
Matt LaFleur has been instrumental in the Green Bay Packers’ success over the past six seasons, leading the team to the playoffs five times. However, even the most successful coaches face criticism, and LaFleur has come under fire after a costly game management error in the Packers’ 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears.
With under a minute remaining, the Packers called a timeout before attempting a 55-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. The kick was successful, but the timeout left the Bears enough time to drive downfield and win the game with a 51-yard field goal by Cairo Santos.
After the game, LaFleur explained his thought process, admitting he initially planned to go for it on fourth down. However, after the Packers lost yardage on third down, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia assured him that McManus could make the kick.
“At the end of the game, that’s thoroughly on me,” LaFleur said. “I got caught in a situation where our plan was to go for it. They felt like Brandon could make the field goal. Hindsight is 20/20—I wish I hadn’t called that timeout because it gave them way too much time to go down and operate. Like I told the team, that’s on me. That can’t happen.”
LaFleur emphasized that mistakes like this must be avoided in the playoffs. Despite the loss, he expressed confidence in his team heading into the postseason.
“We’ve got to wipe this game as soon as possible. It’s a new season now,” LaFleur said. “Everybody is 0-0. We knew we’d have to go on the road, and now it’s time to prepare for Philly. I’m very disappointed right now, but we’ve got to move on.”
The Packers will face the Philadelphia Eagles next week in Pennsylvania. As the second seed in the NFC, the Eagles will be a formidable opponent, and LaFleur knows there’s no room for error.
“We’ve got to be tough-minded, critical, and ready to flip the script immediately,” LaFleur stressed. “It’s a whole new season, and we’ve got a challenging road ahead. But I know our guys are going to attack it head-on.”
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