Cory's Corner: It's Time For Matt LaFleur To Take The Team Back
This team has the pieces to win right now. Silly mistakes should not be tolerated.
I think it’s fair to say that this is not where we expected the Packers to be heading into the bye week.
After shocking everyone — I’m actually still in shock — with the Micah Parsons trade, I figured the Packers would cruise to a 4-0 record and back up the bloated expectations that many had for them.
Things started off good, even after the Packers looked sloppy in a home win against the Commanders. Then sloppiness turned into carelessness which sounded warning bells. Now after allowing 40 points in a lucky tie to an average team, the Packers should be grateful that they aren’t going into the bye week under .500.
Granted, I think this team is still really good. Romeo Doubs has shown that he can be a WR1, even though many have predicted that he will not be on the roster when the 2026 season arrives. Josh Jacobs has had to scratch and claw for every single yard he’s had. Jacobs has rushed for a grand total of 266 yards and 238 of those are after contact. That not only shows that Jacobs is a top tier running back, but it shows glaring holes in Green Bay’s run blocking scheme.
“It’s hard to win without reliable offensive line play,” said Packers offensive line coach Luke Butkus this past August.
He’s right. Poor line play cost the Packers in the NFC Wild Card last year as Green Bay fell to Philadelphia.
Then there is the low hanging fruit. The special teams. But is it even worth talking about the special teams anymore? I mean, the special teams have been so bad in Green Bay that it’s almost not worth mentioning — it’s more or less an expectation. According to Rick Gosselin’s special teams rankings, the Packers were 29th in 2020, 32nd (dead last) in 2021, 22nd in 2022 and 29th in 2023 and 29th in 2024. Those numbers aren’t even average, they are downright terrible. It just tells me that problems aren’t getting fixed or they are overlooking problems altogether. The perfect meme for the Packers special teams is the dog sitting in a fiery room with the words “This is fine.”
Even if Packers coach Matt LaFleur cuts ties with the highest-paid special teams coordinator in the NFL — which won’t happen — who is he going to replace Rich Bisaccia with? It’s not like the Packers can exactly plug and play success on special teams. They had first round pick Matthew Golden as a returner, which was a horrible decision if he had to miss time as a wideout because of special teams.
That might be why LaFleur plays so close to the vest all the time. He knows that anytime the special teams has a chance to make a play in a big spot, they invariably won’t. Whether it’s a blocked field goal, a blocked extra point, weird and unnecessary penalties or terrible decision making.
LaFleur needs to take this time over the bye to get this team back. He’s too afraid to make a mistake. As the clock slowly melted away in Dallas, LaFleur was beside himself because there was no sense of urgency from any of the Packers 11-member offensive unit. With under 30 seconds left, it just seemed like there was no direction and almost no clear understanding of what needed to happen in overtime to win the game.
LaFleur has always gone to bat for Love, which is admirable. But after two straight hiccups, it’s time to take the kid gloves off. It’s OK to criticize the $55 million man. This is his sixth year in the league and his third year as a starter.
The locker room doesn’t need a soft voice anymore. This is the youngest team in the league. They need to know when they’ve made a mistake, so it doesn’t get repeated.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (45)
TKWorldWide
October 04, 2025 at 06:49 am
So, the best way to avoid mistakes is…?
SicSemperTyrannis
October 04, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Playing well.
LambeauPlain
October 04, 2025 at 07:16 am
The headline indicates LaFleur has lost the team. I don't believe that. I believe at some positions (OL & STs) the teacher (coach) is not connecting with the student (player) as the same problems show up year after year. In order to learn, the student needs discipline: repetition, drill, challenge, test, and consequences for failure. It is more than "tell", the lessons need the "sell" and the student needs to "buy".
Every NFL player wants to start. It should be earned, not awarded. It seems too many players and coaches get a pass after mistakes as the status quo continues.
LaFleur is a "players' coach". Has always appeared very easy going and non-confrontational. It can work...but most students will say their best teachers were the tough teachers who expected, inspected, and held them accountable. I know I did.
It is also unrealistic to expect LaFleur to suddenly become Lombardi. It is realistic to expect him to make difficult personnel decisions but it is his kryptonite. I am resigned to expecting he will not and remain very status quo.
bjkdad44
October 04, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Excellent… right on… observations… it’s really disgusting!…
stockholder
October 04, 2025 at 08:11 am
MLF never lost the Team.
Injuries have slowed it.
But it is what it is. Unreliable!
And what were they thinking when they
Forced Jenkins to move.
All-Pro or excuses?
Still I have to wonder why Gute keeps letting
Experience go, for the unknown.
Doubs will never be WR #1.
And if by chance you're right,
it will only hurt Loves growth.
Not to mention over payment to a avg. WR.
Who would replace Rich Bisaccia?
Try Mike McCarthy.
As far as golden as a returner.
It’s idealistic at best.
MLF can’t listen to the peanut gallery.
He knows turn-overs lose games.
And will continue with those who are available.
Until the team gets back to full strength. Pray.
Jordan Love had his best game as a Qb.
If this turns into the Jordan Love show.
You will be criticizing MLF out the door.
TKWorldWide
October 04, 2025 at 01:37 pm
What form of poetry is this? 😉🏈
stockholder
October 04, 2025 at 06:55 pm
The road not taken.
TKWorldWide
October 05, 2025 at 09:43 am
Whoooo!
(Ric Flair style)
Hey,I’ll take the slings and arrows, but I draw the line at casting aspersions at the Nature Boy.
LeotisHarris
October 05, 2025 at 10:30 am
Every time I get to where the two roads diverge I just want to go home.
TKWorldWide
October 06, 2025 at 08:41 am
A wise man once told me “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Inwardly, I thought, “Duh! How else am I going to eat my spaghetti?”
Coldworld
October 04, 2025 at 08:38 am
So ‘LaFleur has lost the team’ but it’s really Love that’s the problem: “it’s time to take the kid gloves off. It’s OK to criticize the $55 million man. This is his sixth year in the league and his third year as a starter.”
I think this piece is like a Butkus prepared OL.
dblbogey
October 04, 2025 at 11:11 am
It's Cory's Corner, so I never read it.
marpag1
October 05, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Yup. Nine times out of ten, people just take it as an opportunity to talk about whatever they want to talk about in the comment section. The actual article may as well not exist. But it's not PC to say so, so downvotes are on the way.
stockholder
October 04, 2025 at 12:32 pm
MLF is doing what Gute wants at Center.
And Jenkins is the problem.
Not only has Jenkins hurt the team.
Rhyan has regressed beyond hope at RG.
The numbers from last year to this year, don't lie.
Love will get hurt if this continues.
mjbrogno
October 04, 2025 at 08:41 am
If the same mistakes are being made over and over again maybe it’s time for a complete change on the coaching staff. I know that is pretty harsh to say but, our two losses should not have happened. The new boss in town will most likely want his own guy to run the show. If the season does not have a deep playoff run , I strongly believe the coaching will be different next season.
CanPackFan
October 04, 2025 at 11:57 am
I don't agree that a total turnover of the coaching staff is needed. But some changes are sorely needed. Hafley is great (and should seriously be considered as the HC here should LaFleur continue to be LaFleur). LaFleur needs help with his role. We need a real OC and play caller to take the load off LaFleur. Steno is NOT it. Nor is Butkus in the league with Steno re: the Oline.
SicSemperTyrannis
October 04, 2025 at 01:07 pm
MLF is the play calling OC. He is NOT also capable of fulfilling HC duties during difficult spots in important games, he's shown that consistently. I don't think that's a knock against him, how many people do all that well, simultaneously?
If Hafley gets offers as HC as many predicted before the recent collapse, GB should offer him the HC spot to keep him here and let MLF eat humble pie or leave. His proven track record of mistakes isn't winning any superbowls and he's not showing any exit from that path.
bjkdad44
October 04, 2025 at 01:02 pm
Hopefully
jaxpackfan
October 04, 2025 at 08:44 am
I think our special teams problem is about roster construction. Lafleur and Gute seem to prefer keeping as much offense and defense depth at the expense of special teams specialists. That is why the likes of Melton, Heath, Musgrave, etc., are forced to play these roles. College teams seem to do better on special teams because they have 90+ players at their disposal.
Coldworld
October 04, 2025 at 08:56 am
Gute has quite a lot of special team first guys on this roster. Anderson, Neiman, Melton (whom you claim is being forced into STs out of necessity, which is baffling), being prime examples. We also have a ST driven 4th TE. LaFleur may not be using them, notably Nixon, but this isn’t the roster of the late teens. This narrative doesn’t hold up for me.
Of course Anderson and Melton had injuries and none of the above play on kick protection. However, we’ve had a lot of injuries to players who likely would be part of that group and it’s not Gute sitting Jenkins, Kraft and possibly others despite that.
We had a specialist punt returner too who LaFleur declined to see elevated even when Reed went down. He’s no longer with us and that led to the use of Doubs, astonishingly.
It’s when we have deep and inexperienced depth out there that the kick protection failed. It seems unlikely that Bisaccia chose to do that as a preference. This is a question that seems to me squarely one for LaFleur.
bjkdad44
October 04, 2025 at 01:04 pm
Agree 100%!
NFLfan
October 04, 2025 at 09:17 am
I liked the way John Madden coached-he was a teacher and tailored his discipline to what he knew would motivate individual players. Some of them required a reaming out, others more gentle approaches.
Players have to see MLF allowing himself to make the same mistakes year after year. MLF is just not up to this level of competition and fans shouldn't feel badly for seeing it and being dismayed. I hope Ed Policy doesn't allow this inconsistency to remain for the next few years.
JohnnyLogan
October 04, 2025 at 12:59 pm
MLF is always the last one to see the problem, and even when the situation becomes too glaringly obvious to ignore, he is reluctant to make the noticeable changes. ST coaches are the easy example, but today it's the O-line. If your All-Pro right guard continues to start at center, where he has been a significant weakness, then MLF is clueless.
Game management won't improve because MLF isn't good at it, and he won't suddenly become skilled. Situations arise that aren't similar to previous ones, so it comes down to how quickly and decisively the decision maker acts. MLF is neither quick nor bright. He does stupid things regularly, then stands there looking like a deer in headlights, and as we often joke, on the verge of tears.
He may be a player's coach, but he's not a leader. That last two-minute drive proved it. The team was slowly going through motions, and he did nothing to drive them. He needs to go before the year is wasted. Won't happen, but I can wish.
bjkdad44
October 04, 2025 at 01:07 pm
You hit the proverbial nail on the proverbial head!!!
SicSemperTyrannis
October 04, 2025 at 01:13 pm
Tell us about this: "if your All-Pro right guard continues to start at center"
His hammer swings wildly off the mark, like he's not even looking.
CanPackFan
October 04, 2025 at 11:48 am
Amen to "silly mistakes cannot be tolerated". The SB window is closing and still the same silly issues with coaching exist. And that is ALL on LaFleur. How can the ST hiring mistakes continue with LaFleur? How can he not have learned after Mo Drayton? And Joe Barry? When personal loyalty overrides results, the wrong leader is in charge! It's as simple as that. Where is Ed Policy and Gutes to take charge of this clear failing of LaFleur? LaFleur needs help if a legitimate SB run is to be realized this season. Fire Rich B and take the play calling responsibilities away from him ASAP!
LeotisHarris
October 04, 2025 at 11:57 am
So, there are glaring holes in the blocking scheme and Matt needs to take the team back. He could take them back to Arby's,, I suppose (the have the meats.) Some say eddies in the time-space continuum caused Matt to misplace the team (picture him checking his pockets "where in the heck did I *put* that?"). Others make the solid point that the team can't really be in two places at once when they really aren't anywhere at all. At any rate, we meandered through special teams shenanigans and decided Matt should use his big boy voice to say "no more mistakes, you sillies!"
You can't put seagulls in someone else's picture.
SicSemperTyrannis
October 04, 2025 at 01:14 pm
Jonathan Livingston Seagull could be anywhere!
NFLfan
October 04, 2025 at 12:23 pm
There was another poster who made a very good point-MLF is a very good play-designer when sitting alone in his office. However, he doesn't seem to be a natural tactician which requires thinking/responding on one's feet when a DC challenges his plan. This 'deficiency', though, is not something he should be allowed to try to improve repeatedly on the team's dime.
One can watch the unfolding in too many games; he can look lost, then lose focus as his emotions ramp up and paying attention to the clock is compromised in this state. None of us are good @ everything-heck, I have very little directional ability and would be a real drag in something like the 'Amazing Race'-lol. And, I know I will not improve. I have come to accept it as a bit of directional dyslexia-
IMO we have plenty of data strongly suggesting Matt, alone, cannot manage all of the complex components of a fast-moving, unpredictable NFL game against the better teams. I also think he subtly telegraphs to the players to 'play down' to inferior teams. Either he needs a strong OC to call plays or to @ least collaborate with.
SicSemperTyrannis
October 04, 2025 at 01:20 pm
And Bisaccia's promotion to assistant HC has not provided this needed improvement. For whatever reason. While there are differing ideas about how to do that, it needs to be done. Personally, I don't see how changes of that magnitude can be accomplished mid-season which would leave us riding out the season as-is and hoping that players healing from their injuries gives the needed boost.
Still a very talented team and not completely rudderless; we just don't see the excellence in leadership that smacks of a Lombardi this season.
Tundraboy
October 04, 2025 at 09:30 pm
Sigh, We have the talent, I know we do. The coaching is what worries me. I don't see much change there save for Hafley.
Boneman
October 05, 2025 at 08:04 am
Bissaccia isn't the answer because he mirrors the 'old school' thinking that LeFleur is stuck in. Coaching by the seat of your pants isn't the answer in the modern football world. Process and continuous improvement is the key to sustained improvement. You can no longer get 'mad' and stomp your foot. A cool and consistent approach to self analysis and improvement is the only way...
Handsback
October 04, 2025 at 01:15 pm
One poster gave an example of MLFs practices verses MM from a past player. MM's practices were consistent and driven but MLF's were across the board never developing into a tough or finesse type team. I'm paraphrasing his post but after reading it realized that the inconsistent play may mirror their practices.
Gutsey made it clear, this team will challenge for a SB this year. Was it an implied threat to the HC/coaching staff or the players, I don't know but suspect the team knows whats at stake. We'll see after this bye how they react.
JMHO
NFLfan
October 04, 2025 at 01:48 pm
Unfortunately, Gute has contributed to the team's inconsistencies as well by a number of questionable early round Draft choices-curently, LVN and inconsistent Gary come to mind as well as Musgrave, expensive FA, Banks, but there is a much longer list which has compromised Vet depth
Handsback
October 04, 2025 at 04:15 pm
Here is the post, the comment came from Mason Crosby...
"Mason Crosby was talking on his show the other day and talked about the differences between a Mike McCarthy practice and a Matt Lafleur practice. He basically said that McCarthy's practices always had a set plan and the players knew the practice schedule well ahead of time and it rarely if ever deviated from that plan. Matt Lafleur was constantly changing the practice schedule/structure right before or during practice and didn't really have a defined "Packers type" practice - he would just be trying things he had heard that other teams do. One week he would try something in practice that the Colts did, the next week he would try something the Rams do, etc. Crosby basically said it was hard to build a true Packers team identity when you were just pulling random things from a bunch of other teams every week as opposed to building your own identity.
It was super interesting. These are the types of things that play into the effect your head coach has on the team that the fans don't see. Practice is super important it sounds like MLF is a bit disorganized/helter skelter when it comes to practice."
Reading it again makes me question MLF's practice acumen.
JMHO
LeotisHarris
October 04, 2025 at 04:30 pm
That would be truly horrifying, if true, but I can't find any credible, citable evidence that Crosby made those comments, except for it being repeated in this manner on fan sites. If Mason made the comments on a radio show or podcast, there would be a transcript, and that would pop up an a search. Can you link to an original source?
Lare
October 04, 2025 at 04:22 pm
The Packers have had the same problems for years. If they wanted to win a Super Bowl they would have corrected them. They don't and they won't.
They are content with where they are. They're an average team and organization.
Ritzy
October 04, 2025 at 06:08 pm
As much as we like LaFleur as a playcaller, he seems, in his 7th season, to not be a master motivator. Too often the team doesn't seem ready to play. At the 7-year mark, we shouldn't be questioning his motivation skills. With the talent we have, there's no excuses not making a deep playoff run. We need results this season or start thinking about a coaching change.
PhantomII
October 04, 2025 at 09:36 pm
I'm just glad our Kicker is a pretty damn good tackler as well....
Savage57
October 05, 2025 at 07:09 am
More Parcells, less Vermeil.
Idaho Cheese
October 05, 2025 at 12:29 pm
MLF needs an Assistant Head Coach, one that can also be a Special Teams Coach or at least a contributor. Coaches NEED to be coached, too. MLF has consistently shown that he cannot both call offensive plans and manage the game. He has also shown that he cannot call the game and be involved with the motivation and mental preparation of all phases of the game/team.
What's that you say? Rich Bisaccia has that title right now? I wonder if Ed Policy is looking at holding the Packers hierarchy to account, unlike Murphy was willing to do. MLF needs accountability and responsibility just like everyone else. Biscaccia needs to be let go for the Packers to show they are willing to learn and grow into a championship-caliber team. This is not a well-coached, and has never really been in the MLF era, and/or has ever been a complete team, and at some point, the team will ALWAYS reflect their coach(es).
Cheddarhed
October 05, 2025 at 10:47 pm
I think that that last drive was to conservative. They should of taken three attempts in the endzone.
marpag1
October 06, 2025 at 01:59 am
FIRE ANDY RIED!!! The Chiefs have a worse record than the Packers! (Ditto to you, Sean McVay!)
FIRE SIRIANNI!!! The Eagles just lost a game they should have won!
FIRE MCDERMOTT!!! The Bills just lost to the freakin' Patriots for sh!t's sake, and the Bills never win the Super Bowl anyway!
FIRE JOHN HARBAUGH!!! His miserable Ravens are 1-4! Loser!!
LOL. … cuz a lot of fans are dumb.
PhantomII
October 06, 2025 at 11:12 am
LOL, Ironically any of those HC's could help get us to the show...I don't think the one we got can get it done. Still doing the same things wrong for 7 years in a row...what do you call that? Oh yea, consistently..... inconsistent. I'm waiting on one of these dumb teams to make that decision so GB can make a very easy decision to bring THAT coach into GB.
Tundraboy
October 07, 2025 at 04:56 pm
I'd take Andy back. In any capacity for that matter!