Matt LaFleur is one of the NFL’s best and most underrated offensive minds. He has guided the league’s youngest roster to back-to-back postseason appearances and became the first head coach to lead a seventh-seed team to a playoff win.
LaFleur should not be anywhere near the hot seat. He has done an excellent job adapting the offense to Jordan Love and guiding his transition into a starting role. Few coaches in the league today have a better résumé than him. Only Andy Reid and Sean McVay could arguably get more out of Green Bay’s current offense.
Still, like any head coach, LaFleur has flaws. Last year, he went 1-7 on challenges, and his late-season play-calling didn’t consistently put the offense in the best position to succeed.
However, his biggest flaw is his loyalty to coordinators who aren’t delivering the expected results.
In 2021, Green Bay’s defense ranked 12th in points allowed, 13th against the pass, and 11th against the run under first-year defensive coordinator Joe Barry. However, in 2022, Barry’s unit was the seventh-worst defense against the run. It also made quarterbacks like Bailey Zappe, Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson, Taylor Heinicke, and Ryan Tannehill look competent.
There was a case for the Packers to move on from Barry after the 2022 season, but he returned the following year. In 2023, his defense allowed Desmond Ridder, Jimmy Garoppolo, Kenny Pickett, and Tommy DeVito to have career backups. All four quarterbacks are now backups. Baker Mayfield also became the first visiting quarterback in Lambeau Field history to record a perfect passer rating.
Green Bay’s defense ranked:
- 22nd in yards per play
- 25th in expected points added
- 22nd in takeaways
- 26th in passer rating allowed
- 29th in interceptions
- 22nd in sacks
- 28th in yards per rush
- 21st in scoring percentage
- 25th in adjusted net yards per attempt
- 25th on third downs
- 31st in plays per drive
LaFleur relieved Barry of his duties following Green Bay’s 24-21 Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. While it was the right move, the Packers were slow to acknowledge what fans had long seen.
Barry was not the answer for improving the defense.
After that, you would assume LaFleur had learned from past mistakes with mishandling coordinators. However, he seems to be heading in the opposite direction.
On Monday, the Packers extended Rich Bisaccia’s contract. Under Bisaccia, Green Bay’s special teams ranked 17th in DVOA in 2022, up from 32nd the year before. They led the league in penalties in 2023 and ranked 32nd in special teams grade in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Packers extended Bisaccia’s contract and promoted him to game management adviser while retaining his role as assistant head coach. Special teams struggled under his full attention, so why did they add more responsibilities? The decision doesn’t address the core issue.
LaFleur values Bisaccia as an experienced voice in the locker room, which explains his expanded role. However, why keep him as the special teams coach? Despite being the highest-paid special teams coach in the league, the results have been subpar. The Packers could retain him as assistant head coach while hiring someone new to oversee special teams.
“I do believe in the people, not only in the locker room, but our coaching staff,” LaFleur said following the 2022 season. “It’s my intention to try and have everybody back. I think continuity is a big part of having success in this league. When you feel good about the people, then you gotta work to improve. We have to challenge each other.”
LaFleur’s quote highlights his tendency to give coaches on his staff second and third chances. However, Bisaccia is entering his fourth year with the Packers, and there’s been no discernible improvement on special teams. Still, he extended his contract and promoted him.
LaFleur’s habit of holding on too long to underperforming coordinators has become a liability. While his willingness to give people chances speak to his character, it mirrors the same path he took with Joe Barry. Fans recognized early that Barry and Bisaccia weren’t the answers, but LaFleur was slow to reach the same conclusion.
If this trend continues, it may undermine a strong start to his coaching tenure.
