The Chicago Bears continue filling out their coaching staff after a shakeup this month. Shane Waldron takes over as offensive coordinator, while Kerry Joseph joins as his new quarterbacks coach. One job that has remained open for months is defensive coordinator. Alan Williams stepped down under mysterious circumstances last September, forcing head coach Matt Eberflus to take over the call sheet. It proved to be a stroke of good luck as the defense had a midseason turnaround, becoming one of the NFL’s best by season’s end.
Even if he remains the play caller, a coordinator is still needed to help organize things and serve as another brain to pick. The Bears have met with some intriguing names thus far, headlined by former safety Chris Harris, Titans defensive line coach Terrell Williams, and Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington. A fourth name joins the mix, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry will interview for the job.
It’s an interesting decision, considering the man was just fired by the Bears’ rivals.
Matt Eberflus’ interest in Barry isn’t a surprise.
The veteran coach has been around the NFL since 2000. During that time, he became a disciple of the Tampa-2 scheme developed by Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. Barry was the linebackers coach on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that won the Super Bowl in 2002. Since Eberflus runs a variation of that system, it is rather obvious he’d have an interest in the 53-year-old. Barry has a somewhat uneven record as a coordinator, with some ugly stints in Detroit and Washington. His run in Green Bay was easily his best, though.
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Across three years, the Packers had a top 10 pass defense every season under his watch. They were 9th in total yards in 2021 and 10th in points allowed this past year. For all the heat he gets, Green Bay’s playoff woes can’t be hoisted on him. His unit only gave up 13 points in the loss to San Francisco two years ago. They allowed 20 in the season finale against Detroit, which should’ve been enough for Aaron Rodgers to overcome. This time, his unit got a critical stop in the 4th quarter, giving the ball back to the offense with a 21-17 lead. The drive ended in a missed field goal. San Francisco scored a few minutes later. Jordan Love then threw the game-ending interception.
Barry isn’t perfect, but he wouldn’t call the plays anyway. He earned a reputation for strong scouting of opponents and being able to adapt his game plans to exploit their weaknesses. That might be something Matt Eberflus wishes to have on his staff.
