tommy DeVito and the New York Giants, surrendered a perfect passer rating to Baker Mayfield in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and allowed 30 points versus Bryce Young and a struggling Carolina Panthers offense.
NFL
The team allowed just 19 total points over the last two weeks of the regular season and went on to intercept Dak Prescott twice -- including a Darnell Savage pick-six -- in a wild card upset over the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay nearly pulled off another playoff stunner in the divisional round but ultimately lost 24-21 against the top-seeded 49ers.
LaFleur will now embark on a search for his third defensive coordinator since being named Packers head coach in 2019.
