Matt LaFleur goes for the kill
That's the only way you win in the playoffs. This was a signature win for his Green Bay Packers.
They had the plays.
They had the players.
What the Green Bay Packers lacked last season was a head coach who genuinely believed in them. A lack of decisiveness frankly pissed off some starters on offense. They could tell when Matt LaFleur was unsure of his play call.
“Sometimes,” one player in that 2024 huddle told Go Long, “Matt would get afraid.”
This player recalls waiting… and waiting… and waiting for Jordan Love to receive word from LaFleur on the headset. That play call often left many perplexed, too. On critical third downs in critical games, the player explains, LaFleur would “freeze up.” Absolute bangers perfected during the week of practice never saw the light of day. Other times, LaFleur overanalyzed and overcomplicated things. “Like, ‘Uhh… maybe we’ll call this,’” he continues. “Instead of just calling our basic route concepts and letting our really good receivers do what they do — catch the ball.”
Issues that appeared to linger into the 2025 season.
Issues magnified by losses to inferior Cleveland and Carolina. Outside criticism of the coach reached its apex this fall.
So with all of America watching on Thanksgiving Day, there were LaFleur’s Packers facing fourth and 3 from the Detroit Lions’ 45-yard line with 1 minute and 55 seconds left. He discussed the play with Love near the sideline and the quarterback strutted back toward the huddle. “Hells Bells” blared from the Ford Field speakers. The greatest player in NFL history, Tom Brady, declared on the Fox broadcast that LaFleur should punt.
AC/DC gave way to 66,662 roaring fans and — with 310-pound Alim McNeill in his face — Love delivered a game-clinching first down to Dontayvion Wicks.
LaFleur beat Dan Campbell at his game on his turf.
Nobody’s calling this coach a coward right now.