To me, if edge is a priority, thats probably where youre going to get your best value (at 15), McShay said. It was a comfort. We got to see that early on from Matty.. He didnt know everything, and that really bothered him, McDaniel said. Rodgers appreciated his coachs stance, even if it wasnt verbalized at a podium. I want them to be happy, I want them to enjoy being here. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. I said, Listen, Im not going to wear you out, LaFleur says. Tight end is an even greater need. I said, You know how I feel, but I was going to let him have his space and make whatever decision he thought was best for him. 1 seed in their respective conferences this year, but both teams were defeated at home in the divisional round. This week's guest DL Jarran Reed. Now, theres some dispute about how much LaFleur actually knew at that time. But the Packers never got the ball back. You wanted to be the guy that found the play no one else had seen, you wanted to be the guy who watched the most tape, you wanted to be the guy who understood coverages the best, McDaniel said. But what if youre playing against a defense that says all right and is gonna load up the box? video. When LaFleur was in Los Angeles for the NFL Honors, he met Clements, who lives in the area. Hiring Clements was a bow to Rodgers, but like a lot of what LaFleur has done, it was more than that. Could you imagine if we could ever find a guy like that? He is so good, in fact, that LaFleur fights the urge to let him pass on every play. Its a mindset. But we were getting a lot of positive cases. In multiple conversations over the two days after the end of the Packers season, LaFleur made sure Rodgers knew how much he was wanted. Arguably one of the best receivers of all time, especially when it comes to route running, Packers receiver Allen Lazard said of Adams. And they take it like being attacked or something but hes just asking questions and being thorough. Stenavich said they recently changed the rules of a protection scheme not because LaFleur was angry, but because he just kept interrogating why they did it that way. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Its just gonna get distributed among the guys that we have here, Rodgers said. The Shanahan-McVay origins are what drew the Packers interest in LaFleur after firing McCarthy, knowing that maximizing the quarterback was going to be the most important piece of the puzzle. More than 48,000 people died by suicide in the US in 2021 . LaFleur has already broken former 49ers coach George Seiferts record for most wins in his first three seasons with 39. LaFleur defended his decision to kick the field goal. When LaFleur realized how perturbed Rodgers was last offseason, Rodgers said his coach was on the next flight to visit him in Malibu, Calif. That was definitely meaningful to me, Rodgers says. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers kiddingly said his toe issue, later revealed to be a fracture, was COVID toe. So now I can say, Matt, every freaking play in this practice has motion on it. Whats so exciting about this league is when there is a situation like this, it seems to me guys will always step up and assume the role. He really didnt like the feeling of not knowing everything, so he made it his job to know everything., McDaniel immediately noticed that LaFleur was a quarterback specialist who was obsessed with learning run blocking and line play. Sometimes these lessons go the other way. Ill always wish him well.. LaFleur took over for the Green Bay Packers' former head coach, Mike McCarthy, in . The most common answer is obvious. They are squared on the edges, like elongated rectangles. So if LaFleur was mad about something Rodgers said or did, he would take it out on the backup quarterbacks. So I think a lot of people say, Oh OK, youve got a Hall of Fame quarterback. But Matts a big reason that the Hall of Fame quarterback won the MVP the last two years., A lot of people want to discredit him because he has a Hall of Fame quarterback, but the reality is hes done a phenomenal job capturing a really cool locker room in terms of star players and talent and getting them all to play at a very high level, said Jets coach Robert Saleh, a longtime friend and former coworker of LaFleurs. I want him to hear why I like something or why he might not like something, because if hes not comfortable Im not going to call it., Matt Ryan, who LaFleur worked with as quarterbacks coach in Atlanta in 2015 and during Ryans MVP season in 2016, remembers how much translating went into learning the offense, how different the terminology was and how much trust it took. He believes it was evident in how the Packers played. Kyle and Matt were huge mentors of mine. One of the best things you can say about Matt is that the guys hes worked with usually play their best ball when hes with them, McVay said. Matty Im sure knew this was a possibility, Rodgers says of the controversy. He gets reflective. But this only hardened LaFleurs resolve to not say anything. A good relationshipone where each person erases the others mistakes and both make each other bettercan win you a Super Bowl. And of course he is. On ESPNs Jan. 3 Manningcast for Monday Night Football, Rodgers joked about his coachs eyebrows and hair and also pointed out his game-day attire has included Jordans, lululemon pants and a quarter-zip sweater. I like practical coaching that makes sense and honest, direct conversation. Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke to the media on Sunday about the mindset of the team after the 15-9 road loss to the Detroit Lions. So he was no. It is unprecedented turnover in this new era of loosened . I dont need to sit there and babysit them. Who that will be, I dont know yet.. So, too, is the quarterback-coach relationship. He creates an environment where he gets all the fluff out of the way and all that matters is studying the tape and getting the most out of players every single day.. McDaniel said that with everyone in their 20s or early 30s, with no kids, coaches worked 20-hour days just to get Kyle Shanahans workplace affection. Aaron Rodgers was a couple of thousand miles from Green Bay, and as far as the Packers knew, his mind might have been further. Aaron Jones and A.J. Tight end Jace Sternberger (2019 third-round pick) and wide receiver Amari Rodgers (2021) left the organization within two years. On March 5, the world was still awaiting confirmation that the NFLs reigning most valuable player planned to return to Green Bay. In June, before his first season, LaFleur threw the first pitch at the Green and Gold charity softball game at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. His sons, Luke and Ty, were there, as was his quarterback. IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. A Rodgers trade could bring them more picks. Arthur Smith said he sees it took Matt LaFleur all day to come up with a response to his joking barb Tuesday. LaFleur has said he learned to cut his own hair during college. Serving mainly as Rodgers' backup for the past two seasons, Love has had some chances to showcase what Green Bay fans can expect from him after logging three total touchdowns and 606 yards while completing 60.2 percent of his passes. LaFleur visited Rodgers in California a second time in 2021 before Rodgers acquiesced to playing for the Packers last season. Tight end is an even greater need. We practice in this. The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. Tight end Marcedes Lewis said if he didnt have LaFleur as his coach, he might not be in the leagueand not necessarily because LaFleur uses his skill set perfectly (though he does, letting Lewis be a dominant blocker and catch passes off those blocks). The Rams won that game 35-30. His response reflected rule No. And the onus will be on coaches to figure out how to help these players find success. Daily. With all eyes on Jordan Love leading the franchise, head coach Matt LaFleur is backing his new QB1. Matthew Patrick LaFleur ( / lflur / l-FLOO-r; [2] born November 3, 1979 [1]) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). (McVay noted that the teams two-back sets are impressive. They selected Michigan outside linebacker Rashan Gary with the No. Copyright IBTimes 2023. We always thought hed be a perfect fit for the scheme. I think the ball can bounce either wayI dont want this to come off sounding like an excuse, because it is what it is. But I feel like I have to get him on the record: Why doesnt he get enough credit? McVays viewpoint on playoff mentality is simple: The best team doesnt always win. LaFleur draws a line from those experiences to now, when he has to drown out noise on a weekly basis. He was certain of that by the time he left campus that day in 2014. Because I troll Matt all the time.. But Rodgers did not love all of the motion in the offense. The partnership between LaFleur and Rodgers now is 53 games old. The Make-A-Wish visits and Tys tooth didnt get as much attention as the Packers flameout in the NFC Championship Game that season and the teams subsequent selection of Jordan Love with the 26th pick of the 2020 draft. LaFleur seemed to think the talent was there, and the only change needed was at the top. You might see them greet them, but this was legitimately asking them questions, spending time with them.. LaFleur was intrigued by him because of Rodgers praise. His ability to throw on the move. #10 Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers. It is a web of inside jokes and roasts that hasnt ended despite their respective rises up the ranks. In the IFL, teams traveled to games via 15- or 20-hour bus rides, and afterward, Ragsdale said, bruised and bloodied players would pile onto the bus and beg the driver to stop for beer and some sandwiches for the long postgame drive. Even so, he does not feel a ton of pressure. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. I know a lots been speculated, Oh, theyre gonna lean more on the run game. Well, maybe. No, youre gonna find a way to solve the problem., No one really knows how Adams will be replaced, and thats not necessarily a bad thing. Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers #12 meet in the fourth quarter against the Washington Football Team in the game at Lambeau Field on October 24, 2021 in Green Bay . Holmgren is in the Packers Hall of Fame and soon could be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This part was all LaFleur, his personality, his upbringing and perspective. As head coach Matt LaFleur explained over the weekend, everyone knew what the situation was with Rodgers likely heading to New York. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, president Mark Murphy and director of football operations Russ Ball also were involved in the discussions. Maybe (Lukas) Van Ness from Iowa winds up falling to 15. Its not why we were there. But they worked on it. Since 2007, the Vikings have sounded the. Is he trying to get under my skin to rile me up? I tried to play a poker face as best I could, but internally, my heart might have skipped a beat or two. LaFleur said the jokes came from multiple guests at the wedding. Matt LaFleur wins games at a higher clip than any pro football coach in history. We have a lot of conversations during the weekthats why I never want to miss a meeting. But Murphy said he felt LaFleur might have known more about the organization that he did in the interviewnot just roster or schemes, but history, too. LaFleur showed up with a bottle of scotch, the kind stores keep in a case behind the counter. After the Packers lost to the 49ers 13-10 in the divisional playoff round, LaFleur didnt speak with coded words about how Rodgers failed to capture the big moments or hint at his dissatisfaction with a special teams unit that gave up a blocked punt, a blocked field goal and had 10 men on the field for the 49ers field goal that won the game. He also gave embattled defensive coordinator Joe Barry a vote of confidence. Pete Carroll uses them. A lot of people would be like yes, sirand he was very very respectful, but he would ask why, McDaniel said. LaFleur starts an impression of a midwestern grandma: Why yes it is, and of course, the caller was disarmed. That is what is unfolding in Green Bay. The reporter did not check to see whether the drug was banned by the NFL. That was the backdrop to the March wedding. Davante demanded so much of the ball because he was always open and if youve got a guy who is always open, you gotta give him the ball, Rodgers said. Its still tricky for him, he said. Great hairline, great smile, and he dresses sharp.. (Its not.) One of the most obvious and clichd observations about pro football is also the most true: The head-coach-quarterback relationship is the most important part of the franchise. Franklin, who has known LaFleur since they were graduate assistants at Central Michigan in 2005, says he perceived a decrease in LaFleurs anxiety last season. As we walk through the tunnels of Lambeau Field, he explains that, like everyone, he cares what people think of him, but he tries hard to only value the opinion of his family, coaches, and players. When LaFleur was a kid, family members called him Matty. Three of his childhood friends still call him that. And why the Packers are 39-10 under LaFleur. Theres no question in my mind I could trust him with anything. Aaron set me straight, LaFleur said. Im going through that with my own kids right now., As a kid, LaFleurs mom took him to Central Michigan practices, but he said he didnt soak it in as much as he could have. I put it to nearly everyone I spoke with for this story: Why doesnt LaFleur get as many plaudits as he should? All rights reserved. They had lunch al fresco and talked about how Clements could help the Packers. I was like Holy shit, Ive got a lot to learn.. He had no problem running on two hours of sleep. The depth of this draft class at receiver and particularly at tight end could push the Packers toward using the 15th overall pick to address other needs, such as adding a safety or a pass rusher. I hadnt really ever hit it, so I had no reference point to be able to throw that with confidence, Rodgers said. Green Bay has been the center of the media circus a handful of times over the past two years: Rodgerss will-he-or-wont-he controversies about retirement and trade demands, or his positive COVID test last season which led to the revelation that Rodgers was not vaccinated. The Packers played in Green Bay last Christmas Day. You can lay out a vision and certainly youve got to make some decisions, but it takes everyone. He mentions a handful of executives, then points to the locker room. Thats not, by nature, the system we started on, McDaniel said. He mentions Tom Clementswho just returned as the Packers quarterbacks coach and who coached him earlier in his careerand former quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, now the offensive coordinator in Cleveland, as people whove given him extremely granular tasks to improve on each day. Citing the Packers traditional reluctance to take a pass catcher in the first round and the lack of safety prospects worth selecting that early, McShay suggested Green Bay might take a pass rusher at No. Theres almost a rom-com-y feel to how Rodgers and LaFleur talk about following each others careers long before they joined up. But even more drastic press conferences than that have taken place during his Packers tenure. Certainly, when we only score 10 points offensively, I put that all on myself.. July 30, 2018 by Matt Lafleur. The story of this era of Packers football is about the merging of two of the most monumental forces in modern football: Rodgerss talent and the Shanahan-McVay playbook, whose variations have revolutionized a handful of teams, including both Super Bowl participants last year and three of the four conference finalists. Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, Aaron Rodgers Hints At Finishing Out Contract With New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens Earn Strong Grades For 2023 Draft Picks, 2023 FIBA World Cup Excitement Hits Fever Pitch In Philippines, 'Special' Jaiswal: From Homeless To IPL Hero, Thousands Protest French Government's Immigration Plans, Wars, Religion And Football: Five Faces Of Erdogan, Qatar Spends Big To Beat Post-World Cup Blues, The Green Bay Packers have finally dealt Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, His departure has firmly entrenched Jordan Love as the Packers star quarterback, Head coach Matt LaFleur is all in on his new lead guy. People have to make the best decision for themselves. The Case for Matt LaFleur. He will choose integrity over outcome or a game. The play takes a lot of trust, and its virtually a blind throw, a favorite of nearly everyone in LaFleurs coaching circle. You could trust him with your life or your family. He said that if he was going through something and had to call one person who he knows would drop everything, it would be LaFleur. Im walking around a vast, carpeted locker room in Lambeau Field in early August trying to find out why, and generally succeeding: Players are explaining in detail his widely praised management style and describing his football mind, which blends the concepts hes loved for years with those embraced by his quarterback into the best playbook in the NFL. But the Packers do have to find a way to replace his production. By submitting your email, you agree to our, whose variations have revolutionized a handful of teams. Trust from the locker room will be crucial as he tries to fill the crater in his offense left by the trade of Adams, whose desire was to play for the Raiders. He will do something even if its worse for him. Thats artwork to me., His success, said Bengals coach Zac Taylor, who was on the 2017 Rams staff with LaFleur, it is so hard to do in this league. Hed rather use his cadence at the line to get defenses to show him hints at what they are doing. They ask you to do a lot of things with your back to the defense. LaFleur was a former undersized midwestern quarterback and the son of a MAC coach. Its like religion and politics. Hes getting all this credibility for being a handsome, good-looking coach. Matt LaFleur will coach one more game this season. I told him, Hey, from my standpoint, you have to do what you think is right for your body.. Ultimately, we were there to support David and Frankie, and I didnt want to take away from that experience.. Instead of having the entire team stay at a hotel the night before the game, which is customary for NFL teams, LaFleur allowed veterans to stay home. He was apprehensive, as he had not yet lost a tooth. Dillon give the Packers one of the NFLs top running back tandems. "I think it's been a cool process from the day we drafted him to see him now, just to see how he's matured in every facet of life. He watched Ryan Tannehill throw it as well as anyone in the league. LaFleur called off the practice. His departure has firmly entrenched Jordan Love as the Packers star quarterback Head coach Matt LaFleur is all in on his new lead guy The Green Bay Packers have begun the process of moving on. Many times, the lessons you learn from defeats are most impactful than what you learn from when you succeed.. The Packers never got the ball back and lost the game. "It's hard to lead when you're not the guy, and he knows he's the guy now. The third round has been disastrous for the Packers recently. "I don't think there's many things we're leaning on very well right now," LaFleur said after the loss to the Jets. The good news is that the offense is built for just that. It was well-received, so LaFleur instituted a new policy that vets never have to stay at the team hotel on the night before home games. The Packers also have one pick each in the second, third and fourth rounds, two picks in the fifth and four in the seventh. Its important to really think about how we talk because our words are spells. I dont need a lot of fluff or convolution. Its not easy. Im sure hes not gonna sit there saying, When I was with the Omaha Beef in 2003, I hit my fifth step like this but theres something to be said for a guy who understands the position, Ragsdale said of LaFleur. I think it's going to be a process, but one I know that he can handle," LaFleur went on to mention. LaFleur has become more than a head coach for the Packers. He has such a calm, cool demeanor that I think anybody would gravitate towards him.. You have to learn from every situation you are in, LaFleur says. That was the furthest thing from his mind. He has not won or made a Super Bowlsomething we talk about at lengthbut he is without a doubt one of the top coaches in the sport. And quite frankly, I thought hed be great for myself as well. The guy that went to Kyle and said, Hey, I really believe in this dude and we need him back, was Matt. LaFleur and Rodgers operate as part millennial Vince LombardiBart Starr and part bickering old married coupleif the old married couple won 80 percent of their football games and designed an offense that combined classic Shanahan-McVay principles with Rodgerss ability to lay waste to entire Midwestern cities. Hes got great eyebrows, he dresses nice, and they just get distracted by all the things he brings to the table and they dont give him credit. I asked Rodgers if theres anything hed like to do differently if they make the playoff this season. I definitely spent my time on the sticks, he says. Now, with the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday the Packers could use the 13th pick (the reported compensation by Adam Schefter for the Aaron Rodgers trade) on another edge rusher or, at the very least, figure to pick one during Day 2. Which may explain, in part, why three days after the wedding, Rodgers informed LaFleur Matty, he calls him that the vows between the Packers and their passer would be renewed. Each guy wants to talk shit about the one I spoke to previously. And in Houston the following year, LaFleurs first task was to draw the run plays for legendary offensive line coach Alex Gibbs. I wasted a lot of my life playing. I explain that I dont think it was a waste, as were sitting on a training table in the massive indoor practice facility of the team hes led to 39 wins in three years. I just have so much trust in these guys that they are doing the right thing, LaFleur says. And, of course, how often each would pound the table for a particular concept. Stenavich, the Packers offensive coordinator, said, I think a lot of people kind of get thrown off, because hes very direct. Whether you are leading a football team, an offense or an office, guys will follow you if you show them how much it means to you and how hard you work, more than what you say, Rodgers said in January. Hourly. LaFleur would desperately try to get ahead on his dutieseveryone with him in those days agreed he was a perfectionistand then after hours and hours of work, Gibbs would ask him to change it. Despite social, political, and existential crises, the foundation of my Catholic identity held firm. One look at the Green Bay Packers depth chart shows they must find additional playmakers for Jordan Love as he prepares to take over at quarterback. On the day I was at practice, a reporter asked LaFleur whether he was worried about Rodgers being suspended for admitting to using ayahuasca on a podcast. I promise you [the other team is] colder than we are. Take the emotion out of it, and be able to have an honest conversation without being triggered or sensitive by what was said. And so does Kyle Shanahan, who LaFleur worked for in Houston, Washington, and Atlantathough Shanahan calls it drift. It can be, LaFleur said, an uncomfortable play for the quarterback: a quick-hitting, five-step pass (or six steps if youre moving to the left) from under center. Rodgers was messing around with me quite a bit, LaFleur says.
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