The Green Bay Packers are 3-3 under Matt LaFleur coming off the bye week. While it’s a .500 record, the team’s post-bye performances have been inconsistent and often underwhelming,
After Green Bay’s Week 11 bye in 2019, the San Francisco 49ers dismantled the Packers, 37-8. They allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to throw for over 250 yards and gave up more than 110 rushing yards. Aaron Rodgers managed only 104 passing yards in one of the team’s worst performances that season.
A year later, the Packers came off the bye to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Green Bay allowed 158 rushing yards in the 38-10 loss. Aaron Rodgers only completed 45% of his passes and threw two interceptions, including a pick-six.
After a late bye in 2021, the Packers defeated the Chicago Bears, 45-30. Rodgers threw four touchdown passes, but Green Bay’s defense allowed Chicago to score a season-high 30 points. They gave up 137 rushing yards, and Justin Fields had his only multi-touchdown passing game of the season.
Following their Week 14 bye in 2022, the Packers defeated the 4-9 Los Angeles Rams, 24-12. Green Bay did enough to win comfortably against a team missing Matthew Stafford and reigning Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. The 5-12 Rams had allowed 27-plus points in six games up to that point.
In 2023, Packers fans clarified whether the post-bye slump was tied to Rodgers or LaFleur. Green Bay traveled to face the 1-5 Denver Broncos and lost 19-17. They allowed 145 rushing yards, and Russell Wilson posted a 0.0% turnover-worthy play rate, one of only four such games in his 16 starts.
After losing 24-14 to the Detroit Lions and coming off a bye, Green Bay faced the Chicago Bears on the road. With Jordan Love healthy, the Packers leaned on under-center plays, but LaFleur’s play-calling was questionable.
On second-and-one inside Chicago’s 10, they chose to pass instead of handing the ball to Josh Jacobs, resulting in an ineligible man downfield penalty. Later, on second-and-six, they ran a sweep to Jayden Reed, losing five yards. The Bears picked Jordan Love on third-and-11.
Opponents have pressured Caleb Williams on 34% of his dropbacks entering Week 11. However, Green Bay only pressured him on 2 of his first 19 dropbacks, per ESPN Stats & Info.
He rushed for 70 yards on nine carries and often looked like prime Michael Vick. The Packers failed to adjust, and Chicago relied heavily on quick screens to receivers, gaining positive yards each time. Sunday’s game could give Bears fans hope their team is back on track, but the reality is the Packers repeatedly made self-inflicted mistakes – and they still won, 20-19.
I still don’t understand why LaFleur challenged Love’s dive at the goal line. The Packers had two timeouts, and the Bears had enough time to drive for a field goal, which they did.
Green Bay would have had four chances to score from inside the one-yard line. Wasting a timeout late in the fourth quarter in a one-score game made no sense. Green Bay also went for it on Chicago’s six-yard line, down 19-14 early in the fourth. While I don’t entirely disagree with the decision, the best choice was to kick the field goal and make it a two-point game.
It wasn’t a good day for LaFleur as a play-caller or the keeper of the red challenge flags — nor for the offense or defense. However, the special teams delivered the game-winning play, which is a crazy statement to make in 2024.
The Packers have been outscored 94-35 in their three losses following the bye week in the Matt LaFleur era. They allow an average of 133.8 rushing yards per game immediately after the bye. While their record might suggest an average team, their performances have been underwhelming,
LaFleur gave a post-game speech in the locker room about not apologizing when winning. He’s not wrong, but the Packers must reflect and figure out why they come off the bye week so sloppy. The story of the 2024 Green Bay Packers is filled with self-inflicted wounds. If they don’t correct that, the Lombardi Trophy will be out of reach.
