When Mark Murphy and the Packers' front office elected to move on from Mike McCarthy in December 2018, they weren't entirely quite sure what they'd get in the next head coach.
Two 13-win seasons later, they couldn't be happier with the choice made in Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur, an offensive mastermind like his predecessor, has helped catalyze an already-talented Packers offense through creative play design that uses a versatile backfield to balance the explosive, Aaron Rodgers-led passing attack. His unique style of play-calling regularly schemes open receivers and keeps the chains moving, helping control the tempo of the game and keeping the offense on the field as long as possible.
A Singular Script to Winning
Rodgers and Co. have been able to execute on this GameDay blueprint to a tee, scoring on most opening drives last season and owning a lopsided time of possession advantage. By executing against this script, they've been able to routinely outpace opposing offenses, creating big leads that make the opposition one-dimensional and helping mask the Packers' pedestrian run defense.
However, on several occasions during LaFleur's short stint with Green Bay, opponents have been able to crack the code. The O-line loses in the trenches, the running game is shut down and LaFleur's play action-friendly offense is put outside its comfort zone. When run-to-set-up-the-pass hasn't worked, we haven't seen many alternatives succeed.
Having watched Rodgers and the passing game roll in just about any circumstance for over a decade, it's been astonishing to watch its inability to adapt, even when defenses are expecting the Packers to throw. Despite deep talent at the skill positions, the offense as a whole has looked lost when playing from behind, with receivers unable to win one-on-one.
Issues Spanning Beyond Xs and Os
If this sounds familiar, it's because such was the scenario that played out on the road in Week 1. Aaron Jones and the running game were disrupted early on and the offense never got on track. On unfamiliar playing turf, the Packers simply looked lost. Interestingly enough, LaFleur's game plan has been seemingly most vulnerable away from Green Bay.
Which lends to the notion that there may be other factors at play in these losses.
During three road trips to California during the 2019 season (twice at San Francisco and once in L.A.), the offense looked nothing like itself, failing to score once in the first half of each contest. In Tampa last season, it was more of the same - a fixed strategy to winning was exposed by a smart defensive coordinator and an opponent that came into the game simply more focused.
Indeed, in these losses - all of which were either in the late afternoon slot on Sunday or in prime time, I might add - the Packers have looked flat and unprepared from play one, quickly falling into a hole without a home crowd to help tilt the game back in its favor. With numerous mentions of being distracted and coming in with low energy, one must question how LaFleur is preparing the team for these road games.
Looking Ahead
How nervous should we be about the Packers' ability to compete in several key road games this season? A vulnerable game plan paired with questionable preparation is not how the Packers want to enter their Sunday Night showdown in Santa Clara this week or on Thursday Night Football at Arizona in just over a month.
Surely, LaFleur doesn't actually rely on a single script for winning football games. Like most coaches, he adjusts play calling and rotates personnel in response to changing game circumstances. But, his early track record as head coach suggests that home environments and a run-first approach on offense play undeniably important roles in winning.
This week against the 49ers, LaFleur will get a much truer rematch with the team that kept the Packers from the Super Bowl in January 2020 instead of the injury-ridden Niners team the Packers faced last year. Will they ride a different approach into what should be an extremely difficult environment on Sunday night?
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