Matt LaFleur has had a ton of success since coming the Green Bay Packers’ head coach. Unfortunately, the 2022 season was a brutal one and could cause major roster issues that will test just how good LaFleur is as a head coach. Frustration grew strong within the Packers’ fan base about LaFleur this season, but it is extremely unlikely that any big changes will be made to any part of the coaching staff.
One issue that fans have had with LaFleur is that it seems like big moments are too big for him. He has gotten out-coached in the playoffs and it was very clear that was the case in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions this year as well.
Tom Bliss, a Football Ops Data Scientist for NFL.com, released a chart of new stats that shows one glaring issue for LaFleur.
What Is Matt LaFleur’s Huge Glaring Issue For The Packers?
According to Bliss, LaFleur ranked second to last when it comes to unnecessary offensive timeouts. That has become an issue at times since he arrived in Green Bay. Too many times fans have seen Rodgers grow frustrated with LaFleur calling a panic timeout from the sidelines.
Update on coach timeout usage ahead of championship weekend.
Andy Reid #ChiefsKingdom and Nick Sirianni #FlyEaglesFly are amongst the lowest in unnecessary timeout usage while Shanahan #FTTB and Taylor #RuleTheJungle are in the upper 50%. pic.twitter.com/Jdh4PteUoj
— Tom Bliss (@DataWithBliss) January 25, 2023
Time management and timeout management are two of the most important things a head coach is responsible for. This statistic shows that LaFleur is not very good at the timeout aspect of coaching.
Whether the issue lies on the players on the field or the sideline, no one truly knows to the full extent. All we can speak to is how many times LaFleur has stepped in and called a timeout with Rodgers showing frustration. It seemed like at least once per week this season there was a new case of that issue.
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LaFleur has compiled an impressive 49-22 record, including the playoffs, with the Packers. The players have liked playing for him, but there also seems to be something to be said about a coach who is too much of a players coach.
Throughout the course of the 2022 season, there were too many boneheaded plays that the Packers made. In particular, rookie linebacker Quay Walker was ejected twice. Granted, that is not LaFleur’s fault directly, but the team as a whole seemed to lack a much-needed structure.
It will be interesting to see what the 2023 NFL season has in store for LaFleur and the Packers. If they continue to struggle, it would not be shocking to see LaFleur’s name start trending towards the hot seat.
