GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Matt LaFleur couldn’t live with another defensive meltdown in an NFC Championship Game, so the Green Bay Packers coach decided to change defensive coordinators.
It’s now Joe Barry’s turn after three seasons with Mike Pettine in control (two under LaFleur). While Pettine’s unit jumped all the way to ninth in the NFL last season (after finishing 18th in each of Pettine’s first two seasons), the meltdowns and miscommunications in the season-ending loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it a palatable call for LaFleur.
Barry’s track record as a coordinator isn’t great, but he didn’t have anywhere near the talent he inherited in Green Bay during his previous stints in the job with Detroit and Washington.