Matt LaFleur demands more aggressiveness out of the Packers defense
Matt LaFleur said he doesn't intend to fire defensive coordinator Joe Barry at this point of the season. But that doesn't mean the head coach is happy with what his assistant has done. After a tough 34-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, LaFleur characterized the bad performance as a negative recurrence, saying […]
Matt LaFleur said he doesn't intend to fire defensive coordinator Joe Barry at this point of the season. But that doesn't mean the head coach is happy with what his assistant has done. After a tough 34-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, LaFleur characterized the bad performance as a negative recurrence, saying the defensive issues "aren't an anomaly", because "they happen all the time".
The Packers head coach was clear when he mentioned that he wants to go back and watch the game film before making any big proclamations. But a point of emphasis was the lack of aggressiveness. When asked if he would like to make defensive changes, LaFleur left no doubt on the table.
"Absolutely. We gotta challenge much better on the back end," LaFleur stressed. "I get they (the Bucs) have some good wideouts, but you gotta be willing to challenge, especially if you're getting gashed. Just change it up."
What's happening?
According to the Packers head coach, the lack of ability to stop the run is the origin for all miscues.
"When you have trouble stopping the run and you start committing more people, it leaves you exposed on the back end", he said. "That's why you've gotta play that game, in terms of trying to guess when it's a run or a pass. And call the appropriate defense whenever it may be."
Beyond being bad on a down to down basis, the Packers didn't have efficiency even on situational plays — which is theoretically what this defense is built to do.
"We sacked him (Baker Mayfield) five times, and it wasn't enough. He had some situations where we got them on third and long, they got a screen for a first down," LaFleur pointed. "The possession right before the half was disappointing. It was a 2nd and long (29) and they got a big explosion play. That leads to points. We've gotta go back and look at it, and find out what exactly happened. Ultimately, it wasn't good enough."
After losing to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in consecutive weeks, the Packers path to the playoffs is tough. They still have a shot to make it, but it will have to go through winning out against the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears, and rooting for other results around the league over the final weeks of the season.
For now, all that will have to happen with Joe Barry as the defensive coordinator.
Cover 3: Quick takeaways after the Packers loss to the Buccaneers
Does LaFleur think the defense is good enough?
