Early in training camp, it seems the Green Bay Packers’ defense has the edge over its young offense.
This isn’t surprising. The defense is loaded with talent, including a plethora of first-rounders, and has a returning defensive coordinator. Meanwhile, the offense is led by a young quarterback throwing to a legion of young, unproven receivers.
What was surprising was the aftermath. In two of the first open practices, the offense faced dreaded consequences in their defeat — a series of push-ups and up-downs!
It wasn’t the act of Matt LaFleur punishing his young offense. Rather, it was a competition agreed on by the players themselves. A friendly bet between the opposing sides.
We hadn’t seen this in previous years, but it’s an evolution of LaFleur as a player’s coach trying something new with a young team. LaFleur is empowering his players to find new avenues for leadership and create ways to increase production and intensity. These simple bets between units are symbolic of the new era in Green Bay.
LaFleur has established himself as a coach striving to empower his crew. He blames himself before blaming his players after losses and creates opportunities for players to express themselves, repeatedly showing us the type of leader he is. LaFleur hasn’t simply become an insecure tyrant enforcing a culture of humiliation and submission. Instead, he’s created an avenue for the players to have more of a say in practice and find new ways to challenge each other.
When the Packers traded Aaron Rodgers, they didn’t just lose valuable football experience. They lost one of the team’s longest-tenured leaders. Rodgers was the face of the Packers for over 15 years and had a clear role in the locker room. Green Bay has also moved on from veterans Mason Crosby, Marcedes Lewis, and Adrian Amos. They has embraced a youth movement, which means letting new leaders emerge to fill the so-called power vacuum.
And so the first Wednesday of training camp, the leaders of the offense and defense came to an agreement — whoever lost the team period would do push-ups. These 11-on-11 periods are the closest the team can get to simulating in-game action and thus the best test of each unit’s power.
The defense won that competition fairly handily.
The offense got a chance for revenge on Thursday but fell short again. This time, the offense had to do 10 up-downs.
“We had a competition period, a third-down period where there was seven reps and the defense won that handily,” LaFleur said before Thursday’s practice. Following the offense’s second defeat, LaFleur offered some insight into the team’s thought process.
LaFleur said Aaron Jones and De’Vondre Campbell agreed before practice that up-downs would be that day’s “punishment.” The head coach likes what the competition has brought out in his team.
“You can feel the intensity raise up a little bit,” he said. “Guys are talking a little bit more trash to each other.”
And intensity has been high by all reports. Jordan Love had a perfectly placed touchdown pass to Christian Watson. Rasul Douglas had perfect coverage, but Love threaded the ball in the exact right spot. Douglas took his frustration out on a nearby garbage can.
“I mean, Sul’s that kind of guy. He’s super competitive,” Watson said on Thursday. “So, you know, I think when he thinks he has a chance to make a big play, he’s gonna take it. And he knows sometimes it doesn’t pan out his way, but I know he’s gonna be ready for the next opportunity. And, you know, hopefully, we get the same outcome.”
For a team that was often called “soft” last season, this is the type of intensity you want to see every day. By honing their skills against each other, the Packers can be ready for battle against NFL competition.
“We have a lot of young guys with a lot of potential and a lot of athleticism, a lot of ability,” Preston Smith said of the competition. “We know we just have to go out there and make sure we’re our best competition so when they get to the season, they’re ready and they’re not going to see anybody better than us.”
That’s the ideal attitude for the team to have. The defense last year didn’t live up to expectations despite a massive amount of talent. By embracing a blend of trying to improve and play the “big brother” role for the offense, they can forge a better unit than last year’s. This new player-led mindset could bring a sense or urgency that was often absent on Sundays last year.
The best leaders empower their teams to new heights and put them in a position to succeed while offering needed support. This is the kind of leader Matt LaFleur has proven to be in Green Bay, and this player competition is the latest evolution. We don’t know how often these bets will occur or what the stakes will be, but this new technique is an intriguing evolution.
