Tag: matt lafleur

New Bears coach Ben Johnson takes dig at Matt LaFleur in introductory press conference

New Bears coach Ben Johnson took a big dig at Packers coach Matt LaFleur in his introductory press conference on Wednesday.

It didn’t take new Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson long to take a not-so-subtle dig at the Green Bay Packers.

More specifically, the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.

During his introductory press conference with the Bears on Wednesday, Johnson talked about his respect for the NFC North — which he called the toughest division in the NFL — and mentioned all three coaches inside the division by name. But while he mentioned Dan Campbell and Kevin O’Connell as potential Coach of the Year winners, he had a different bit of dialogue for Matt LaFleur.

“And to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson quipped.

Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions between 2022 and 2024. The Lions went 5-1 against the Packers in the six games over the three seasons, including sweeps during the 2022 and 2024 seasons.

Instead of leaving the division, Johnson decided to stay in the NFC North and take over the only team that failed to make the postseason in 2024.

He’ll have a big task ahead, no matter how optimistic he is about Caleb Williams and the Bears roster. Chicago has made the postseason just twice since 2011 and doesn’t have a playoff win since 2010.

And speaking of LaFleur, he won 11 straight games against the Bears to start his coaching career with the Packers. Can Johnson start reversing the trend in the rivalry? We’ll see. The next era of the Packers-Bears rivalry is officially here.

Packers believe LB Edgerrin Cooper has ‘superstar potential’ in 2025

Packers coach Matt LaFleur on LB Edgerrin Cooper: “I think he’s got superstar potential, I really do.”

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur believes rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper could become a superstar in the NFL after his highly impactful rookie season.

“I think he’s got superstar potential, I really do,” LaFleur told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic on the season-ending episode of the “Matt LaFleur Podcast.”

Cooper produced 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, an interception, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and seven quarterback hits. He finished second among off-ball linebackers in tackle for loss and first among rookie defenders in stops, a tackle PFF views as a failure for the offense. By overall PFF grade, Cooper trailed only Xavier McKinney among Packers defensive players and only Jared Verse among NFL rookies.

With continued development over his second offseason, Cooper could ascend into an elite tier of playmaking linebackers in the NFL starting as soon as 2025.

“As long as he continues to work, which I know he will,” LaFleur said. “I think (linebackers coach Anthony) Campanile does a great job of grinding those guys. It was a huge learning curve coming from Texas A&M to here. And you saw, the more he played, the better he got, and the more consistent he got. It’s going to be a great offseason for him. I think he’s planning on staying in town. Hopefully we can get him bigger, faster and stronger.”

Cooper’s star potential was on full display over the final four weeks of the regular season. He produced an NFL-high eight tackles for loss and was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for December/January. By PFF grade, he was the NFL’s top rated defensive player overall between Weeks 15-18.

Cooper has all the attributes of a star linebacker in today’s NFL. He can run, hit and blitz. He triggers fast downhill. He can make disruptive plays in coverage. He finds a way to the football and can be an impressive tackler, especially in space. Consistency was an issue at times, but it is for almost every first-year player in the NFL.

Cooper set the bar high as a rookie. Add more consistency to his disruptive abilities and becoming a star is certainly possible.

Important things to know from Matt LaFleur’s 2024 season-ending press conference

All the important things to know from Matt LaFleur’s 2024 season-ending press conference from Lambeau Field on Monday.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur answered questions from Lambeau Field to wrap up the 2024 season after his team lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round on Sunday.

The Packers finished 11-6 in the regular season and secured the No. 7 seed in the playoffs but were bounced from the playoffs by a better team.

It’s onto the 2025 season in Green Bay.

Here are the important things to know from LaFleur’s season-ending press conference:

— LaFleur said the Packers had a “hard time” blocking the Eagles front. Almost impossible to win finishing 4-0 in the turnover battle. Having a chance in the fourth quarter showed how well they played defensively.

— On Jordan Love’s interceptions vs. Eagles: First one, ball was a little inside, receiver didn’t stack Darius Slay. Second one, details. Route was run wrong. Passing window was open but the route depth was five yards off. Last one, called it a “prayer” … ball was underthrown but thought defensive pass interference should have been called.

— LaFleur said he hasn’t asked or been told anything on the Keisean Nixon fumble play.

— LaFleur said quarterbacks coach Tom Clements is retiring. Clements had a chance to coach Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. “He will definitely be missed. I can’t say enough great things about him.”

— LaFleur said the Packers ran out of shotgun more than under center because the offense was more efficient running from shotgun.

— LaFleur said the Packers have to get “back to work” in the pass-rush and win more one-on-ones.

— The next step for Jordan Love? Continuing to evolve and progress as a natural leader. “He can really demand a lot. The locker room respects him. Not only as a person, but the work he puts in. He’s a grinder. He’s one of the guys. That’s one of his best qualities. He can, when things aren’t quite right, he can voice that as well.” LaFleur said it “means more” when it comes from the starting quarterback.

— LaFleur said the passing game had too many drops in 2025. He wants more consistency catching the ball and more consistent footwork from Jordan Love next year.

— On Mark Murphy, who is retiring: “I feel bad that we sent him out like this.” Said he has a good relationship with incoming president Ed Policy.

— LaFleur said he will be having a meeting with Keisean Nixon on his recent comments about not wanting to return kicks. “That was interesting.”

— LaFleur said he wants to feature the tight end more, especially Tucker Kraft, who he thinks can be an elite-level player.

— LaFleur said he really likes the wide receiver group and didn’t necessarily think the Packers need a true No. 1.

— On where Love is at entering this offseason: “I think he is an ascending player who is going to get better and better and better. He approaches the game the right way.”

— LaFleur didn’t have a medical update on Romeo Doubs, who suffered another concussion, but he did say he was concerned.

Here’s the stream:

 

Packers coach Matt LaFleur regrets late timeout in loss to Bears

A late timeout called by Matt LaFleur gave the Bears enough time to march down the field and kick the game-winning field goal.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur was regretful for the way he used a timeout late in the fourth quarter of his team’s 24-22 loss to the Chicago Bears in Sunday’s season finale.

The ill-timed timeout — after Emanuel Wilson was tackled for a loss on third down before Brandon McManus’ go-ahead field goal — saved precious seconds for the Bears, who used the extra time to go down and kick the game-winning field goal as time expired.

“At the end of the game, that’s squarely on me. Got caught in a situation where we were planning on going for it. They felt like Brandon could make that field goal. Hindsight is 20/20, I wish I wouldn’t have taken that timeout. 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.”

Trailing 21-19, the Packers had 3rd-and-2 from Chicago’s 35-yard line with 1:07 left. LaFleur said he was prepared to go for it on fourth down if the Packers didn’t gain two yards, and when Wilson got stuffed for a loss, LaFleur called timeout to go over the fourth down call. But special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia convinced LaFleur to send out McManus for a 55-yard field goal, and the veteran kicker drilled the kick to give the Packers the lead.

The problem? LaFleur called the timeout at the 58-second mark, and the Packers could have killed off at least another 20 seconds had LaFleur either not called a timeout or waited to use the timeout until more playclock had been used.

“I have to be better, more on the same page with exactly where we were,” LaFleur said.

LaFleur admitted being hesitant to send out the kicker from 55 yards out in frigid January temps at Lambeau Field. He also said he liked the playcall on third down but the Packers ended up being out-leveraged at the point of attack and lost yards.

“Wasn’t anticipating that, but that was the circumstance,” LaFleur said. “That’s why I called the timeout because we went backwards. I was planning on going for it right there.”

Given 54 seconds instead of more like a half-minute, the Bears marched down the field — using a horse-collar penalty on Kingsley Enagbare, a 15-yard completion to Rome Odunze and an 18-yard completion to D.J. Moore on 3rd-and-11 with 15 seconds left — to set up the game-winning field goal as time expired.

The loss dropped the Packers to 11-6 and snapped the Packers’ 11-game win streak over the Bears. The defeat was LaFleur’s first to the Bears as head coach of the Packers.

Sacking Jordan Love must be a major key for the Saints defense

Sacking Jordan Love is critical for the Saints, but the Packers QB has been one of the least-sacked quarterbacks since becoming a starter:

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LeFleur praised Jordan Love for being, “one of the best I’ve ever been around at avoiding sacks and negative plays.” As the New Orleans Saints visit the Packers for Monday Night Football, the Saints must do what most have failed to do, take down Love consistently.

If New Orleans can get a few sacks on Love, it would help to take away the run game on that set of downs. Love and his band of wide receivers are extremely talented, but Josh Jacobs is the biggest threat to the Saints defense.

The Saints have the sixth-worst rushing defense in the NFL, and they allow the second-most yards per carry. If the Saints can bring down Love, the Packers could elect to pass to make up for lost yardage. The Saints must then capitalize on forcing Green Bay to be temporarily one-dimensional.

Bringing down the Packers quarterback is no easy task. LeFleur’s assertion on Love is backed up by numbers. In 12 games this season, Love has only been sacked 11 times. In his first year as a starter, he had the fifth-best sack to dropback percentage. He’s tough to bring down.

The Saints’ strides as a pass rush unit under Brian Young has been praised. Chase Young has 3.5 of his 5.5 sacks and Cameron Jordan recorded all three of his sacks since the change at defensive line coach. Bryan Bresee has seen an uptick in production, too. As they go against one of the most difficult quarterbacks to sack, those improvements will be put to the test.

New Orleans has recorded no fewer than two sacks in their last five games. They’ll need to do at least that on Monday to corral a dangerous offense. It’s easier said than done, but it may be the key for the Saints defense.

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Packers coach Matt LaFleur got into a heated altercation with a Lions fan

Whew, this got heated.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur got into an altercation with a Detroit Lions fan ahead of Thursday night’s game at Ford Field.

Darie Carragher of 247Sports shared some insight into the altercation that reportedly happened during the national anthem.

The Lions fan in question was out on the field to hold the flag, per Carragher, and reportedly taunted LaFleur. In return, LaFleur apparently told the Lions fan something very unsavory and NSFW.

Carragher also said the two had to be restrained by Packers staff during the fracas. There is a video of the encounter between LaFleur and the Lions fan from NFL Network that backs up Carragher’s reporting and shows how heated things got.

Even if this Lions fan was being a jerk, LaFleur has to let stuff like this go. One of the people in this interaction is an NFL coach, and that’s always going to be the person understandably held to a higher standard.

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Bears miss last-second field goal, fall to Packers once again

The Packers continue to rule the Bears

Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers do own the Chicago Bears.

Green Bay’s coach still has not lost to his NFC North opponent.

It was a close call on Sunday when Cairo Santos missed a field goal from 46 yards on the last play of the game and the Packers edged the Bears, 20-19. The kick was deflected by Green Bay’s Karl Brooks.

The Packers had gone ahead on a one-yard run by Jordan Love with 2:59 left. A two-point conversion failed setting the Bears up for a chance to drive for a game-winning field goal.

Green Bay has beaten the Bears 11 straight times.

Robert Saleh is already coaching with Matt LaFleur’s Packers in an ironic slight to Aaron Rodgers

Robert Saleh is really coaching the Packers. Eat your heart out, Aaron Rodgers.

After Robert Saleh was unceremoniously fired by the New York Jets (for doing his job and falling in line at every turn), it would’ve been easy to assume he would take some time off away from professional football coaching. That’s kinda just what happens when you’re exposed to Aaron Rodgers’ ego and (gestures wildly at everything else). You need to let off some steam that Rodgers’ enablers, er … the Jets would never allow you to.

But that’s not the case.

Earlier this week, Saleh officially joined Matt LaFleur’s Green Bay Packers in a “fluid” role on the coaching staff. LaFleur and Saleh are longtime coaching friends who worked their respective ways up through the NFL ranks together.

While the exact parameters of Saleh’s job with the Packers are unclear (along with how long he’ll stay aboard), he will, funnily enough, stay away from the Green Bay defense.

Nonetheless, the irony here after leaving Rodgers is just WONDERFUL.

More from ESPN’s Rob Demovsky:

“Yeah, I think it [having Saleh around] helps,” LaFleur said. “Having a defensive mind talking offense and helping us with things he might be able to see, kind of similar scheme stuff, things the defense might be looking for, it helps.”

He added, “I think he’s got an elite defensive mind. But that’s why I want him on the offensive side, so he can help us attack the defenses.”

LaFleur said Saleh would work the team through Thursday this week and called his role “fluid.” Saleh has been staying at LaFleur’s house this week.

What do you think LaFleur and Saleh have been saying about Rodgers all week? Surely, nothing good or flattering … right? Oh, to be a fly on a wall inside the Packers’ practice facility.

Curse this mortal human vessel, a.k.a. my body.

Robert Saleh to consult for Packers, provide defensive perspective for Matt LaFleur’s offense

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh will consult for the Packers in a “fluid” role that involve providing the defensive perspective for LaFleur’s offense.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh will consult for the Packers in a “fluid” role that involves providing the defensive perspective for LaFleur’s offense.

Saleh was at Packers practice on Wednesday as LaFleur’s team began on-field preparations for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Thought it was a good idea to bring him here. He’s helping us on the offensive side of the ball,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “I think that’s always a good deal to have that defensive perspective on that side of the ball. Just taking a look at some of the things we’re doing.

LaFleur said Saleh, who was fired by the Jets two weeks ago, will be in Green Bay through Thursday before returning home Friday.

The Packers used former NFL defensive back Aubrey Pleasant in a similar style of consulting role for the offense during the 2022 season.

LaFleur called Saleh an “elite defensive mind” who can help the Packers “attack defenses.”

“It’s a good opportunity for him to learn and also for him to help us and give us perspective on how teams might see us, might defend us,” LaFleur said. “Certainly, can find holes or vulnerabilities in the defense that we’re playing. That’s how we’re going to use him.”

LaFleur made it clear that Saleh would not be helping on the defensive side. He said he has complete “trust” in first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who previously worked with Saleh in San Francisco.

“Haf and our defensive staff have a great thing going,” LaFleur said.

Saleh spent four seasons as the 49ers defensive coordinator (2017-2020) and the last four seasons with the Jets as head coach. Five times in the last six seasons, Saleh’s defense has ranked in the top 10 for yards allowed.

The relationship between LaFleur and Saleh dates back being on the same coaching staff at Central Michigan in the early 2000s. They were reunited with the Houston Texans at the pro level. Not only coaching colleagues but also close friends, LaFleur was the best man at Saleh’s wedding.

Packers not considering kicker change despite another Brayden Narveson miss

The Packers are sticking with Brayden Narveson despite his NFL-leading fifth field goal miss through six weeks.

In the aftermath of another miss from Brayden Narveson, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said the team still isn’t ready to make a change.

Asked on Monday if the Packers are considering a change at kicker after six weeks, LaFleur responded: “I wouldn’t say that right now, no.”

Narveson, a rookie, missed his NFL-high fifth field goal during Sunday’s 34-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. His 44-yard attempt went wide right. A drive later, Narveson hit from 41 yards, and he finished 2-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points.

Entering Monday night’s game, Narveson ranks 33rd out of 33 qualifying kickers in field goal percentage at 70.6. Greg Joseph, who the Packers released to add Narveson after final cuts, ranks 32nd at 72.7 percent.

The misses are adding up. Narveson has missed an NFL-high four kicks between 40 and 49 yards, and he’s one of only three kickers to miss between 30 and 39 yards this season (kickers are 98-for-101 on kicks between 30 and 39 in 2024).

The Packers have rookie kicker Alex Hale available as the team’s International Player Pathway player on the practice squad, and LaFleur said Hale would “potentially” be ready to kick if needed.

The Packers have preached patience at kicker. LaFleur has continually praised Narveson’s work in practice environments, and the team believes in Narveson’s combination of talent and demeanor. But patience can wear thin in a hurry, especially when margins are so thin at the NFL level.

Where is the breaking point?

“We’ll see, again, we’ll take it day by day,” LaFleur said.

The Packers host the AFC South-leading Houston Texans at Lambeau Field on Sunday. LaFleur’s team can’t afford to throwaway points in big matchups against contenders.

Narveson has missed at least one field goal in four of six games, and he had a miss in Tennessee negated by a penalty. Against the Vikings in Week 4, Narveson missed two field goals in the first half as the Packers fell behind 28-0. He also missed a field goal in Brazil in Week 1 and against the Colts in the home opener in Week 2.