Welp, for the second consecutive week, it is time to significantly lower our expectations for the 2023 Green Bay Packers. It’s a tough blow for a fanbase that is used to perennial contention. Before this year, you might hear some Aaron Rodgers discourse and a few shots at Joe Barry on your average weekday. But suddenly there is plenty of blame to go around.
Despite early success, we still don’t know a ton about how good Jordan Love is or will be. However, he sure as hell didn’t play well on Monday. Similarly, Christian Watson’s skillset suddenly looks too niche for him to continue to emerge as the No. 1 target of the future. The Anti-Barry Society had the pitchforks out once again, this time because of a viral clip showing Preston Smith in man coverage versus Davante Adams in a crucial situation.
But criticism went all the way to the top, with fans calling Matt LaFleur a “Rodgers merchant” and trashing his playcalling. Even the medical staff isn’t safe after Aaron Jones was surprisingly ruled out again with that lingering hamstring injury. He had been expected to play coming off the “mini-bye” following the Thursday night game.
When it came to LaFleur, some new voices were speaking up for the first time. In the past, many have been quick to defend his regular-season record. Others were just content with the direction of the organization. Not only did we get some new voices, we also heard some new critiques. Former Packers third-string QB Kurt Benkert is involved in the media and gaming space. He said on his podcast that he and LaFleur “butted heads.” Then he elaborated in a long Twitter post, referencing their polar-opposite personalities, how his perspectives were not appreciated in meetings, and calling Green Bay’s offensive scheme “outdated.”
That’s the closest we’ve really heard to criticism of LaFleur’s coaching style and character. Due to the years-long Rodgers situation, which required a lot of appeasement, he came across as a more passive, people-pleasing type of coach. Perhaps having the youngest team in the league has made it easier to coach them hard. Conversely, Benkert was, admittedly, just a “dispensable practice squad player.” His experience and opinions may be heavily influenced by that, along with the fact that the Packers cut him in 2022.
LaFleur is a branch of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree that also includes Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins), Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals), and Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings). And during his time in Washington working under his father, Mike, Kyle Shanahan worked together with coaching phenom Sean McVay, who also influenced this young, innovative group. That’s noteworthy for a few reasons. Benkert didn’t only trash LaFleur’s scheme. He raved about Kyle Shanahan’s ability to learn and adapt, and his willingness to take plays from other teams. He also praised the overall job that Shanahan has done turning the Niners into a perennial juggernaut. Therefore, Benkert’s gripe is not with the McVay tree’s motion-heavy, cerebral scheme, but the specific rendition LaFleur is running in Green Bay.
It’s been difficult to collect evidence on LaFleur during his time in Green Bay. Their playoff runs were largely the product of a Hall of Fame quarterback in Rodgers and the best receiver in the league in Adams. Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy flamed out in Titletown, and he was maligned for his basic offense and lack of playoff success. LaFleur has succeeded in the regular season, but he failed to differentiate himself from McCarthy in the playoffs. He’s approaching a similar level of scrutiny as McCarthy faced now that future Hall of Famers have left town. It’s easy for LaFleur’s proponents to combat Benkert’s criticism by pointing out his regular-season record. However, that carries little weight with the Packers’ fanbase, which has become all too familiar with unfulfilled expectations down the stretch.
The tendency for league evaluators to adopt a skewed perception of coaches due to their players’ prowess is too common in the modern NFL. Head coaching vacancies are often created when teams with poor rosters put forth poor output. Teams often fill them with coordinators from high-performing teams and units, which is largely a function of personnel, of course.
Perhaps Nathaniel Hackett is the best and most applicable example. The Denver Broncos only considered and eventually hired the former Packers OC because of qualifications he accumulated as the coordinator of an offense Rodgers and Adams led and LaFleur called. Ultimately, Denver fired Hackett after one awful season. Sean Payton referred to him as one of the worst coaches in NFL history, which is kind of ironic, given how the Broncos have started their season. But the point still stands. A coach’s perceived ability is heavily dependent on the talent of their personnel. LaFleur did a lot when he had a lot. But we should expect him to add surplus value even though the young offense is bereft of the talent previous Packers teams have had.
After voicing his opinion, people have called Benkert a bitter practice squad player whose journey came to the same end of many others despite his best efforts. However, Benkert met a similar fate in San Francisco, and his contrasting interpretations of Shanahan and LaFleur’s schemes might just be valid, given what we are seeing unfold now.
Green Bay’s season, let alone Jordan Love’s career, is far from over in a weak NFC. But for LaFleur, it’s time to put up or shut up. We have yet to see evidence that his scheme and tenure as coach has added surplus value to the personnel that Brian Gutekunst has put in front of him. Losing times, particularly the first in a while, will inevitably bring about harsh takes and overreactions. But LaFleur has proven himself far less than the likes of Shanahan and McDaniel. He will surely get the rest of this season and likely the next. Reducing his scheme to “outdated” is grating, but has he really earned that much leeway? Time will tell.
