Have you tried the Google Machine, Rory? There is much available to be read about Coach LaFleur with just a few simple keystrokes from the privacy of your own home.

Did you know in 2003 Matt was backup QB for the Omaha Beef of the National Indoor Football League? It's true! The following summer he signed with the Billings Outlaws. Hoolignan's Sports Bar on N Broadway in Billings keeps a glass case over the area of the bar where Matt sunk his incisors into the oak after one to many cold ones (okay, I made that up).

Seek and ye shall find, Rory.

" from my eyes it seemed like LaFleur's system was slowly undermined by Rodgers. "

You're being far too gracious. Rodgers refused to accept MLF's offense from the very beginning. There were 2-3 game windows where we'd start to see MLF's offense somewhat emerge, then right back to Rodgers limiting pre-snap motion, audibling/signalling out of the intended route combinations and runs, refusing to get the ball out on time, etc. For a good deal of time the offense was some sort of strange compromise between MLF's system and the old McCarthy vertical offense.

But Coldworld tried to tell everyone
MLF had to go-
MLF makes it work!

"Joe Barry led the defense one year too long." 33% in agreement. Barry never should have been hired. After the inspired attempt to land Jim Leonard, Matt did a 180 and almost in a panic dusted his buddy off the DC scrap heap. I could not believe it.

McCarthy had the same anchor with Dom Capers, although Capers had a few good years after his arrival. However, like Barry's prevent (the win), Capers exotic, constant substitutiion D became entirely predictable and Dom never adjusted.

I believe Matt is an excellent offensive coordinator. A great HC? Perhaps one day and his decision to finally replace Barry with Hafley is a move in that direction. For now, he seems mostly fixated on Offense and delegates D and STs to his coordinators. I'd prefer a HC be coach the entire team like Lombardi, J. Harbaugh, Bill B, and the fella in Detroit. I think this and Rodgers shadow has kept him earning Coach of the Year.

However I did see noticeable growth in Matt last season. More hard edged confidence vs the nice guy, milquetoast persona. He adjusted his offense for his young team during the season and it worked, increasing his confidence. He still shies from making the difficult decisions, especially on the Personnel front. Timid in this decision making.

But last season, he passed his Boards and received his PhD in Offense, sans Rodgers. Will he get his Head Coach sheepskin? When he hoists the Lombardi, for certain. And maybe before then. He has been a very good hire for the Packers. And he continues to grow.

Last year, with the transition from Rodgers to Love and the overall youth movement on offense, the idea was to keep Barry if for nothing else than some continuity. Switching defenses, along with all the other major changes on the team, would've been a lot.

I'll agree with that EXCEPT I don't think GB could have won the SB last season no matter what MLF did. Beating SF would have been good though. Playing Detroit in the NFCCG? That was a very real possibility. Can that loss be pinned on MLF? Our QB blew the first and last throw of the game. Every player could have done better, on at least one hugely important play, with maybe the exception of #33.

It was an honest loss. And they were legitimately in the game, right up to the final 52 seconds. I will forever be impressed by the fact it wasn't a blow out. The season ended in PERFECT fashion for everyone on the roster to work their tails off all off season, come back and win it ALL.

GPG!!

I agree with both your points. What we saw last year was that Rodgers influence over the game planning was more significant than perhaps most of us thought.

As to LaFleur, he was pretty poor initially (when scripted plays are that much of a disaster in comparison to play afterwards, for half a season that’s on the coach and his planning and trust of players). However, he seemed to click my mid season.

I do wonder to what extent he was the cart or the horse as opposed to Love driving the more ambitious calling though. Nevertheless, we did start to see what LaFleur the OC can do left to apply his abilities unfettered and when he feels more confident.

Now we need to see what he can do as a HC. The Barry retention was clearly neither popular with key players nor successful. It seems LaFleur realized this and not merely as a person (Barry) but as a defensive philosophy.

He changed both. Now he has Hafley. To some a left field choice, but one clearly based on all of changing personality, philosophy and scheme. That choice will go as far, if not further, to defining whether LaFleur has grown as a Head Coach than how well LaFleur can build on the offensive potential we now have and that now has more experience.

A Head Coach must run a successful 3 phases, not one. Our O should make further strides this year, individually and collectively. Now we need to see if he has the ability to surround himself with people who can deliver in other phases as well. We have the players, can he deliver? This year will be enlightening.

I think you and ColdWorld have very accurately summed up my feelings about LaFleur. I like his offense a lot and I believe he does a good job of managing the whole team through the emotional vastitudes of each season. However his selection of assistant coaches has been a very mixed bag and Barry, Drayton and Mennenga are not easily overlooked.

In the past I also took Lafleur to task for the lack of in-game adjustments, but saw much better in-game changes on the offense last year. ColdWorld correctly pointed out that the offensive in-game problems prior to last year may have been more Rodgers than LaFleur.

LaFleur is growing as a head coach (he was a young head coach when hired) and if he can get his hiring of assistants straightened out, he could be the next great Packer head coach.

AGNFB!

D playing with their hair on fire

And plenty of dat Joisey attitude from LB coach Campinelli. I seriously want to see EVERY defensive player we've got take a MAJOR step up within this system, and I think that's reasonable.

I will again state that #25 is the hungriest player on the roster, and the fact that he goes way back with Josh Jacobs can ONLY help. I've seen glimpses of that killer instinct simmering beneath the surface in Mr Jacobs, and these two can infect the whole locker room with it! Imagine if Quadzilla catches on to that level of violence with his blocking?!? Imagine if #9 starts fighting as hard as Wicks for contested catches?

Now apply this to our O line ...

I'm seeing a DYNASTY in the making. GPG!!

Don't forget the complete makeover of the safety position.

It's been completely revamped and has more talent than at any time since the few months we had Collins on the field with Burnett before injury struck.

Beyond the starting talent level, I honestly feel this might be the deepest the safety room has EVER been in Green Bay. I understand they are a bunch of rookies who haven't taken a single NFL gameday snap at this point, but the talent is there... and GB's depth at safety has historically been thin.

Our safeties (and how Hafley plans on utilizing them) are perhaps one of the most exciting elements to see shake out in 2024 for me.

Excellent points!

The defensive side of the ball promises to be much different, too. Some show trepidation, I say damn the torpedoes!

ST will be very interesting. RB gets his chance to be a creative genius. Whoever's on the opposite side of kickoff receptions from #25 will be targeted relentlessly. Hopefully Tucker Kraft fully recovers from his torn pec before week 1. Does he play coverage on ST? I wouldn't want to have the ball with him bearing down on me ...

Great overall comment.

I would add to this, however:

"How many times did this man hold his tongue, swallow his pride, show poise?"

There's an entire organization here in Green Bay that has held their collective tongue, swallowed their pride, and shown poise in regards Rodgers, and even to Favre for a number of years. It's the result of a very intentional organization-wide directive to 'keep it classy', as well as a clearly understood long-term financial decision- these players will forever be linked to the Green Bay Packers and are important players through the lens of NFL history, and keeping a good relationship with them is good for business for the Packers. They will be retired to the ring of honor, inducted into both the PFHOF and the GBPHoF, and a good relationship with these players can equate to positive cash flow and PR for the organization for decades to come.

The whole damn organization has been cognizant of how to handle Rodgers 'difficulties' with class and restraint in public. Ted's "Complicated fella" remark is the closest to public criticism they may have ever got; it was really sort of a nudge and a wink to the public from Ted affirming that yes, Rodgers can be difficult.

I can tell you what it felt like when JL10 took the field during TC last year: it was absolutely electric! You could literally FEEL his command of the offense in the stands. Our other 2 QBs were undeniably good, but JL10 was incomparably better.

I'll also tell you that the little footwork problems he showed during the season were NOT there during TC. This tells me he picked up those bad habits while playing under the pressure of a leaky O line. Even after the clear and obvious improvements there, he still had a defender up in his grill immediately after getting rid of the ball, on almost every play.

Time to straighten all that out practicing without defensive pressure, AND a much improved O line, and this defense will be much better this season :)

Who can't they beat?!? GPG!!

"The roster needed new talent.
A new Defense."

This coming from the guy who spent the last few months blasting Gutekusnt for having revamped the roster.

Talking out of both sides of your mouth again, I see.

Jeez Harry, no walk-overs in the NFC north? Have you not looked at the Bears or the Vikings?

Bears and Vikings will be afterthoughts. The Lions are due to regress. The division is Green and Gold.

Just another example of the Packers taking the high road.

Yes, MLF is being honest- the offense IS the exact same offense with Jordan Love as it was with Aaron Rodgers under center.

What isn't being stated: Jordan Love is actually executing the offense as it is intended to be executed, while Rodgers just did whatever he wanted out there.

The offense executed on the field under Love looks vastly different than it had under Rodgers. Just the pre-snap motion in and of itself is a massive difference- and it continues to cascade from there.. the offense hasn't changed; it's just that now the QB actually runs the offense.

Bears and Vikings are still walkovers.

HH, great comment! I hope to see MLF rise to the occasion, and especially in big moments. All the past failures get washed away that easily. HC needs time to improve just like anyone else.

GPG!!

Most important season SO FAR ;)

"a target on their backs"? as in this year people are actually going to practice and try to win as opposed to just taking Sunday off?

I assure you that no one laid down for the Packers last year.

It takes awhile to process the exit of a person like Rodgers-heck, the rest of the sports world remains under his spell. I think GB has done a very efficient job of phasing his memory out.

Agreed! Run blocking from the O line is NOT what GB has prioritized in "the modern era." (When was the last time GB did?)

We need that ability anyway. Without it can GB make it to the SB this year? I dunno, but WITH it I like their chances a LOT better :)