Twice over the past 16 months has head coach Matt LaFleur been tasked with balancing team health, continuity and readiness heading into gameday.
Last season, LaFleur sat Aaron Rodgers and many other key starters for all three preseason games ahead of Green Bay's date with the Saints in Week 1. Fast forward to Week 18, he changed tune and played many key starters - including OT David Bakhtiari - during the first half, citing a concern of "not wanting to lay an egg" in the looming NFC Divisional playoff.
Unfortunately, those readiness plans and related personnel decisions didn't ultimately prove fruitful. In both games, eggs were effectively laid: the offense scored a total of 13 points.
The Packers face a similar situation heading into their Week 1 contest with Minnesota. Several key contributors on offense - including Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Randall Cobb and rookie Christian Watson - didn't play a snap during the preseason. The unit will also likely be without No.1 receiver Allen Lazard.
On the O-line, another health-centric decision must be made on whether to play Bakhtiari and fellow star lineman Elgton Jenkins. Does he roll with the youthful unit that's just begun to gel? Or, does he rush either star linemen back into action?
Whether personnel are available or not, it's a head coach's job to ensure that his team doesn't come out flat.
Particularly in one of the league's loudest buildings.
Particularly against a revamped (and personally-motivated) Vikings' pass rush.
Particularly when the opponent is your division rival, the Minnesota Vikings.
LaFleur has two things on his side: the reigning NFL MVP as his quarterback and facing a Vikings defense that's a mixed bag in terms of NFL experience. It's on LaFleur to remediate personnel gaps with the creative scheming we saw so often in 2019. And it's on him to ensure that his team comes into this game with total discipline and focus.
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