The Green Bay Packers were given a big slice of humble pie as they got stunned by the Cleveland Browns in a fourth quarter comeback win that saw them take the lead for the first and only time as the clock expired at the end of the game, after a 55 yard field goal from Andre Szmyt put Cleveland ahead 13-10.
Everyone knows the Packers are still a good team; and at present moment they will remain top of the NFC North irregardless of the outcome of Monday night’s battle between the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Ravens.
But this certainly put some brakes on what was seeming like an unassailable hype-train put forth by both the team and the media.
A train that was fuelled by, and indeed bought into by both the team and the media – including left tackle, Rasheed Walker, who said last week that he believed the team could end up going undefeated in 2025.
“Pound for pound, I look at these teams and I don’t really see who is better than us.”
Big confidence but the tone conveys no blustery bravado. Walker is just confident any day GB touches the field. #Packers
“I think we can go undefeated, honestly.” Walker declared on Wednesday, “…Pound for pound, I look at these teams and I don’t really see who is better than us.”
Privately, these words would have likely not thrilled head coach, Matt LaFleur, although the seventh year head coach made no mention of it prior to Sunday’s loss.
Matt LaFleur Sends Message To Rasheed Walker In The Wake Of Week 3 Defeat
However, in his media availability on Monday, LaFleur expressed his irritation about times when the team – or those around it – lose their head and let themselves drift into the future without focusing on the job at hand.
“I just think this league is such a week to week league, and you can never lose sight of that.” LaFleur said to the media on Monday (15:51), “And you can’t take any moment, any game for granted. The goal — and I’ve said it a million times to you guys, I don’t think I’ve obviously not enough to our team — the goal is to go 1-0 every week.”
“It pisses me off when we start talking about things outside of the next game, things that are way down the road. Keep the focus on the present, on the now, and worry about getting better each and every day.”
Packers HC Insists That The Team Focus On Going ‘1-0 Every Week’
LaFleur did not explicitly mention Walker by name, or even refer to the quote from the interview.
But it is nonetheless fairly clear what the Packers‘ head coach was making a point of when he said that he has “obviously not” made the point enough to the team that they have to keep entirely focused on the game ahead, and not some lofty, historic goal. One that is now finished.
It probably did not help that Rasheed Walker was the Packers’ lowest graded offensive player in week 3, per Pro Football Focus.
Green Bay will re-group as they look to put their miseries to one side and put all of their weekly endeavours into going into Dallas and beating the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, whom they are currently 7-point favorites against.
Matt LaFleur Deals Out Rebuke To Offensive Lineman After ‘Undefeated’ Comment