The Lass Word: LaFleur Has Another Step to Take

Record setting coach needs Super Bowl to get the recognition he deserves.

Is Matt LaFleur the best head coach in the National Football League right now?  How does he compare to other current top coaches, like the Rams’ Sean McVay, the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, the Chiefs’ Andy Reid, or the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin? 

Maybe those are the wrong comparisons.  Maybe the guy we should be comparing him to is George Seifert.  He’s the coach whose record LaFleur just surpassed.  Seifert became the field boss of the San Francisco 49ers in 1989.  His team went 14-2 in his first year, then followed that up with another 14-2 season in 1990.  In his third season the Niners slipped to 10-6.  That’s 38 wins in his first three seasons, and that was a league record that stood for 30 years. 

Until now.  When the Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings in their week seventeen game last year, LaFleur notched victory number 39, the product of a trio of thirteen win seasons.  And because LaFleur accomplished the feat in the team’s sixteenth game, he broke Seifert’s record in the same number of total games.  In terms of regular season wins, Matt LaFleur is the most successful coach in NFL history over his first three seasons. 

39 wins.  That’s more than McVay or Belichick or Reid or Tomlin had at the start of their head coaching careers.  The list of LaFleur accomplishments since taking over the reins on January 8 of 2019 goes on and on.  Three straight division titles, two trips to the NFC championship game, twice the number one seed in the NFC, etc., etc.  He has demonstrated he is one of the bright offensive minds in the game.  In 2020 his offense led the league in scoring, putting 509 points on the board, the second highest total in franchise history (2011).  By all accounts, he has beautifully managed his relationship with Aaron Rodgers.  He and his staff have masterfully handled injuries and Covid.  He is a whiz at custom designing game plans to fit the opponent and his available players.  So, is he the best coach in the league? 

You know where the conversation goes from here.  Though he has had unprecedented regular season success, LaFleur has another big step to take.  McVay, Belichick, Reid and Tomlin have done something LaFleur has not.  Each has won a Super Bowl, or multiple Super Bowls.  George Seifert?  He won two Super Bowls.  That is the ultimate standard by which coaches, and players as well, are judged.  How many championships have you won?  As dominant as LaFleur’s Packer teams have been in the regular season, they have acquired a reputation as being underachievers in the post season.  The ending of the past two campaigns has been particularly damning, as two warm weather teams (Tampa Bay and San Francisco) have come to Lambeau in frigid weather in January and beaten the favored home team. 

Interestingly, LaFleur doesn’t seem to get much of the blame for the post season problems.  It is Rodgers who chokes, or changes too many plays at the line of scrimmage.  Certainly, the futility of the special teams is part of the equation.  Critical missed assignments on defense.  Offensive turnovers.  In his post game news conferences, LaFleur frequently takes full responsibility for all shortcomings. “The buck stops with me” he often says. Yet his humble persona and nice guy image seems to persuade fans and media to, by and large, give him a pass. 

We can debate whether he has gotten off the hook too easily, but regardless, the Packers head coach will never be considered among the league’s elite until he is wearing a championship ring.  The comparisons to McVay, Belichick, Reid and Tomlin are not really fair.  LaFleur has only been at the helm for three years, shorter than any of the aforementioned.  There’s no telling how many championships he may accomplish during his career.  The comparison to Seifert is likewise skewed.  Seifert inherited a defending Super Bowl champion team when he got the job.  LaFleur got a dysfunctional unit with a losing record the previous season.  It didn’t hurt that General Manager Brian Gutekunst bulked up LaFleur’s first roster by bringing in free agents Za’darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos and Billy Turner. 

As we approach the opening of training camp later this summer, LaFleur will once again command a solid, deep roster with elite talent on nearly all levels.  His future Hall of Fame quarterback returns.  The Packers will again be one of a handful of teams favored to advance to the Super Bowl.  You can make the argument they were the best team last year, having beaten both of the teams that did play in the championship game.  Will this be the year LaFleur takes that next step, from regular season wonder, to world champion?

Only then will he get the recognition he deserves. 

 

 

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Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.

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Comments (53)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Johnblood27's picture

July 01, 2022 at 06:27 am

Great article Ken, thanks for writing it.

I agree that MLF needs to get a ring to be compared favorably with his peers.

How about a follow up article reviewing the areas of MLF coaching where he has shown a need for improvement and potential paths to such improvements? Maybe include some "tells" that would indicate where MLF is along the way to his improvements?

MLF has gotten a pass on critical evaluations, but he obviously needs to shore up some areas, it would be great to see that discussion - supported by facts.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

July 04, 2022 at 04:43 am

How about first quarter points? GB was 23rd at 3.2 points scored in the first quarter in 2021. Moreover, despite having a great offense, GB was 22nd at 4.6 points scored in the first quarter of games in 2020. For completeness, GB was 5th in first quarter points in 2019 by virtue of averaging 6.4 points.

To me, that suggests that the initial offensive game plan has been poor. One might even suggest that AR's audibles (not buying into the offense) in 2019 was more productive than the game plan.

OTOH, perhaps the play calling in the first quarter sets things up for the Packers in the 2nd quarter. GB was ranked 5th, 1st (with a whopping 13.6 points scored) and 2nd (with a healthy 9.6 points) for points scored in the second quarter.

[As an additional qualm I have, I wish I could get these figures as the mean as opposed to an average since one blowout quarter can skew the data.]

As for not making adjustments at halftime (or the 3rd quarter droughts), GB ranked 5th, 3rd and 10th in points scored in the third quarter in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

July 04, 2022 at 04:43 am

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NickPerry's picture

July 01, 2022 at 06:54 am

"Seifert inherited a defending Super Bowl champion team when he got the job. LaFleur got a dysfunctional unit with a losing record the previous season."

Hmmm...Dysfunctional might be putting it mildly. The Packers had had TWO losing seasons in a row for the first time since the 1990 & 1991 seasons. Ted Thompson had been ill and was finally replaced by Gute at the start of the 2018 season. Ted's performance had slipped, Mike McCarthy had completely lost his team, and McCarthy's QB was on a mission to HELP him out of town.

Enter the young HC who looked like a deer caught in the headlights at his first press conference. I was on the Josh McDaniels bandwagon and the press conference only fueled my belief the Packers dropped the ball. But I WAS CLEARLY WRONG., the Packers got it right.

LaFleur's success came much faster than I thought it would. Yes, Gute broke the bank on some Free Agents (Thank God!!) but LaFleur lacked experience which I always figured would take some time. For example, would Belichick or Reid kicked a FG in the 2020 NFCCG, or would have they gone for it? Or last season, MLF KEEPS Mo Drayton when it was obvious to everyone Drayton should have been gone MONTHS ago. Or once again tinkering with the O-Line when it didn't need to be tinkered with in the Divisional Playoff game last season. Billy Turner coming off injury should have been the RT and Yosh the LT. Playing Kelly and Turner was overthinking it, something a younger HC WITHOUT the experience might do.

It's year 4 and LaFleur NOW has the experience. MLF called plays for exactly ONE year in Tennessee. He may be a whiz kid when it comes to scheming an offense for an opponent, but he lacked what Seifert had in spades over him...EXPERIENCE! Siefert not only inherited a SB-winning team, but he also inherited a SB-winning coaching staff. The smartest thing he did was name some dude named Mike Holmgren as his Offensive Coordinator. I mean talk about being set up for success! But when you look at Sieferts coaching staffs those first few seasons, not to mention a QB named Joe Montana, there was no way he was losing.

LaFleur has done a fantastic job while gaining experience and learning each and every year. IF Rodgers buys in FULLY to this offense, the Packers can represent the NFC in the SB and hopefully win. But it's up to MLF, Tom Clements, and the rest of the Packers coaching staff to make sure Rodgers doesn't start running his own offense. Adams is gone. Use the rest of the offense. LaFleur's #1 job is to pound that into Rodger's head.

This is a GREAT team IMO. They need to do it as a TEAM though.

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Todd's picture

July 01, 2022 at 09:38 am

Well said, Nick!

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Guam's picture

July 02, 2022 at 07:15 am

NP, you have been on a roll lately!!!!

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T7Steve's picture

July 01, 2022 at 07:37 am

McCarthy was great at scripting plays to start a game. He just seemed never able to make adjustments in game or at half time. It didn't hurt as much during the regular season (till the end), but in the playoffs it really hurt. He was completely out-classed. It was my biggest frustration. I even warned Cowboy fans it would happen.

That seems MLF's problem to figure out too. He's getting better at it. Even the coaches he faces in the regular season that he might see in the playoffs seem to hold stuff back, run more vanilla till it maters. I know MLF has to figure how to game plan around the adjustments other coaches make to limit what AR is doing. When AR can just act like a game manager, that's when he pulls off the most spectacular stunts that surprise even his own team.

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HawkPacker's picture

July 01, 2022 at 10:54 am

'McCarthy was great at scripting plays to start a game. He just seemed never able to make adjustments in game or at half time.'

Bingo! I agree wholeheartedly. He is not good at all with making adjustments. That is so important in the NFL.

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Rarescope's picture

July 01, 2022 at 03:58 pm

Sadly that seems to be a weakness of Lafleur's as well. I mean come on, is it really that hard to at lease try switching up the O-Line for a series or two? I had a giant pit in my stomach literally the second I heard who the starting O-Line was for last year's playoff loss. Not saying it would have been a magic bullet, but with three words we could at least say we tried - "Yosh, you're up."

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Handsback's picture

July 01, 2022 at 07:55 am

Nick, good reply and think asst. coaches don't get enough credit for what they do.
MLF managed to find some great people but also took chances on others and it came to bite him last year.
MLF has been outclassed in the playoffs. He will learn or forever be the really good regular season coach but not a SB winner. Marty Schottenhiemer (sp) comes to mind.
MM does have a SB win in his pocket and that alone is why he is in Dallas. Actually a little worried about them this year as well.

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mrtundra's picture

July 01, 2022 at 07:56 am

I think its pretty cool that the vikings gave LaFleur his 39th victory, as a coach. I also think it is even cooler, that the vikings will give LaFLeur his 40th victory, in this season's week one match up! Way to go, Matt! GO PACK, GO!!!

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KnockTheSnotOutOfYou's picture

July 01, 2022 at 08:18 am

Tundra,
I like how you think! 😏

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Packer_Fan's picture

July 01, 2022 at 08:06 am

Yeah, I think LaFleur needs to take the next step in the playoffs. He has struggled to win games against really good teams. Part of the causes are what you noted. But for sure it is how LaFleur prepares the team and makes adjustments during the game.

The offense will struggle some this year, but the defense should be better. So Matt, take the next step this year!

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Guam's picture

July 01, 2022 at 08:07 am

I like MLF, but I am not ready to anoint him as the second coming of Lombardi/Holmgren yet. As NickPerry correctly pointed out, MLF has made some serious bonehead moves (Drayton, the O-line shuffle) and seems to consistently struggle with in-game adjustments against better defenses. Until he eliminates some or all of those problems, there is going to be a shadow over his glittering regular season record and it will be unlikely that he brings a championship home to Green Bay.

I am rooting for him to continue to grow and develop. Let's hope this is the year he gets it all right!

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Since'61's picture

July 01, 2022 at 08:38 am

NFL coaching is about preparation and making adjustments. MLF's teams are usually well prepared and they consistently play hard. However come playoff time mistakes and errors in judgement which can be overcome during the regular season become exposed as major flaws by superior opponents and coaches.

The OL line shuffle for the playoff game against the 49ers remains a mystery and it hurt the offense with 6 sacks allowed and numerous hits and hurries on the QB. The running game suffered as well, especially when Dillon went down. Allowing the season long ST failures to continue into the post season proved to be a season ending disaster in the playoffs. Another issue was the continued focus on Adams in the passing game. The 49ers had no answer for Adams during the regular season game. But to assume that the 49ers would allow that to continue in the playoff game was another error in judgement and should have been anticipated during the game planning sessions prior to the game especially with a bye week to work with. We've also had situations where we have had only 10 men on the field on defense. This is no excuse for that for an NFL coaching staff. These are all on the HC.

MLF has demonstrated that he is good at game planning but poor at adjusting the game plan in big spots. Another point is that although the Packers play hard they don't seem to play a full 60 minutes of football very often. There have been numerous games where either the offense or the defense and sometimes the entire team disappears for a half or more and then they dominate the other portions of the game. Again, that has often worked during the regular season as the record proves but it is a death knell during the playoffs.

MLF and his staff have done an excellent job of dealing with numerous injuries during their tenure but something is missing come playoff time. They seem to out smart themselves and/or not be prepared to adjust to their opponent's adjustments. Maybe this is the season MLF breaks through. Maybe this is the season where we have the correct mix of HC and assistants to get the job done on offense, defense and STs. We have been out coached in the playoffs for a long time at this point going back into the Mike McCarthy era. It needs to change. Thanks, Since '61

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Todd's picture

July 01, 2022 at 09:39 am

Good points! Still baffled by the O-line shuffle.

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Since'61's picture

July 01, 2022 at 11:40 am

The only explanation I can think of is that, for whatever reason, they didn't believe that Nijman was ready to handle Bosa. I think Nijman deserved a chance to handle Bosa based on how he played during the season.

Then again this is speculation on my part. There could have been other reason(s) that I am not aware of. Either way it didn't work out for the Packers.
Thanks, Since '61

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Rarescope's picture

July 01, 2022 at 04:04 pm

I think he deserved a chance too. It was pretty obvious that things weren't really working on the offense pretty early in the game. Neither me nor my Dad could sleep that night, I've never been so crushed by a football game loss before. It was just bad juju all around. A waking nightmare.

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Johnblood27's picture

July 01, 2022 at 04:58 pm

Hey Rarescope, didn't you have a TV in 2014?

"Neither me nor my Dad could sleep that night, I've never been so crushed by a football game loss before."

Losses all suck, some more than others, but in 60 years of watching GBP games, none - NONE - hurt as bad as vs Seattle in 2014. Not even vs Denver in the SB.

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LLCHESTY's picture

July 01, 2022 at 05:23 pm

I think losing to Denver hurt more because expectations were higher. I expected them to win that one by 14 and bet a lot of money on it. I remember thinking about 5 minutes into the 4th quarter I've lost the bet but they will still win the game.

They were both shockers but there weren't the same expectations going into the Seahawks game. It was just like getting a tooth pulled without anesthesia for the last 5 minutes.

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Rarescope's picture

July 02, 2022 at 06:19 am

“Hey Rarescope, didn't you have a TV in 2014?“

I might have moved onto the laptop/projector by then so no, I may not have owned a tv. I was watching a fair bit of footbal around then but the streams I got were pretty poor in quality. I don’t think it was really until 2017 though that I really started watching every game I could find. I mostly focus on enjoying the game in front of me and don’t remember many individual Oder games like you all do. 2014 was also right in the middle of a five year span of lots of drugs and alcohol so I’m not surprised I don’t remember that game :P

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Johnblood27's picture

July 02, 2022 at 09:20 am

Points taken... I have forgotten (had wiped) my fair share over the years too!

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Bure9620's picture

July 01, 2022 at 10:38 am

Good points
Back from a short hiatus

MLF is never really going be held in same esteem as the other aformentioned coaches due to Aaron Rodgers. Fairly or unfairly, unless MLF shows some real sucess without 12 or wins a SB he will always be overshafowed. That being said, we gave a very coach and Packer fans know this

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ricky's picture

July 01, 2022 at 10:42 am

LaFleur doesn't seem to be able to make adjustments in the offense when the defense the Packers are facing causes them problems. This has caused problems, particularly in the post-season. The other major problem is, unlike McCarthy and Favre, LaFleur has not been able to rein in Rodgers. This particularly means (again, and again, and again) that when the game was on the line, Rodgers only had eyes for Adams. Three other receivers could be running free, and Davante triple teamed, and the ball would go to him. With Adams gone, and admittedly, he is a great player, will Rodgers spread the ball around more? Or will he hold it too long and take unnecessary sacks? And once Rogers leaves - my prediction is this is his last season- will LaFleur design a new offense to take advantage of the strengths of Love? Or, as he did when Love started against KC, will he just throw him in with a Rodgers friendly game plan, and let him struggle? McCarthy also had a lot of success, first with Favre, then with Rodgers. Having a HOF QB always makes things a lot easier. But once that crutch is gone, will the team success continue? We'll see.

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Rarescope's picture

July 01, 2022 at 04:05 pm

I remember Rodgers in his earlier years as a ball spreader. I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll see that again this year.

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TarynsEyes's picture

July 01, 2022 at 11:06 am

"You can make the argument they were the best team last year, having beaten both of the teams that did play in the championship game."

No, you can't. This is fantasy thinking. A regular-season scheduled game produces a false narrative about a team's victory/loss and ignores certain aspects that are crucial to THAT game at the moment played. The fact that that game is not the season decider unless the last game and the back-door entry likely means you have no business in the playoffs and likely a quick exit anyways.

You still have other games to play. Whereas in the playoffs you cannot look to the next opponent for help to remain, it's all on this one game and this is where the Packers have shown that they are two teams in one with the worse of them always lingering inside until the playoffs. Whereas the teams mentioned they beat and create the false narrative basis of them being better because of that regular-season win and in part why they don't later when it counts.

The opponents seem to discharge their bad team in the regular season and the good team appears for the playoffs and gives us games played that the Packers could only dream/fantasize of playing like. In fact, the last time we saw Rodgers and the Packers play like either KC, LAR, TB, or Cinn in the SB was against Arizona in the 09' playoff game, even the SB win against Pitt wasn't equal. They have yet to play like that in the playoffs since, but rather with lackadaisical play-calling, low overall play, produced many a folly, sup[lied many a direction for finger-pointing, HC blunders of obvious levels, and the list goes on.

Nothing has really changed under the new HC and GM. Yes, MLF has more wins in his first three seasons, and that means little unless he wins an SB, or he may become the most fantasized HC that never became the Best Man or Maid of Honor by making INTO the SB, but always a mere Usher or Bridesmaid, neither of which is remembered outside the fantasy world dreamers or as I like to refer to them, Blind-Optimist.

Yes, I expect the just sit back and enjoy the journey crowd to rush to the defense while in their hearts and minds they languish because I speak the truth, and the truth is a harsh reality, especially these days.

The phrase spoken by Bill Parcells, You are what your record says you are, pertains to the regular season only, and the Packers and blind-optimist fans should relish that because if it were to pertain to the last 11 seasons of playoff games, what they are wouldn't be as consoling as that which you console yourselves with. as like the 39 wins record and a few others of no real value, less there be icing on that cake, and there isn't any.

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Rarescope's picture

July 01, 2022 at 04:08 pm

"Nothing has really changed under the new HC and GM. Yes, MLF has more wins in his first three seasons, and that means little unless he wins an SB, or he may become the most fantasized HC that never became the Best Man or Maid of Honor by making INTO the SB, but always a mere Usher or Bridesmaid, neither of which is remembered outside the fantasy world dreamers or as I like to refer to them, Blind-Optimist."

Spoken like a true Blind-Pessimist :P

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TarynsEyes's picture

July 01, 2022 at 04:52 pm

Realists are always deemed pessimistic. Because there's always more truth in it and optimists are more prone to ignore/deny the truth.

You deny what chinks against your faith/hope/optimism in what has already passed, is now, and to come. An action that disallows reality/common sense thinking entrance. Faith/blind hope is the antithesis of Reason/Reality. Why one of that mindsets nearly never sees the wrongs coming for them until it's upon them. All faith/hope/optimism must have a main home in Reality.

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Johnblood27's picture

July 01, 2022 at 05:12 pm

how about you take an advanced Philosophy course at STFU?

REPEAT: does anybody really know what time it is?

truth is a matter of perspective, there is no monopoly on it.

your perspective is certainly not the only one and harbors no more truth than any other.

can't you be satisfied that you exist in an environment where you can espouse your perspective of said thruthes and perhaps allow others to express theirs without trying to rebuke them at every turn?

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TarynsEyes's picture

July 01, 2022 at 05:40 pm

I have a strong sense that you would believe 2+2 is whatever you want it to be, which is the version of truth espoused by the fantasy-driven followers of today, with many here at CHTV.

The very sentence that the team can be argued as better when those teams played in or won the SB and GB didn't is a version of 2+2 being what you want other than 4.

I know, the better team doesn't always win, but in the case of GB, it seems to be the only truth for its fans, which we know is the fantasy truth and not the reality-based one.

Will this season be another fantasy best team win or will it prove itself in the real world of winning? Get your excuses ready as will offer none, but perhaps reality-based applause for a job well done, but none for a fantasy anointed win.

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Johnblood27's picture

July 02, 2022 at 09:18 am

Black and White
Shades of Gray

Both of these areas exist.

Learning which is which comes from experience and intelligence.

Knowing how to deal with each is wisdom.

Your comments in this thread are far to simplistic and unilateral to exhibit that you have wisdom in this area. Your perspective is not the arbiter of the views of others, grow a little and realize that you alone do not hold a monopoly on experience, intelligence or wisdom.

Maybe then you will receive less hostile responses. Your takes are mostly good, how you present them is atrocious.

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LLCHESTY's picture

July 01, 2022 at 05:29 pm

A realist sees the negative AND positive in everything. You are no realist.

Throwing two whereas into the same paragraph is an accomplishment though, gold star for the day.

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TarynsEyes's picture

July 01, 2022 at 09:22 pm

Yes, I do see both. That's why I'm always trying to get the fantasy dwellers to be realistic and reside in reality more than fantasy. I never said give up entirely your hope and such, just reel it in some to allow some common-sense/reality-based thinking.

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LLCHESTY's picture

July 02, 2022 at 03:04 am

I've been derided many times for being realistic on here too, but I've never seen you say one positive thing on here. Bobby Dylan wrote some pretty dark songs but even he said "hmm come here, step into the light" once in awhile.

https://youtu.be/v1E-BxwjcZQ

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Rarescope's picture

July 02, 2022 at 06:25 am

L.O.L. So, who’s looking forward to watching some football this fall?

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TarynsEyes's picture

July 02, 2022 at 09:37 am

Perhaps if you looked around these days, it's the fantasy-driven who are on the dark side and need to step into the light again.

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Coldworld's picture

July 01, 2022 at 11:19 am

If you actually look at how out coached LaFleur has been when it matters—think back to the championship games if only those—and at his repeated failure to address Pettine’s soft D, despite multiple public statements that it had to stop or his refusal to face the obvious fact that Drayton was miles out of his depth, the fact that LaFleur isn’t given such credibility looks more rational.

In addition, Rodgers on field issues at key moments are part of the issue. A coach is there to get the most out of talent and that includes when that talent is locked in to a failing in game strategy. To be clear, if the coach can’t make that happen it’s evidence of a critical coaching failure.

LaFleur is good with the media, has a good system learned from others but, as others have said, has made inexplicable decisions pre and in game and over longer periods that can’t be overlooked and can’t be blamed on Rodgers completely or on a lack of roster strength. Indeed, some see this team as playing essentially Rodgers ball.

It’s not surprising he’s not really seen as more than a pretender with potential. I’d argue though that last year he regressed rather than show the hoped for progression. Let’s hope that this time he can deliver on the promise when it matters.

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LLCHESTY's picture

July 02, 2022 at 03:35 pm

In 2019 the D got run over so fast in the NFCCG the offense was behind the 8 ball from the start basically. The 2020 NFCCG is where his lack of adjustment to the pressure the Bucs were getting was really glaring. What is strange about that was there was one drive where they went uptempo to slow the rush and it worked and I thought they had a decent plan going only to go away from it.

I think he also goes into panic mode when they give up a couple big plays, when you need a calm head and a couple 1st downs.

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splitpea1's picture

July 01, 2022 at 12:26 pm

The comparison to the older Steelers and 49ers teams are a little off; both teams were very battle tested, had won Super Bowls recently with the original architect/head coach, and had more continuity as far as the assistant coaching staff. And much better defenses.

You would hope that hiring capable assistants such as Barry and Bisaccia should allow MLF to focus the vast majority of his efforts the offensive product, which he is probably going to need to do anyway this season with all of the personnel turnover. Successfully navigating these new offensive challenges with better ball distribution should help us in the postseason.

As far as the in-game adjustments during the playoffs, MLF and Rodgers need to find the delicate balance between "hero ball" and game manager; there's a time and a place for each. If Brady can do it, then so can Rodgers. A more diverse game plan and some unpredictability, particularly in the second half, would be most welcome.

MLF has won a couple of playoff games, so it's not like he's a total dud in this regard. In the first two losses, you could argue that we were not the better team in either one--definitely not in 2019 loss to SF. But last year really hurt. So when the playoffs come around, the spotlight should rightfully be directed toward MLF and his ability to harness Rodgers and have HIS team ready for all contingencies. There's also no need to arouse the crowd with any arm-waving; the fans are doing just fine. Just concentrate on the game plan and how the players are executing it on the field; and will the team to victory if necessary!

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Fubared's picture

July 01, 2022 at 12:55 pm

How can you rate a coach who inherits and A Rodgers and D Adams.
We;ve all seen some questionable decisions in big games that we scratch our heads over so, for me he is not super bowl ready.
He had a shot at it and it got by him.

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stockholder's picture

July 01, 2022 at 01:07 pm

I don't put the blame on anyone but Gutey. You want straw made into Gold. And everyone just saw Gutey's last draft. The fix!. And it's still not over until he gets the RIGHT Tes. The break downs have been obvious. And a Coach must play with what he's got. The biggest problem has been putting a gun to Rodgers head. And the other is the STs. It's written all over LeFlueur's Face. Even his gambles.
Picking up the slack won't get you to the super bowl. Strange as it may seem. The packers took too long filling the revolving doors. And for that you can't blame Rodgers or LeFluer. A bad decision here or there, always points to whose in charge. But LeFlueur had nothing to do with why it took so long.

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pantz_bURp's picture

July 01, 2022 at 04:21 pm

LaF, you got this! Just make sure you, the coaching staff and the players put their BIG BOY thermal pantz on for the playoffs (no guarantees obviously)

Look out for #1, but don't step in #2

Hugs & kisses,
Pantz Burp

0 points
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PhantomII's picture

July 01, 2022 at 05:54 pm

1. Is ML the best HC in the NFL? ( HELL NO)
2. ML can not change his game plan to save his...(PLAYOFFS)
3. ML illusion of complexity mandates multiple TE's blocking and running a route at different intervals to catch a
Defense with their pants down. When our OL is outmatched in the playoffs we are using TE's to block so much
there is not much illusion going on except illusion of a stout OL.
4. He's the genius who ok'd running 80% of the offense thru double teamed Adams.
5. He thought it was ok to hire the inept ST coordinators helper.
6. He needed to look at other teams ST personnel packages after losing in the playoffs to see what % of their ST
were starting personnel. He's the HC...ST has been a Chronic disappointment so he should already been doing something before hand. ML is "YOUNG"... and he's still learning the "HARD WAY".
7. Dillon and Taylor are a rotational set of RB's. ML has had back to back playoffs where either Jones or Dillon have got hurt and ML completely shut down that portion of the run game because HE was not PREPARED AS A HC to rotate a good RB in their place. UNFORGIVEABLE AT THIS LEVEL. HE's NOT LEARNING FROM HIS MISTAKES. I like ML but if he can't figure stuff out...he needs an assistant to take over play calling.

3 points
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Rarescope's picture

July 02, 2022 at 06:31 am

With you on everything but #3. We have not had even an illusion of a stout oline in the playoffs during the MLF era. Sadly the injuries there have been quite poignant in there impact at playoff time. Coupled with an inability to make adjustments it’s been our Achilles heel.

-1 points
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Leatherhead's picture

July 01, 2022 at 06:04 pm

The three best coaches the Packers have had since the merger are Holmgren, McCarthy, and LaFleur. That's quite a bit of the last 30 years, and I thank Ron Wolf for creating the structure that made it possible. I also think that if LaFleur can win a title, he'll move ahead of Holmgren and McCarthy based on his exceptional W/L record out of the box.

Many really good coaches never won a Super Bowl. Bud Grant. Marty Schottenheimer. Chuck Knox. Don Coryell. Mike Fisher. I could go on.

I just want to see the team come out every week looking like they practiced and they're sharp. We lay surprisingly few eggs under LaFleur and you don't usually have to worry about showing up to play. Sometimes the offense doesn't get off the bus quite as quickly as I'd like, but we never look like we don't know what we're doing.

1 points
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PhantomII's picture

July 01, 2022 at 10:59 pm

Holmgren screwed up by leaving GB. He's far above the other two. MM drove me crazy. ML is driving me crazy also. Marty Schott....played not to lose-way too conservative but otherwise good. That was his fatal flaw. ML is around 85% of what he needs to be a Super Bowl Winner. Needs to be able to change it up on the fly and learn from mistakes after the first time. The window is closing on his learning curve w/ AR at QB.

1 points
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LLCHESTY's picture

July 02, 2022 at 02:59 am

Holmgren got too cute towards the end too. In '98 Dorsey would have an outstanding 1st half and then Holmgren would totally forget about him in the 3rd quarter. OC disease. Never get cute when you have them on their heels. If bludgeoning is working bludgeon them, if the passing game is working pass them to death. If neither is working use both t you find something that does.

3 points
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Coldworld's picture

July 02, 2022 at 09:07 am

We’ve laid a few eggs under LaFleur in the regular season, but we have a veteran future Hall of Famer and enough weapons to defeat enough teams that our regular seasons look great. We have tended not to look great against better teams and ones that decline to play to the game plan we devised. Those teams expose the underlying weaknesses and have done so regularly. We consistently try the same tactics in such circumstances. That’s the opposite of what gets a coach true respect. Such coaches win against the odds, out coach teams when it matters and find innovative ways to tilt the balance in their team’s favor. Thus far LaFleur really hasn’t shown an ability to do that.

2 points
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LLCHESTY's picture

July 02, 2022 at 03:40 pm

Putting a halt to giving up dumb big plays in the playoffs would be a good start. KK and Drayton aren't there anymore and with the added players on D maybe they have a couple of those go their way.

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Grandfathered's picture

July 01, 2022 at 07:28 pm

"He is a whiz at custom designing game plans to fit the opponent and his available players."

No He is not. The AR Covid Love starting game said the opposite.

3 points
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Rarescope's picture

July 02, 2022 at 06:33 am

Not like he had a lot of time to change the game plan but still you’d think that’s kinda his job and he’s find a way.

-1 points
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Coldworld's picture

July 02, 2022 at 08:35 am

He had most of a season to develop at least a basic plan B in case of injury. It was baffling to see him just trot out a game plan as if Rodgers was out there. Even later MM had contingencies for such situations. It probably goes all the way back to camp where he essentially had Love spend almost no time with the starters. That, like the whole Drayton saga, was begging to trip us up.

2 points
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Rarescope's picture

July 03, 2022 at 09:25 am

Exactly. While from reading this site I realize it’s a little more complicated than give the ball to the guy to run it or throw it to someone who looks open, it’s not rocket science.

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