Gil, you are exactly right. Barry is trying to fit a scheme to the wrong type of players.

The general manager, Gute and the coaches are not linked together. It is not the players fault.

This won't be fixed until people are fired at the top and the goofy structure is fixed.

Who knows what Barry is thinking? Here's where another layer of oversight is needed, but it doesn't seem to be coming from management or the demure MLF.

Savage has experience playing the slot in his college days, so why not give it a try? And what's wrong with Ford, or even Abernathy, in Savage's normal role?

I thought Gute made a mistake by not taking a safety at least by the fourth round of the draft. As a matter of fact, he could have taken the Lions' Kerby Joseph late in the third round instead of a project guard. Joseph has played well for a rookie and is now starting.

And what on earth is Stokes doing back there other than showcasing a terrible sophomore slump? It's kind of ridiculous for him not have a single PD halfway through the season.

Put Savage in the slot and line up 23 on anybody they think, is a problem. I get most D play a lot of zone, but screw it, play to your strengths. Also can Lowery just play pass down please.

FIRE Joe Barry NOW!!!!!!

It’s the same thing we’ve seen with Capers and Pettine. The coordinator thinks it’s his scheme not the players that are the defense so no give on where players are positioned and played. And the head coach won’t assert his authority and responsibility to make changes. I think it was 2014 when capers dismissed the idea of moving Clay Matthews inside to shore up the run defense. Finally, at the bye, McCarthy insisted he do so. The run defense did get better and the Packers got to the championship game for the first time in four years. So there’s some in house precedent for the boss to be one.

The Primary problem at 1265 starts with Gute: It seems players are drafted for: RAS score solely, when the first box to check should be tackling ability, then ability to decipher where the ball is going and being in position to make the play behind the LOS or with minimal gain, ability to shed blockers, Intelligence, ball tracking, hands, speed. It's as if Packers believe they can teach tackling and some sort of sense of where the ball is going...but they can't. A good Coach puts his players in position to excel...we have some poor Coaching, Poor oversight and zero changes. We lost a lot of coaches at the end of the season and then tries to make coaches that remained fit a round peg in a square hole. There is no way ML should have made many of the changes he did without the ability to teach these positions himself on the fly.

On the positive side I believe the Packers have MANY of the right pieces for a Championship Defense. BUT, we have a DC who refuses to utilize their talents to teams advantage.

1.) Rasul Douglas is a boundry CB...Period! He's to big, and not quick enough for the slot. He's the CB you put on the bigger physical WRs on the opposing team.

2.) Jarie Alexander can play anywhere. He can play the slot, outside, and IMO should follow the opposing teams #1 most of the time.

3.) Stokes is a boundry guy that has taken a step back. I still believe in Stokes regardless of what he's done this season.

4.) Savage HAS to be used around the LOS exactly the way Pettine used him at the end of 2020. My hope is they get rid of Barry after this week and SOMEONE who's promoted (Probably Jerry Gray) uses him the way he should be used. Hey, maybe 2020 was an anomoly but I'd rather give it a try and see for sure. IF he was to look like he did in 2020 again, it's one less peice they'll need moving forward.

I know Jerry Gray is in charge of the secondary, but I also think he stuck playing Barry's "System". Coaching only goes so far when the scheme is shit. I believe Gray is a hell of a defensive coach.

The Lions average 35.75 points a game at home. Amon St. Brown is healthy again. Swift will play and Williams has been fantastic this weekend. IF the Lions score 35 points I think the Packers offense will have a hard time keeping up. Barry hasn't shown me shit this year, especially for 4 quarters in a game. IF, the Lions score 35, then Barry MUST go this week.

"The Packers are simply not maximizing the talent they have"

That's it. Game after game.

Good article but it failed to discuss why Barry is doing what he is doing. The fact is Stokes is lost out there. He can't cover, he isn't much of a tackler and he doesn't challenge receivers. Thus others are moving around to assist Stokes lack of skills.
If Stokes could cover and use his speed to contend for the ball, this defensive scheme would be way different. Benching stokes would make Gutt look real bad considering he was a 1 pick.
I was on to Stokes from day one reading how Adams was making him look foolish and Stokes kept making the same mental mistakes daily.
He was why they created the current scheme, he couldn't be another jairre like they planned.

Good article but it failed to discuss why Barry is doing what he is doing. The fact is Stokes is lost out there. He can't cover, he isn't much of a tackler and he doesn't challenge receivers. Thus others are moving around to assist Stokes lack of skills.
If Stokes could cover and use his speed to contend for the ball, this defensive scheme would be way different. Benching stokes would make Gutt look real bad considering he was a 1 pick.
I was on to Stokes from day one reading how Adams was making him look foolish and Stokes kept making the same mental mistakes daily.
He was why they created the current scheme, he couldn't be another jairre like they planned.
I heard a receiver say that Stokes couldn't cover him in college and he had a field days against him

Good article but it failed to discuss why Barry is doing what he is doing. The fact is Stokes is lost out there. He can't cover, he isn't much of a tackler and he doesn't challenge receivers. Thus others are moving around to assist Stokes lack of skills.
If Stokes could cover and use his speed to contend for the ball, this defensive scheme would be way different. Benching stokes would make Gutt look real bad considering he was a 1 pick.
I was on to Stokes from day one reading how Adams was making him look foolish and Stokes kept making the same mental mistakes daily.
He was why they created the current scheme, he couldn't be another jairre like they planned.
I heard a receiver say that Stokes couldn't cover him in college and he had a field days against him

I think there's a couple things wrong with this article. Douglas has struggled at slot but it might just be he took awhile to settle into it. He's had a couple good games there over the last month. In any case I don't think you can hide lack of speed on the outside compared to inside, outside is where speed lives.

As for Savage this whole changed coverages thing is a joke. Playing one less snap of man coverage a week has turned Savage into trash? I don't think so. I posted this on Acme earlier this week:

I'm not sure Barry can be blamed for Savage's regression. In 2020 under Pettine they played on average:
Cover 1 13 snaps a game
Cover 2 7 snaps
Cover 3 20 snaps
Cover 4 7 snaps
Cover 6 8 snaps

Under Barry this year:
Cover 1 12 snaps a game
Cover 2 2 snaps a game
Cover 3 22 snaps
Cover 4 10 snaps
Cover 6 5 snaps

So other than a little more cover 4 and a little less cover 2 this year compared to 2020 the numbers a very similar. Either Pettine asked him to do very different things when they were in dime or he's regressed. A lot.

You can look it up for yourself here:

http://thekneeldown.westus.cloudapp.azure.com/

I doubt if there is enough space on the CHTV blog to adequately list how screwed up this coaching staff is.

Chuck them all and start over. MLF hired Barry but MLF doesn’t know anything about defense so he can’t even get Barry to adjust his disastrous scheme so that we can maximize our players potential.

I’m managing my expectations by hoping that the Packers beat the Lions but not expecting our coaching staff to be able to pull it off. Thanks, Since ‘61

Barry is trying to put square pegs in round holes. He got canned from Detroit for his not so great D so what does that tell you? What is the problem with Savage in the slot and putting someone else at S. He has whiffed on so many tackles his replacement can't be any worse. Or better yet sit his ass on the bench. If you can't tackle at this level, what good are you? As for Alexander, he is money and should be on the other teams best wideout every game. And Douglas should be on the edge where he was lights out last year. Why Barry refuses to slot these players where they are most effective is just sheer lunacy. He must think he's the smartest guy in the room. He needs to be pink slipped NOW!

“Douglas is better suited to playing the perimeter where … his lack of speed is less of an issue.”

Are you confusing speed and agility? Because speed is definitely a major factor for DB’s on the perimeter. Yes, the sideline limits the route tree and allows a DB without the coverage skills (recognition) and/or agility to cover all the route options in comparison to defending the slot, but you had better have speed on the perimeter because there’s less help available if you miss a step.

Slot coverage needs the recognition skills, change of direction/agility skills- quickness- to cover the receiver which ever way his route takes him, but they get generally don’t need flat out speed to the extent the perimeter DB does because there’s typically more defenders- lbs, safeties, etc, in the vicinity to offer support.