A 39-10 regular season record, three consecutive NFC North titles and first-round byes, and two NFC Championship appearances made it look like LaFleur had the Midas touch. He never lost consecutive regular season games and his relationship with MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers was one of the NFL’s best bromances. LaFleur appeared to have the answer for whatever ailed his team.
Six games into the 2022 season, it would appear Green Bay’s coach may have run out of solutions.
For the first time in his tenure, LaFleur has lost consecutive games in the same regular season. While that streak was destined to end eventually, it’s how the Packers lost these past two weeks that is cause for concern. It hasn’t so much been a scheme problem. It’s been something worse.
Last week against the New York Giants in London, the Packers raced out to a 17-3 lead and held a 20-10 lead at halftime. The offense appeared to be finally getting its footing after an inconsistent start to the season and the defense had largely kept NFL leading rusher Saquon Barkley in check. All signs pointed towards this being the game that would springboard them to bigger things down the line.
Until everything went off the rails in the second half.
The run defense couldn’t stop anyone and the Green Bay offense couldn’t convert a third down to save their life. The Giants stormed back to a 27-20 lead but the Packers were knocking at the door for the tying score. Surely they wouldn’t let this one slip away, right?
They in fact did let that one slip away.
Three straight passes in an infuriating goal-line sequence turned the ball back over to the Giants and that was pretty much it. The Packers did get a chance for a Hail Mary to win the game but that ended up in a sack before Rodgers could attempt to work any semblance of magic.
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