1 Big Question Facing Each Packers Defensive Position Group at the Bye
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers LBs: How consistent can Krys Barnes be?
De’Vondre Campbell has been a revelation at the linebacker position for the Green Bay Packers. Through 12 games, he has done it all, logging 12 pressures and a sack as a blitzer, filling gaps and making sideline-to-sideline plays against the run, while also limiting opponents to just 6.5 yards per catch in coverage. Campbell is also PFF’s second-highest graded linebacker this season.
His running mate, Krys Barnes, has had some impressive performances of his own. Barnes had one of the better showings of his short career against Los Angeles; he was also quite impressive earlier in the season against San Francisco and Kansas City.
However, when it comes to Barnes’ overall play, it very much seems to be all or nothing. He either plays really well or he really struggles, with very little in between. In addition to those stellar performances listed above, he has had some rough showings, to say the least, against Minnesota, Chicago, and New Orleans.
With the play of Campbell, the Green Bay Packers don’t need Barnes to be great by any means, and that isn’t the expectation, but by eliminating the high-variance performances and providing more consistency from game to game, this already stout defense will be better off.