8/22/2023 0 Comments Packer newsGreen Bay has a third place schedule following its disappointing 2022 season. And if that happens, the Packers will be one of the NFL’s surprise teams in 2023. But there’s plenty of talent for this to become a top-10 defense. It’s a leap of faith betting on Barry, who has been a subpar defensive coordinator in Detroit, Washington and now Green Bay. The Packers have an elite trio of cornerbacks, a pair of athletic inside linebackers, a gifted group of pass rushers once Rashan Gary returns, and athleticism up front. Over the final four games, Green Bay allowed 17.3 points per game and improved to 26 th against the run and to 17 th in total defense. The good news is Green Bay did make strides in the final month of the season.Īfter 13 weeks, the Packers ranked 30 th in rushing defense, 18 th in total defense and were allowing 23.2 points a game. And that’s what you can’t do in this league.” “I think if you do go back and really critique last year, the inconsistencies were the things that really got us,” Barry said. And that level of mediocrity was a major reason the Packers finished 8-9 and missed the postseason. And Barry must get more from that unit than he has to date.īarry’s defense was respectable in 2021, but took a step back last year and finished 17 th in both total defense and scoring defense. The Packers have an NFL-high eight first round draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. And if Barry can’t get it done this season, his days of being a coordinator are likely finished. Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry is on the hottest of hot seats. “We took him for a reason back in 2020, he’s been progressing nicely, and to see him kind of take the jump he did this past year was nice.” “I think whenever players progress, it factors into all the decisions that you’re making,” Gutekunst said of Love. It took a while, but that was the type of player general manager Brian Gutekunst envisioned when he traded up four spots in the 2020 draft to take Love. Love played in four games in 2022 and finished the year 14-of-21 for 195 yards with one TD, no interceptions and a quarterback rating of 112.2. Ironically, Love’s breakout performance came nearly 15 years to the day that Rodgers showed the Packers he could be their heir apparent to Favre with a memorable performance in Dallas. Enter Love who went 6-of-9 for 113 yards, had a quarterback rating of 146.8 and led the Packers to 10 points on his two drives. 27, Rodgers left the game with a rib injury early in the fourth quarter. Love showed tremendous improvement from his first two seasons during those practices - and then shined when his number was called last year.ĭuring a 40-33 loss at Philadelphia on Nov. Rodgers skipped the majority of Green Bay’s 2022 offseason program, giving Love ample opportunity to work with the No. But he has all the qualities that you’re looking for in a guy to be successful.” And he at this point just needs to play and work on processing information, making quick decisions, then getting it to the right guy. “He’s athletic, he can move around, buy time, and he’s intelligent and he generally makes good decisions. 1, which you need to do in the NFL,” Packers veteran quarterback coach Tom Clements said of Love. Still, the Packers are now down a reliable possession receiver and must find a replacement for his talents.“Well … he can throw the ball, No. ![]() 1 wideout, but Watson showed flashes of doing that in 2022 en route to a team-high seven touchdowns. It remains to be seen if either one can develop into a bona fide No. Losing Lazard means that Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs should be thrust into the spotlight as Green Bay's top two wide receivers. Lazard then signed a one-year tender offer before the 2022 season to stay with the Packers. He finished second on the team with 513 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 40 catches in 2021. He followed that up with 33 catches, 451 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games in 2020 despite missing a month-and-a-half following core muscle surgery. ![]() 2 receiver, amassing 35 receptions, 477 yards and three touchdowns. Lazard emerged in 2019 as the Packers' No. The Packers signed him off the Jaguars' practice squad in 2018. ![]() ![]() Lazard entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he did not make the active roster out of training camp and landed on the practice squad. The former Iowa State star stands 6'5" and 227 pounds, providing a big target downfield. He's a reliable possession receiver who's developed a solid rapport with Rodgers, catching 65.3 percent of targets over his five-year career.
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