Too Much Brake, Not Enough Gas
Three years in, and Coach LaFleur still seems reluctant to put it all on his superstar QB. Will 2026 finally be the year?
By Mark Ballard
Matt LaFleur is back in Green Bay – and certainly to mixed reviews. For LaFleur’s detractors, the primary critiques seem to be his inability to hold leads, his lack of success in the playoffs, and his inability to fix special teams/his stubborn loyalty to Coach Bisaccia. Other critiques certainly exist, but based on my very unscientific review of twitter, those seem to be the headliners.
I’ll add another to the list, which I don’t hear nearly as often, and that’s LaFleur’s curious reluctance to just cut Jordan Love loose.
That was certainly my biggest takeaway from the Chicago playoff debacle. On that frigid night, away from home, Love was unstoppable. He threw for 323 yards and 4 TDs (three of those TDs in the first half), and didn’t turn it over once against a Bears defense that led the league in interceptions and takeaways. Were it not for a Jayden Reed drop and some poor pass protection on a deep crosser to Christian Watson, Love, in all likelihood, would’ve thrown a 5th TD and won that game.
Instead, Love became just the third quarterback in NFL history to lose a playoff game while throwing at least four pass touchdowns and no interceptions.
Yes, football is a team game, and in that particular game, Love’s team failed to deliver. Alongside Reed’s critical drop, there were the missed kicks. In the second half, the Packers had only one running play that gained more than a single yard – one! On the other side of the ball, the Packers defense cowered without Edgerrin Cooper, allowing 25 fourth quarter points.
These failings bring me back to LaFleur.
His offense had amassed an 18-point 1st half lead because Chicago had no answers for the red hot Love. When the Packers got the ball to start the second half, I was like music producer Bruce Dickinson with a fever – the only prescription was more Love. Instead, for reasons, LaFleur seemed to turn away from what had worked so well in the first half. He tilted conservative, and almost immediately, the Packers’ first half momentum began to dissipate. Where the first three first half possessions began: touchdown, touchdown, touchdown. The second half sputtered: punt, punt, punt.
In the 3rd quarter, LaFleur called three running plays that gained 5 yards. In the 4th quarter, LaFleur called four running plays that gained just 1 yard.
When the Bears climbed back to within a score early in the 4th quarter, LaFleur seemed to turn back to Love out of necessity, and once again, Love dutifully diced up the Chicago secondary en route to a Matthew Golden touchdown.
Listen, I get it, in an ideal football world, you want balance. As a coach you feel almost obligated to call a few run plays so the defense isn’t completely dialed into the pass. But at the same point, particularly when Love is on a heater the way he was in Chicago, sometimes I wish LaFleur would just abandon the charade and dare teams to stop his superstar. Make the other team prove they can stop you before you go away from something voluntarily.
Packers fans will call me crazy – I can already hear the “delusional” ridicule in the comments – and I don’t care. I really and truly think Jordan Love is on the cusp of being the best quarterback in football. League MVP. Better than Mahomes, better than Allen, better than all of them.
His performance in Chicago was as good as any playoff performance I’ve seen, by anyone. Missing 4 of the team’s top 7 players, on the road, and with his whole team underperforming, he still very nearly carried them to victory.
The Packers head into next season locked and loaded, and are once again poised to be among the NFL’s elite. There’s some fixing to do in the trenches, but I have confidence this team can get there via the draft and free agency.
At the offensive skill positions, the Packers appear deadly. Christian Watson seems ready to settle in as the Packers WR1, Golden certainly flashed his potential in Chicago, Kraft will be back, and though Doubs is likely gone via free agency, Reed, Wicks, Williams, and Musgrave offer more than serviceable depth.
Of all the reasons to keep LaFleur in Green Bay that I heard this offseason, the most compelling came from Domonique Foxworth, who said that the Packers have “what feels like the brass ring when it comes to hiring a coach (which) is a play caller who is on the same page as your quarterback.”
Foxworth’s point is valid. This coach and player have years of chemistry together, and I’m sure – important lessons learned from the losses. Tough as they are, there’s real value in those mutual experiences. Trust and closeness are often born from shared tribulation.
Supporting that point, in his final press conference, Love threw his backing behind LaFleur, saying, “I definitely think Matt should be the head coach. I’ve got a lot of love for Matt and I think he does a great job and that’s it.”
Hopefully, Love’s faith in his head coach is reciprocated in 2026 with a coach that’s confident and more willing to lean on his quarterback when necessary, the way other coaches and quarterbacks have done in Green Bay, in Championships past.
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Mark Ballard is an obsessive Green Bay Packers fan, born in Buffalo Bills country, but raised right by a Mom from Rice Lake, WI. You can find him on X at @ballark
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Comments (68)
GreenandBold
February 06, 2026 at 10:05 am
Better stop smoking whatever it is your smoking . Superstar QB . Elite team . What’s next HOF Coach ?
jlc1
February 06, 2026 at 10:24 am
Maybe smoke some more and we'll find out the Pack actually won the SB.
GBPfaninMO
February 07, 2026 at 10:27 am
Yeah this is the same team that stumbled backwards into the playoffs.This team is an enigma wrapped inside a riddle & to me that starts at the top.Gure was talking about how well things went with Banks & Hobbs, I doubt he's ever thought he was wrong in his life
Handsback
February 06, 2026 at 10:12 am
Here is what I think....ML was with Atlanta when they blew the SB with a 25 point lead. He saw what didn't work and maybe it has distorted his core understanding of the ebb and flow of a high profile game.
Underling that issue ALL football experts, they call themselves that, said Green Bay's collapse in the 4th qtr. was due to not being able to run the ball. We'll, I don't think so. Green Bay only ran the ball in the first half because the pass set it up. Second half, the thinking was run the ball no matter what and don't worry about how the Bears were slowing down the passing game.
I think you understand that the Bears were going to pressure Love more and have a plan to address that. They didn't and chose poorly.
That game is a major example that ML has to review and disect to realize how to close the door and win games in the 4th qtr.
Great article!
JMHO
Since'75
February 06, 2026 at 12:56 pm
MLF was the QB coach i believe, and Shanahan was the OC.
The Patriot/Falcon SB disaster for Falcon fans.
Up 28-3 at half time, a little play calling, and a lot of time management failures, gave away the Super Bowl...period
Too many pass plays, and when they did pass, they didn't let the play clock run down to 1,2,3, seconds....oh no..lol
They would snap the ball with 10-16 seconds left on the play clock 🤷♂️
Almost, literally handing the SB to the Patriot's, the only way they could.
I was yelling at the TV while laughing at the Falcons.
How the Falcons coaches didn't see any of that, is beyond me.
crayzpackfan
February 06, 2026 at 10:16 am
"Packers fans will call me crazy – I can already hear the “delusional” ridicule in the comments – and I don’t care. I really and truly think Jordan Love is on the cusp of being the best quarterback in football. League MVP. Better than Mahomes, better than Allen, better than all of them."
"His performance in Chicago was as good as any playoff performance I’ve seen, by anyone."
If you can already hear the “delusional” ridicule in the comments, well, I may have just read the most delusional article in quite some time. I mean, when did you start watching playoff football? There has been some pretty high level QB play in the playoffs, for a full 4 quarters. To call Love's performance as good as any of them before? Please Sir. Just stop.
I'm okay with Love. Glad we have him actually. But your take on Love is absolute worship. It's embarrassing. It's actually cringy.
Since'75
February 06, 2026 at 07:24 pm
Ya know.....
Crayz is absolutely right.
Love is a good QB, we could do a lot worse, no doubt.
A lot of teams would take him in a heartbeat.
But he has yet to show the level of Favre/Rodgers
The rare ability to carry your team on his back.
That is what we saw Favre and Rodgers do, that is undeniable.
I remember a reporter asking Capers about the failures of his defense, (as it declined after the great defense of 2010.
Paraphrasing: "It doesn't matter, we have Aaron Rodgers".
BTW....that is exactly when i felt Capers needed to be replaced.
Packerpasty
February 06, 2026 at 10:20 am
You haven't seen many playoff games and playoff QB's then...yah, delusional for sure...better than Mahomes of Brady??? Prove it...
the_gavia_pass
February 06, 2026 at 10:32 am
"superstar qb". in any good company in the world you would be fired immediately of you write this quote associated to that mediocre called Jordan love.
if there Is One thing Matt Lafleur Is great at, is at working with QBs and he has tons of esperiences with real elite QBs. So if lafleur did not push on the gas with love it means he is terrorized of doing that and for a good reason, considering how bad Is love outside screen passes and easy plays.
Jordan love Is a bust. deal with It. he Is the new cutler.
tommynak
February 06, 2026 at 04:08 pm
You are so far off, this is a ridiculous take. To call Love a bust you must not be watching very much Packers football. He is far from that and his trajectory points straight up as he is getting better with each season. He takes care of the football and can put points on the board. Get on board for another fun 8-9 years with Love at the helm, good things are coming.
the_gavia_pass
February 07, 2026 at 08:40 am
I am the founder of the Italian Packers fans group, watching football since 1983.
2 years ago I wrote a post suggesting gutekunst to trade love and with the picks to trade up in the draft to get Drake maye.
tomorrow maye will play in the SB and almost won the MVP.
may be you watch football, but i'm Sorry you di not understand It at all.
love Is a disgrace, that infamous pick in 2020 was the worst decision in packers history.
gute and love are still there earning tons of money because of fans like you that like mediocrity.
tommynak
February 07, 2026 at 05:02 pm
Oh I understand football and that is highly overrating the 2020 pick to that level. Not sure what pick you are alluding to in 2020 because he wasn't even staring until 2023 so you must have your QB's mixed up. If GM's around the league had to make a pick between Love & Maye it would overwhelmly be in favor of Love. Maye can't hold a candle to Love.
jlc1
February 07, 2026 at 07:27 pm
Packers have a long history so it is not the worst pick. Tony Mandarich is. You can look it up.
PhantomII
February 07, 2026 at 12:35 pm
ML is great at inept game plans without enough forethought to have a change-up not if but WHEN GOOD NFL COACHES figure a way out to limit his game-plans success....Now Gute has hamstrung the TEAM with 2 DE's unable to get pressure on the QB and 2-DL unable to get pressure on the QB as well as unable to stop the run and 2-CB's who would unlikely start on any other NFL team...possibly injury back-ups....That's where the blame game can start with Gute...followed by ML...Because Gute did give him everything he needed to win minus a #2 WR...and a decent ST with Rodgers..
Coldworld
February 06, 2026 at 10:42 am
If Love is our man, we are going to need to play as if we have a QB that is at his best in rhythm and spreading it around. That’s the only way to get the best out of Love. He will make the same errors and less big plays playing limited. Similar downside, higher upside.
The problem is that isn’t the LaFleur O as it’s actually proved to be. That keeps the risk by the sporadic deep ball but generally has limited targets and little catch and run over the middle activity. Perfect for Willis especially with his foot speed, but really not for Love. Will that change? I have my doubts. It would need a radical overhaul at the design level.
The above aside, none of this happens without better line play. We simply can’t deny that, what ever talent we have, we don’t improve it, fail to play as a cohesive unit frequently, seem to fight individual types in how we use them and can’t seem to teach basic run blocking to anyone.
The best run blocking player who has been on a Packers roster still active last year was Josh Nijman and the coaches essentially dumped him. We just don’t seem to value it. It seems to go to core conceptual levels. Sadly we don’t seem to question such things.
SicSemperTyrannis
February 06, 2026 at 11:26 am
I also question if there's a mismatch between JL10 and MLF. Also between Gutey and MLF. MLF just doesn't seem to utilize what these two are good at.
Leatherhead
February 06, 2026 at 01:55 pm
Well, in the playoff loss, Love threw for over 300 yards and 4 TDs with 0 interceptions. You can say "mismatch" all you want, but when your QB goes on the road in the playoffs and has a stat line like that,the problem is not the QB.
splitpea1
February 06, 2026 at 10:43 am
Notes:
In that playoff game, the Bears made halftime adjustments with their defense, and MLF did not respond in kind. I can see trying to get the ground game going to a point, but once it's apparent that it isn't, then it's time for Plan B--which wasn't there. Also we've seen it before: the Packers go to Golden when they're desperate after ignoring him for long stretches. His late touchdown proved he can make great plays on his own without the perfect design. He should have been featured more in the passing offense all season long; damn the WR pecking order and accelerate his development. I hope this won't be a problem next season.
MLF is stubborn. If Jacobs can't get going, MLF will continue to pound the square peg into the round hole. The only hope is that Gute will find a way to build a better OL.
The Packers are not among the NFL's "elite". They have a lot of work to do before they get there, and not just on the OL.
Since you asked for it, any comparison of Love to Mahomes is delusional enough to be seeking professional help. While Love may have evolved into a solid quarterback during the regular season, he still has much to prove in crunch time. Mahomes has shown the innate ability to improvise and find a way win throughout his career, and besides, he has been to five Super Bowls and won three Super Bowl MVPs... Love has won one playoff game. So let's not get carried away until he has something like a ring, an award, or something besides another early playoff exit (whether it's his fault or not).
Coldworld
February 06, 2026 at 10:52 am
Mlf has a plan and a “script” in his head beyond the literally scripted plays. If it works, it looks great. If it doesn’t or stops due to adjustments, he can never get off it. He’s a white board type, not an instinctive caller who can read games and shift based on what he sees others doing. That has never changed.
It seems like Stenavich is no help or not listened to. Perhaps Love needs to go off script more as Rodgers did (not always helpfully). I never thought I’d say that.
Cheezehead72
February 06, 2026 at 10:59 am
I would not be surprised if MLF does not listen to anyone else during the game. I get the feeling that he thinks he is the smartest coach in the stadium. Yes I do not know him personally and I am not with the team but that is the vibe I get.
SicSemperTyrannis
February 06, 2026 at 11:29 am
Agreed. Plan B? Adjust? Not in MLF's repertoire.
Oppy
February 06, 2026 at 12:23 pm
Re: MLF's being stubborn w Jacobs.
I get what you're saying, but MLF's system is predicated on commitment to the run game to draw in the defense and then capitalize on play action.
Mike McCarthy used to famously say, much to everybody's chagrin, that the number one factor in successfully running the ball is attempts.. and I can't argue with him on that. Sometimes, you just have to commit to pounding the rock to get it going and keep the D honest.
With that being said, I do wish at times that MLF would adopt more of a Holgrem-esque WCO approach to short yardage- that is, to utilize the high percentage short passing game -short timing routes, hitches, and outs within the 5 yard range- as sort of a substitute for the run game at times when the OL is struggling to make any room for Jacobs (which was far too frequently the last two seasons). However, that doesn't affect the defense the same way actually handing off the ball does, and that type of attraction of LB and safety help is really a key factor in MLF's overall scheme.
splitpea1
February 06, 2026 at 12:45 pm
Excellent point. I've always loved the short passing game, and am disappointed the Packers don't utilize it more. The only thing is that some of the screen-type routes take a good bit of practice as far as the OL being able to pinpoint the blocks and give the receiver the best chance of success. The little sideline outs they seem to do reasonably well with. Still, the Packers need to expand their short passing game repertoire if they expect to move the chains more consistently.
Leatherhead
February 06, 2026 at 02:09 pm
OK, so making the playoffs is not elite. Does winning one playoff game, and putting you in the Top 4 of your conference, make you elite? Or do you have to make it to the Championship game before you're elite?
I think if you're Top 4 in the league, or Top 2 in your conference, you're elite. The Packers were elite when it comes to net yards/passing attempts and interceptions. 5th place in the league in passer rating. 3rd in third down conversions. The Packers offense is elite, or pretty good, by a number of statistical measures. They just don't score enough points.
Defensively, there's no other team that lines up guys like Parsons and McKinney and Wyatt and Cooper and we're elite, or pretty good, by a number of measures here, too
Were we "elite" across the board? No. But this team does some things very, very well.
egbertsouse
February 06, 2026 at 02:32 pm
So, being elite in the stats column is all it takes for a team to be elite. Points don't matter, wins don't matter. A team is elite by ranking 1 or 2 in particular stats categories. Only stats matter. Next, you'll tell us that size doesn't matter.
sugarbair
February 06, 2026 at 04:23 pm
I think you are old enough to remember the 70's. Old saying "Stats are for losers". Just saying.
dobber
February 06, 2026 at 03:25 pm
"In that playoff game, the Bears made halftime adjustments with their defense, and MLF did not respond in kind. "
LaF's adjustment coming out of the locker room was to immediately try to shorten the game and ride his lead into the divisional round...against a team that's been a 4th quarter dynamo. He's done that before and weathered the storm. He's done that and lost some games. This was a case where they had to come out and bury Chicago in the third quarter....and they really didn't really try. That's what finally moved me to the "LaF's shelf life in GB has truly expired" category.
"Mahomes has shown the innate ability to improvise and find a way win throughout his career, and besides, he has been to five Super Bowls and won three Super Bowl MVPs"
When Mahomes retires, he'll likely be counted in that ring of honor with some of the greatest QBs of all time. When people start making player comparisons to Mahomes...ARod...Reggie White...Anthony Munoz...I usually just stop listening.
jannesbjornson
February 07, 2026 at 02:12 pm
Yes, A fourth quarter strategy coming out of the gate in Rd three with three, 3 & Outs. Momentum goes to the Furry fellows. This modus operandi is predictably stale.
Cheezehead72
February 06, 2026 at 10:51 am
The key is as a coach you go with what is working until the other team stops it. Then you go to plan B which should always be planned out. A really good coach has already made a plan C. Now if they are stopping ll f them I guess you wing it.
stockholder
February 06, 2026 at 11:02 am
Mlf is really a good coach.
So if you think your crazy.
They do have a site on line,
for cognitive issues and testing.
More Gas?
1. Jordan Love does have nightmare moments .
2. The best way to protect Love
from injury or a scare. Is to run the ball.
3. The defense gave up the points.
4. The Kicker is No money in the bank.
So beat your chest and take the pressure
off Gute.
Because this Article is Full of Malice.
Oppy
February 06, 2026 at 12:17 pm
Love's nightmare moments are so frequent that he ended up with a 1.3% interception rate in 2026. He's one of the better QBs in the league in terms of protecting the ball...just sayin'.
TarynsEyes
February 06, 2026 at 01:01 pm
The better stats don't automatically produce wins, making plays when needed create wins.
Oppy
February 07, 2026 at 01:02 am
I addressed a specific complaint- "Jordan Love does have nightmare moments."
Tell me about the nightmare Jordan Love moments that lost the packers games in 2026?
GreenandBold
February 06, 2026 at 10:24 pm
Yes I also see him holding the ball and staying in the pocket taking a sack instead of taking off for an easy first down or at least positive yardage . If you call that protecting the ball .
Oppy
February 07, 2026 at 01:14 am
GreenandBold,
Well, I see that only 6 qualifying QBs in the entire league had a lower sack percentage than Jordan Love (4.57% Sack rate) in 2025.. and he only had the 28th most total sacks taken in the league (21).. considering there's 32 teams..
Oh, and he had the 2nd highest QBR in the league (72.7), which heavily weights protecting the football in the equation..
So, uh.. yeah.. I call that protecting the ball.
I also call that, you either don't know what you're watching happen on the field, or you're just seeing what you want to see..
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2025/passing.htm
EskyBrian
February 06, 2026 at 11:04 am
Great article! Spot on. Well said.
hesoder
February 06, 2026 at 11:15 am
Was a fan of running the ball with late-stage Rodgers and just staring out Love. With an o-line that can't really run block, at least three impact receivers, a Parsonsless pass rush, and a lack of viable CBs the time has come to let Love throw it and see if the opposition can keep up. 35 or bust in 2026!
SicSemperTyrannis
February 06, 2026 at 11:31 am
That certainly should have been the strategy in '25. '26 is still an unknown.
dobber
February 06, 2026 at 03:28 pm
In a league where the tide has shifted so far to favor the offense, you need to be good at scoring points or you're bringing a knife to a gunfight, no matter how much you want to lean on your defense. Even good defenses get had by elite offenses. That's what elite means.
Duneslick
February 06, 2026 at 11:23 am
Yet another sports writer with rose colored glasses. Nagler said Love would tear up the league Tear up the league. This guy talks about the bears game and ignores that starting in the third quarter they had 3 3 and outs and 1 first down only the next series after letting the bears back in the game
ricky
February 06, 2026 at 11:23 am
For whatever reason, Lafleur doesn't trust Love. And in turn, Love doubts himself and refuses to run for first downs when there are open lanes and he can step out of bounds before getting hit. Will MLF change? Why should he? The players love him, the front office believes in him, and gave him an extension n his contract, and he runs the offense as he sees fit. And he is stubborn.
His retention of Barry was the first indication. Sticking with Butkus as the OL shows less and less development, keeping Stenavich as his OC, and not making adjustments in game when things start going bad are regular features of his coaching. Buffalo wasn't happy with their successful HC, even though his record was better than MLF's. So they tossed the dice and went in another direction.
But these are the Packers. Apparently, like the Steelers, we should be satisfied with a coach who has a winning regular season, then quickly loses due to the same bad tendencies in the playoffs. Will there be major changes in how things are done? No. Because the team accepts being contenders who turn into pretenders.
Off topic, but something to worry about during this off-season. Kraft is going to be a FA. And if he tests the market, I get the strong feeling that KC will make signing him as a replacement for Kelce (does Taylor have a younger sister?).
SicSemperTyrannis
February 06, 2026 at 11:35 am
Your last paragraph ruined an otherwise good comment. #85 is under contract for '26. On his rookie deal, no less.
Cheezehead72
February 06, 2026 at 11:53 am
I saw that too but they will have to extend Kraft this season or tag him to keep him. If they let him test FA he is gone.
dobber
February 06, 2026 at 03:29 pm
They're already supposedly in process on an extension. Buying that extension a year early will probably save them some cap down the road.
TarynsEyes
February 06, 2026 at 11:35 am
The bio of this writer says this.
"Mark Ballard is an obsessive Green Bay Packers fan."
It tells you all you need to know about the undeniable lovefest he has for Love.
I don't think the delusional description would be apt; in fact, I don't think the word has been invented.
If Love is a Mahomes-level QB, I would expect him to be pissed at MLF with very visible disagreements during and especially after the game. Nobody of that talent stays muted to allow his abilities to go down the drain of mediocrity.
The main issue for guys like Mark is they're afraid to accept what is and what may never be.
Brady, Peyton, and Mahomes never took the Cutler way on the sideline when things went to crap, as Love so imitates in award-winning fashion. Either you have what they had, or you simply don't, and Love doesn't, no matter how much you want to believe him to be like them in any facet.
It's an insult to mention Love in those guys' tier of play, or even in the tier of Rodgers, Favre, and perhaps even in the one who was just written about, Lynn 'Bionic Man' Dickey.
Love is not a leader but a weak follower of he who controls him, MLF.
Oppy
February 06, 2026 at 12:13 pm
Yeah, we're just going to have to disagree.
TarynsEyes
February 06, 2026 at 12:19 pm
I expect no less.
BuckyBadger
February 06, 2026 at 01:00 pm
We don't have a Superstar QB. That is the flaw in this logic. We don't have a QB that you can just expect to take the game over. He is a good QB and in the right system he is very effective but to think one can just unleash him like he is Patrick Mahomes is just not realistic.
The offense has moved along just fine. Sure the arm chair coaches all think it should be better and if they team doesn't win it all it all falls on the coach but I don't think Love has nearly the same success under most coaches. Much like the systems Shanahan runs in SF it can make QBs look good who might not otherwise.
MLF is very good at getting the most of a QB. When he had Rodgers he was winning MVPs and had us a miss pass away from a Super Bowl. With Love he has had him the playoffs the 1st 3 years as a starter and one of highest rated passers in the league in those 3 years. Has playing efficiently and one of the most effective on explosive plays. Then he has Willis who was about to be run out of the league performing at a level that will get him a big contract and chance to start.
Leatherhead
February 06, 2026 at 02:23 pm
We don't have a super star QB. Fair enough. But I did have to check on how Love stacked up, and he clearly looks like he's in the Top 8 QBs. Maye, Stafford, Goff, Jackson, Prescott, Darnold, Allen and Love appear in the Top 8, in different orders, in quite a few measures.
Certainly he did as well as Hurts. I don't know how many superstar QBs we have in the league right now, if Mahomes is over the hill. Jackson has never won it. Neither has Prescott. IMO,the closest thing to a superstar QB in the league right now is Matt Stafford. The dude threw 46 TDs and 8 Ints.
Cheezehead72
February 06, 2026 at 01:53 pm
So lets change pace a little. The Chiefs are hurting salary cap wise. They are in the hole about 4 times the average of what Taylor Swift makes per concert.
TKWorldWide
February 06, 2026 at 02:20 pm
So in the second half vs Chicago, GB ran the ball 7 times for a total of 6 yards, and THAT is MLF getting “conservative”? How about a lack of execution?
And when Chicago started to blitz in the second half, it’s MLF’s “conservative” approach that made the o-line not make the checks and adjustments to pick up the blitzes?
Sounds to me like the o-line is the big culprit here. They disappointed all year long. So their poor performance vs Chicago was unexpected?
IF (granted, it’s a pretty sizable “if”) GB can somehow get better line play next year in both the run game and in pass pro, look at who they’ll have:
Watson, Golden, Reed and Kraft as the main targets, and Jacobs and Wilson running? Sounds pretty dang good to me.
Cheezehead72
February 06, 2026 at 02:35 pm
They have to tender Wilson or sign him to a contract.
egbertsouse
February 06, 2026 at 02:20 pm
Jordan Love is not an elite QB. He is the 15-17th best QB in the league. A solid C. He has brilliant moments and good games but they are offset by his inaccurate throws, long arm punts into double coverage and brain fart plays where he doesn't see wide open receivers or throws it right to a DB. Is this writer a real person or one of those robots that crank out glowing articles for the homers?
Leatherhead
February 06, 2026 at 02:24 pm
OH no, you are way off.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2025/passing.htm#passing::p...
Go here and compare Love to other QBs in the league. He's clearly in the Top 8.
dobber
February 06, 2026 at 03:31 pm
...and that's playing 14 and a half games, when just about everyone in front of him played a full slate.
"long arm punts into double coverage and brain fart plays where he doesn't see wide open receivers or throws it right to a DB."
I seem to remember a lot of comments like this about ARod from about 2015 on.
THESZOTMAN1
February 06, 2026 at 04:42 pm
Right up front: Jordan is not a top QB; top 10, maybe.
And the Packers today are not a Super Bowl team; playoffs, maybe.
And one of the posters above hit the nail on the head: We simply have not built an O-line. It's that that will juice the offense. Without it. neither Love nor Jacobs can produce.
The Szotman
Since'61
February 06, 2026 at 05:35 pm
First off Love is not a Superstar QB. At least not yet. Yes I see improvement in his play and he did have a great game against the Bears. But he a quite a way to go in his evolution to reach Superstar status. NO Pro Bowls or League MVPs, and obviously no SBs or even an NFCCG.
However I do think that MLF should open up the offense for Love and let him throw more frequently. Put the game ninth hands of your best players and Love is one of the Packers best players as are the Packers receiving corps especially when Kraft is healthy. MLF took his foot off the gas in the 3rd quarter and it cost the Packers the chance to move to the divisional playoff round. The Packers OL just was not good enough to make the run game work against the Bears in the second half.
I don' think that the Packers would have defeated Seattle but at least they would have had the chance and we as fans would felt at least some what better over how the season ended.
Bottom line is that the Packers need to improve the OL, DL and CBs to produce a better result for the 2026 season. If Love is ever to reach Superstar status he needs an OL that protect him and get people blocked in the run game. The Packers OL needs tp dominate against the good teams for 60 minutes not just for a half or a quarter. And MLF needs to put the games in Love's hands. Thanks, Since '61
Oppy
February 07, 2026 at 01:18 am
Put an above-average OL in front of Love and this kid is going to light it up.
Since'61
February 07, 2026 at 07:30 am
The OL is the key for sure. Also Love needs to improve his footwork and he needs to do a better job of going through his progressions and finding the open receiver. Thanks, Since '61
Since'75
February 06, 2026 at 07:34 pm
A lot of comments on the value, or worth of Jordan Love.
It seems to (me), the Packers view him as more of a game manger.
They want him to direct an offense with a strong running game and a strong defense.
Think Sam Darnold with Seattle.
Personally, i agree, but with a caveat....
He shows some elite play on occasion.
I'd also like to see him with more freedom. Think 4/12.
I wouldn't have said that in his first two years starting, but this is going to be his 4th season, and 7th with the Packers.
If there was ever a time to 'test' him.
It is now.
PackEyedOptimist
February 07, 2026 at 08:10 am
I think Love would have had an outstanding year if Tom, Watson, Kraft, and Jacobs had been mostly healthy and played most of the year together.
Taking out their best OL, best two receivers, and best RB would hamstring ANY QB.
PhantomII
February 06, 2026 at 08:27 pm
Brake/Gas....How about not enough of the best WR in GB....Matthew Golden showed himself in the 4th....That's completely on ML...Now the Defense could not stop anything without a pass rush from either the DE's or DL...So that has to be the first priority this off-season....Preferably a NEW Vet stud at each location and a few more draft picks...and a couple NEW OL. But that is OBVIOUS...SO it will NEVER HAPPEN.
PackEyedOptimist
February 07, 2026 at 08:08 am
Unfortunately, Golden had the typical rookie problems with running routes incorrectly. You could tell that Love didn't trust him (if we still had Rodgers, I bet we would have seen Arod chewing Golden out a few times).
MG also isn't up to snuff as a blocker, and that's a key element in MLF's offense.
I expect Golden will be much better with a year's experience.
PhantomII
February 07, 2026 at 11:54 am
I don't need him to block...He catches the ball EVERY TIME and that in itself is TOP SHELF in GB. He needs devised schemes to make the other team pay...and that's ML job. Get the best players the ball. Trust.... my ass...I would trust the kid with the best hands will make the catch over all else instead of drop or tip the ball for an INT. Golden may need to grow a bit, but this is the same team to ignore JSN who is going to the super bowl tomorrow.
jannesbjornson
February 07, 2026 at 02:20 pm
Correct, he's a quick twitch guy with blazing speed who finds the open spaces and rolls. Who in the hell would want him as a post-up stiff, getting holding penalties. Puka is not looking to block anybody and he's a bigger WR.
Squaring the edge and screening LBs is the job for the TEs. What this squad needs is a true Fullback to clear the way.
Tundraboy
February 06, 2026 at 10:31 pm
Hasn't this been the annoying topic, since like 2014?
MaruishiEmperor
February 07, 2026 at 06:12 am
All these games are typical LaFRAUD performances. He is a very good game planner but an awful game manager. He is the dodo bird that watches the Portuguese sailor approaching him with a club. Teams adjust at halftime and he never has an answer.
Packerpasty
February 07, 2026 at 10:46 am
Some of you guys are so in "love" with stats that you fail to see what's happening on the field...all those great stats the Packers should be playing tomorrow I guess....