The Packers Are About To Find Out If Winning Runs In The LaFleur Family

Yesterday we all found out that Packers Team President Mark Murphy had chosen Matt LaFleur to be their next head coach. I know Liz blogged it yesterday, and you can read that here if you missed it, but I thought I’d give my own two cents.

I don’t know if LaFleur was way high up on any fan’s wishlist, considering how stale the Titans’ offense was in 2018, but I think after giving it some thought it’s as good of a hire as you can make. Everyone is gushing over the fact that Sean McVay personally vouched for him and that he was the OC in LA two years ago for him. I think if you mow McVay’s lawn these days you’re getting interview requests, so I’m a little wary if that’s your overall deciding factor. There’s more to it.

It’s next to impossible to judge what LaFleur did in Tennessee this past year. Mariota missed two games, but mostly battled through injuries in the second half of the season that left him very limited. Delanie Walker, the team’s number one tight end and most-consistent passing threat, was lost for the season in week 1. Their number two receiver Rishard Matthews left the team after three weeks after frustration with his limited usage as he came back from a knee injury. I’m not really sure what LaFleur was supposed to do with that offense, but he did as much as could with what was there. People prided LaFleur with being adaptable to whatever personnel was at his disposal. After the bye week the team went 6-2, shifting to more of a running attack with Derrick Henry at the forefront. Right after the bye, they took down Dallas and New England in consecutive weeks, scoring 62 points between the two games. They averaged just under five yards on the ground during that 8 game span as they leaned on Henry, but ultimately fell short in their Week 17 “playoff game” against Indy because well….Blaine Gabbert happened. I think LaFleur did a helluva job with the spare parts put in front of him.

Another thing I do like about LaFleur is his preference for keeping the same personnel on the field (when healthy). He doesn’t love substituting and can do a million different things with the same guys on the field. The Rams do this exceptionally well and it makes them unpredictable. When you’re dealing with a guy like Rodgers at the helm, he loves to catch defenses substituting or in disarray leading to big plays. I feel like Aaron will buy into this scheme big time, leading to more free plays, and unpredictability. It will also fall on Gutekenst to go out and get Aaron some better playmakers who can actually separate from the ball to make this work.

Looking back, I don’t hate that he schemed up this play against New England up 17 in the 4th quarter. Was it Vrabel’s call? 100% But the design is all LaFleur.

I don’t really anticipate Rodgers running wheel routes while Davante sits back in the pocket, but who knows? At least we know the offense will be more creative than McCarthy’s stale shit. LaFleur is signed on for 4 years with a fifth year option. He’s here to pump a shot of adrenaline into Rodgers right arm and save his legacy. I’m hopeful, even if he lacks experience calling plays, never mind being a head coach. The NFL has been taken over by offense with how refs call games now, so it’s best to get young offensive minds with creativity in these positions. There’s going to be a ton of pressure on LaFleur as well as Rodgers to fix this shit, and fast. Aaron only has so many years left before age fully catches up to him, so he’s got to make these count.

In the words of the great Peter LaFleur, “It’s time to put your mouth where our balls are.”