Critics Say This Anecdote Shows Ex-Notre Dame Coach Brian - HuffPost Packers can shore up pivotal role in Matt LaFleur's offense with tight That was the furthest thing from his mind. I know he was taking a lot of heat. While boarding the team plane to Minneapolis, he wore a shirt with LaFleurs likeness that read, OUR COACH IS HOTTER THAN YOURS., He frequently jokes about LaFleurs lush eyebrows. Can we take some motion off to get some tempo practice? And he can say yes without being sensitive, Rodgers says. Its going to be more of a group effort.. This, a handful of Packers told me, is the backbone of the team. And at that stage, 99 percent of coaches wouldnt have had that security. He didnt care how it affected him, he just wanted to do what he thought was right., In the beginning, there was Bill Walsh College Football. Motion, fakes. Glenn Erby. People have to make the best decision for themselves. Copyright IBTimes 2023. The Packers Miss Super Bowl Thanks to Terrible 4th Down Decision - Insider Of course, there were several unsightly seams between Rodgers and others in the organization. Its going to be different guys at different times. A group of young receiversled by fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs or second-round pick Christian Watson, who has been banged upwill have opportunities to show something this year. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers kiddingly said his toe issue, later revealed to be a fracture, was COVID toe. I just kept saying, I dont know, man, and he said, No were good. Then Id just keep saying, You sure? and hed say, Were good. It went on like this. The best coaches push you to do things that youre uncomfortable with, Ryan says. Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur turned down a chance to make the Super Bowl. The flip side of that is that LaFleur empowers his assistants and wants input, Stenavich said, and lets assistants address the room in ways other coaches might not. He watched Ryan Tannehill throw it as well as anyone in the league. Certainly we made our fair share of mistakes because they made plays and we didnt. And then last year against the 49ers in the divisional round: Obviously our defense balled out and we didnt play up to our standard offensively or on special teams., LaFleur said hes talked often with McVay about the playoffs. I liked to be coached. In fact, its the best in NFL history. Serving as the officiant of the marriage for teammate David Bakhtiari and Frankie Shebby at the Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito, Calif., Rodgers undoubtedly was having thoughts beyond the everyday variety. They selected Michigan outside linebacker Rashan Gary with the No. They ask you to do a lot of things with your back to the defense. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. The offensive coordinator of that Texans team certainly knew a hell of a lot about football. LaFleur was a former undersized midwestern quarterback and the son of a MAC coach. Follow Dan on Twitter @danpompei, After a bumpy start, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have developed a strong working relationship. As head coach Matt LaFleur explained over the weekend, everyone knew what the situation was with Rodgers likely heading to New York. Matt never told me this, I didnt find it out until years later, McDaniel said. And, of course, how often each would pound the table for a particular concept. Its because when youve played for 16 years and saved your money, as Lewis has, its a matter of just wanting to continue. There was also 10-Yard Fight, an obscure video game LaFleur loved as a kid, Tecmo Bowl, and, according to his brother, a lot of EA Sports NCAA Football. They are grown men. The affection Rodgers has for his head coach is evident in the way he makes fun of him publicly. I didnt really take advantage of that, he said. I didnt spend time watching tape with [my dad] or anything like that. Youre not facing the defense, turned toward the running back on the fake for most of the play. In their second season together, Rodgers won the third of his four NFL MVPs. Winning 13 games three seasons in a row seems like an easy proposition with Aaron Rodgers under center. Ultimately, it was his decision.. What Rodgers didnt know was that LaFleur was listening to the broadcast while game-planning. Hes got the green light on the field, LaFleur said. The wedding story starts where all LaFleur stories do: with the coach trying to give everyone space to be themselves. That shit doesnt bother me, LaFleur said. A good relationshipone where each person erases the others mistakes and both make each other bettercan win you a Super Bowl. Aaron is a great player, said Mark Murphy, the teams president and CEO. I Want To Believe: Matt's Story | Matt Lafleur - Sick Pilgrim Citing the Packers traditional reluctance to take a pass catcher in the first round and the lack of safety prospects worth selecting that early, McShay suggested Green Bay might take a pass rusher at No. Last years third-round pick was UCLA offensive lineman Sean Rhyan, who played one special teams snap and no offensive snaps as a rookie and was suspended the last six games of the season for violating the NFLs policy on performance-enhancers. But even more drastic press conferences than that have taken place during his Packers tenure. The Packers are picking 15th overall after going 8-9 last season, missing the playoffs and ending a string of three straight NFC North titles. Im sure hes not gonna sit there saying, When I was with the Omaha Beef in 2003, I hit my fifth step like this but theres something to be said for a guy who understands the position, Ragsdale said of LaFleur. His response reflected rule No. Packers' Matt LaFleur Mocks Vikings Tradition Ahead of Opener - Heavy.com Tight end is an even greater need. While some figured it was a foregone conclusion that the Packers would pick up the fifth-year option on their 2020 first-round draft pick at a $20.272 million fully guaranteed price tag for the 2024 season Gutekunst turned down the opportunity after the draft ended to flat-out say that yes, Love will indeed have his option picked up. No, youre gonna find a way to solve the problem., No one really knows how Adams will be replaced, and thats not necessarily a bad thing. In the resurfaced article, Robert Saleh told Demovsky that on one occasion in the mid-2000s, Kelly then the head coach at Central Michigan invited him and fellow graduate assistant coach Matt LaFleur to what they thought was a party at Kelly's house. This is not just a fun anecdote, though: This is where Matt LaFleur first learned football. Matt LaFleur, the new head coach for the Green Bay Packers, is married to wife BreAnne, is the father of two boys, and has a brother who is also involved in the National Football League. Matt will get excited, but hes able to assess situations and not get too carried away. Since 2007, the Vikings have sounded the. Transfer exodus at Colorado unprecedented in portal era - Yahoo News First-year coach Matt LaFleur has a chance to lead the Green Bay Packers to an NFC championship and a trip to Super Bowl 54 against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. He has such a calm, cool demeanor that I think anybody would gravitate towards him.. That move could lead to the exit of free agent Mason Crosby, who has a franchise-record 1,918 career points over 17 seasons. All rights reserved. LaFleurs approach was to lock arms with Rodgers, as much as Rodgers was willing, and he set out to blend the Shanahan system he had been a part of for eight of the previous nine years with the plays and concepts Rodgers favored. When LaFleur was a kid, family members called him Matty. Three of his childhood friends still call him that. The league reflects their image now and they are having a great time with it. There wasnt anything other than, This guy will work his butt off, Saleh says now. LaFleur's first two teams finished 26 th and 29 th in special teams rankings, so he fired coordinator Shawn Mennenga after the 2020 campaign. This part was all LaFleur, his personality, his upbringing and perspective. Its why he was a Packer in 2021. He said he needs to remind himself constantly that for all the facts of the game to work together, you cant just pass on every play. Packers' Matt LaFleur will face off his brother Mike LaFleur in Sunday Serving mainly as Rodgers' backup for the past two seasons, Love has had some chances to showcase what Green Bay fans can expect from him after logging three total touchdowns and 606 yards while completing 60.2 percent of his passes. It is unprecedented turnover in this new era of loosened . I think it's going to be a process, but one I know that he can handle," LaFleur went on to mention. If I can stand up and say I could have done things better, I think people are more receptive to accepting constructive criticism.. You can tell Aaron respects Matt because theres some stuff Ive never seen him do, and the offense is different from when Matt started.. Talk to any former Shanahan assistant and youll get the same response. Who that will be, I dont know yet.. Rodgers appreciated his coachs stance, even if it wasnt verbalized at a podium. Josiah Deguara, who had 13 catches for 114 yards last season, is the top tight end under contract. I said, Listen, Im not going to wear you out, LaFleur says. How Matt LaFleur will get Jordan Love ready for Packers' starting job Now hes all swaggy. I mean, he is so efficient at it, LaFleur said. Matt LaFleur will coach one more game this season. Green Bay has been the center of the media circus a handful of times over the past two years: Rodgerss will-he-or-wont-he controversies about retirement and trade demands, or his positive COVID test last season which led to the revelation that Rodgers was not vaccinated. With more help at the tight end spot coming in the form of Tucker Kraft, an extra edge rusher in Colby Wooden and Virginia's Dontayvion Wicks for receiver depth, the Packers pretty much hit on all of their picksoutside of the Sean Clifford pick. But privately, he extended a hand. So hes like, Whatever, Im not gonna concern myself with the trivial nature of getting mad. He just wants to know the answer.. Because I troll Matt all the time.. For some coaches, failures beget more failures. LaFleurs winning percentage of .796 is better than the winning percentages of Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi. With all the trust I have with everybody, I would like to think Ive chilled out a little bit, LaFleur says. The more of it LaFleur gets, the more of it he gives. When asked about defensive coordinator Joe Barry, LaFleur revealed that he didn't anticipate making any changes to the coaching staff for the 2023 season. He also gave embattled defensive coordinator Joe Barry a vote of confidence. He was completely infuriated but he never let anyone know. He walks down the air-conditioned hallway back to his office. The football acumen he carries with him is pure Shanahan. He is one of 49 members on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors board and one of nine members on the Seniors Committee. Green Bay hasnt selected a wide receiver in the first round since taking Javon Walker from Florida State with the 20th overall pick in 2002. Great hairline, great smile, and he dresses sharp.. That scheme, which is heavy on play-action, zone runs, and motion, has made winners out of less-talented passers like Jared Goff and Jimmy Garoppolo. If I see any other quarterback do something, I say, We can do that. I just tell our staff, the only thing that limits us is our own imagination.. Thats kind of how my family rolls, LeFleur says. COVID toe is a condition in which toes swell and turn blue or purple. He was apprehensive, as he had not yet lost a tooth. (McVay noted that the teams two-back sets are impressive. But Murphy said he felt LaFleur might have known more about the organization that he did in the interviewnot just roster or schemes, but history, too.