Joe Barry undoubtedly delivered some memorable moments during his run as the Green Bay Packers' defensive coordinator. We all remember his impressive night limiting Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, and how the turnovers helped the Packers stun the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.
But the brutal reality is that Barry's unit fell well short of expectations. The Packers invested heavily in the defense, but despite boasting first-round talent and free-agent signings, Barry produced underwhelming results, especially against the run.
The Miami Dolphins are quickly learning that if you plan to shut down rushing attacks, you probably shouldn't assign that task to Barry.
Dolphins' awful run defense will give Packers fans painful memories
In 2023, the Packers allowed 128.3 rushing yards per game, ranking 28th in the league. It was even worse the season prior, as Barry's unit gave up an average of 139.5 yards on the ground.
That immediately changed in Year 1 under Jeff Hafley, with Green Bay ranking seventh last season, giving up just 99.4 yards per game. Their 77.5 yards allowed per game this season is good for second.
RELATED: Packers veteran already looks finished one month into 2025 season
Barry's run-defense issues have followed him to Miami. He is Mike McDaniel's linebackers coach and run game coordinator, and it's fair to say it's not going well.
Entering Week 6, the Dolphins are allowing a woeful 174.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 32nd. Last week, they allowed 239 yards and a touchdown on the ground to a Carolina Panthers offense missing their best running back. It didn't help that Miami's offense managed only 19 rushing yards of its own.
It's not all on Barry, of course. He's not the defensive coordinator, but he deserves his share of the blame as the run game coordinator. For all of the Dolphins' defensive faults, mostly in the secondary, they have a strong defensive front.
Turn on a Dolphins game, and you may get some nightmarish flashbacks to Packers defenses of years gone by. The Dolphins are quickly learning that if you want to stop the run, Barry isn't the coach to do it.