Getty Matt LaFleur, Packers coach
To follow up a stirring win on the road on Thanksgiving against the division-leading Lions with an even more stirring win in Green Bay in front of a national audience on Sunday Night Football against the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs, well, that would be something that would and should have the Packers’ juices flowing. But Matt LaFleur, as any good coach should, can look ahead and see something to worry about—he does not want his team thinking they’ve accomplished anything.
Even though they’ve won three straight games. Even though they just beat opponents with a combined 17-7 record. And even though they’re now firmly in the NFC playoff race, looking light-years different than the bungling bunch of youngsters who lost to the Raiders and Falcons early in the year.
Sure, Matt LaFleur was happy after the Chiefs game. But he had a Debbie Downer warning in his Sunday press conference:
“It’s one game. Now we have another primetime game on a Monday night. The guys have got to understand, you start winning some games and people start gunning for you now. We are a .500 football team, that’s where we are at, that’s the reality of it. Yeah, we have had two petty good back-to-back wins but, you know, you’re only as good as your last game.
“I do know this: You better show up each and every week in this league, otherwise you’re gonna get knocked off. We see it every week. You just gotta put your best foot forward every time you get an opportunity to step on the field and that is what we are going to do.”
Jordan Love, Packers Aggressive vs. Chiefs
But still, the stark difference in the Packers from the beginning of the year until now is remarkable. Just as it was against the Lions, this team was aggressive and confident from the outset against the Chiefs, taking an early 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Jordan Love to little-used third-string tight end Ben Sims. When the Chiefs drove back down for a 13-play response of a drive, the Packers defense held and limited them to a field goal.
Same thing in the second quarter: The Packers again put up a touchdown behind Love’s brilliance and again, cut short a long Chiefs drive with a field goal. That gave Green Bay a 14-6 halftime lead. Remember when Matt LaFleur’s Packers could not score in the first half?
Love finished with 267 yards passing, completing 25 passes on 36 attempts. He had a passer rating of 118.6, the fourth time in the last five weeks that he has been at 108 or higher on that scale.
Matt LaFleur: ‘There Is a Different Mentality’
After the win over the Chiefs, the question was put to Matt LaFleur: What has changed in his approach as a coach with this team’s offense? At first, LaFleur dodged a bit, but he finally did acknowledge that there is now a trust that the coaching staff has—in Jordan Love, for sure, but also in the rest of the offense—to make difficult plays against good teams.
“I think there is a different mentality that we have taken on,” LaFleur said. “Obviously, it has worked well but it goes back to trusting those guys to be able to go out there and execute the plays that are called. They have to go out there and do that.”
Next up are the 4-8 Giants on Monday Night Football. Should be an easy win … until you remember that New York has won two straight and recall Matt LaFleur’s warning: “This league has a way of humbling you.”
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Packers’ Matt LaFleur Has Stern Warning After Huge Chiefs Win