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The Green Bay Packers defense has had its fair share of ups and downs this season. From allowing just 3 points to the playoff-bound Los Angeles Rams in Week 9, to allowing 30 points against the 2-15 Carolina Panthers in Week 16, many have called into question the Packers’ defensive prowess.
However, despite criticism the Packers defense sits in exactly the same position in defensive rankings it did at the end of the 2022 season: 17th.
In the 2022 season the Packers allowed an average of 336.5 yards per game. In 2023 they averaged 335.1. While this is not a significant difference, it shows that the Packers defense has not regressed, as pundits suggest.
Joe Barry Faces Criticism From Fans
Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry has come under fire from fans and pundits throughout the course of the season.
“I read what you guys write,” said Barry in an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal. “I hear what you guys say.”
GettyPackers defense coordinator Joe Barry has come under scrutiny this season.
Many fans point to one play in particular. In the Packers Week 5 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, Raiders receiver and former Packer Davante Adams was lined up in the slot. Tasked with covering Adams was linebacker Preston Smith. Smith, who is listed 5o lbs. heavier than Adams, never stood a chance.
Davante Adams 1v1 vs. Preston Smith
📺: #GBvsLV on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus t.co/ZjjXbjW0ad
“Laughable. That’s a cheetah vs. a whale,” said one X user.
@NFL Putting Preston Smith against Davante Adams, that’s like putting Tre Hawkins against Tyreek Hill
Stats Show Packers Defensive Growth
While there have been games in which the defense has been called into question, the Packers defense also improved slightly in another statistic, points per game. In the 2022 season the Packers allowed an average of 21 points per game. In the 2023 season the Packers improved slightly, allowing 20.1. This ranks them 14th in the NFL in points per game allowed, slightly above league average.
GettyThe Packers defense has played their part in their postseason push.
The last time the Packers defense allowed fewer than 20.1 points per game was in the 2019 season, in which the defense allowed 19.6 points per game. This was the first season under head coach Matt LaFleur, and the Packers went 13-3 finishing the season one game shy of the Super Bowl.
Since Aaron Rodgers took over as quarterback in 2008, the Packers have had 12 winning seasons. In those winning seasons, only on three occasions did the Packers defense average fewer points per game than the 2023 team.
Packers Offense Reigns Supreme
There is an old adage that states “defense wins championships.” However, since 2017, the last six Super Bowl Champions had an offense which ranked higher than their defense. The Packers offense this season averaged 345.5 yards per game, good enough for 11th best in the league, and higher than their defensive ranking. Additionally, of the 14 teams to make this year’s postseason, five have a worse defensive ranking than the Packers.
While this suggests the Packers are on the lower end of the defensive spectrum in comparison to other playoff teams, they still had a better defensive season than five other playoff entrants. In an era in which offense seemingly wins championships, defense is still just as important. And while the Packers defense may not be the best, they are still good enough to help the Packers in their during their playoff run.