Wednesday Cheese Curds: Can the Packers count on Joe Barry and the defense?

The Packers are entering year three of the Joe Barry era, and it probably says something about his tenure as the Packers’ defensive coordinator that I have some trouble coming up with a definitive description for how his defenses play.

“Passive,” though, seems like a pretty good start. Far too often over the previous two seasons, Barry has seemed content to just get the Packers’ big names on the field and hope for the best, relying on their talent to do the work. And, to be fair, there are worse strategies. For several seasons too long, we watched Dom Capers try to force his complex scheme on the Packers’ over-worked defensive talent, and they faltered under the weight of the playbook.

But on the flipside, Barry’s defenses have been exploited by offensive minds capable of isolating and attacking the Packers’ weak spots, and rather than countering their approaches, Barry has stuck with his own philosophy — often to the team’s detriment.

With the offense still finding its footing heading into the season, the Packers will need their defense to be a stabilizing force. Presumably — hopefully — they have the talent to do so. But that’s asking a lot of Barry, who hasn’t consistently shown enough creativity through two seasons to accomplish that job.

That’s not saying it’s impossible, but relying on Barry and the defense seems like a fraught proposition.

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