In an embarrassing performance, the Green Bay Packers’ defense led by Joe Barry were trounced by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Following the Green Bay Packers’ 34-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game in which defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s unit made Baker Mayfield look like Tom Brady, only one question mattered.
Would coach Matt LaFleur fire Barry?
“Now’s not the time for that, to be honest with you,” LaFleur said.
Why not?
“Because now’s not the time,” LaFleur replied. “I’m trying to find solutions and I’ve got to go back and take a look at the film.”
Maybe LaFleur is prepared to play the final three games with Barry. Maybe he needs a moment to collect his thoughts and go over the calls and the film.
Whatever LaFleur’s line of thinking, the defense’s ghastly performances against Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito on Monday night and Mayfield on Sunday have to have the third-year coordinator on thin ice.
It doesn’t get much uglier than this:
– Mayfield completed 22-of-28 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns. That means Mayfield had almost as many touchdown passes as incompletions.
– His perfect passer rating of 158.3 marked only the second time that’s happened in Lambeau Field history. Aaron Rodgers did it against the Raiders in 2019.
– Among visiting quarterbacks who threw 15 passes in a game at Lambeau, the previous highest rating was Nick Foles’ 149.3 in 2013.
– Among those same visiting quarterbacks, Mayfield’s 13.6 yards per attempt was more than 2 yards better than any other passer.
– His yardage total was the second-highest of his career, trumped only by his 397 yards as a rookie against Houston. He threw three interceptions in that game.
– Mayfield needed only three quarters to set his season high in passing yards.
– After completing less than 50 percent of his passes in back-to-back wins entering Sunday, Mayfield completed 78.6 percent against Green Bay.