The Green Bay Packers had a tremendous opportunity to start their season 2-0 with what could have been another big win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. Unfortunately for Green Bay, they were unable to hold on to the lead, allowing Atlanta to outscore them in the final period, 13-0, en route to a deflating 25-24 loss for the Packers.
Green Bay Packers Coach Matt LaFleur Speaks Out on Loss
As you may have expected, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was not a happy man after watching his team squander a significant lead in the fourth quarter. The 43-year-old shot-caller could not help but rue his team’s mistakes in his brutally honest post-game reaction:
“Obviously very disappointing,” LaFleur said, via Mike Spofford of the team website. “When you don’t make the plays and don’t play complementary football, and you have mistakes, those get magnified.”
To say that this was a fourth-quarter collapse by Green Bay would be an understatement. Not only did they gain just 11 total yards in 10 plays during their two possessions in the final period, but they also allowed the Falcons to gain 166 yards for one touchdown and two field goals.
No wonder LaFleur was bitterly disappointed after the game.
Green Bay Packers Defense Just Wasn’t Good Enough
While the offense did have its shortcomings in this one, the problems on the defensive end were magnified on Sunday more significantly. Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder just poured it on all day long, going for 237 passing yards and 39 rushing yards as the defense provided no answers. The same was the case for Falcons running back Bijan Robinson who rushed for 124 yards, while also adding 48 receiving yards.
Matt LaFleur knew his team was simply outplayed in this one, particularly on the defensive end:
“You guys saw it, they shredded us,” LaFleur said. “Consistently.”
Be that as it may, LaFleur is not pointing any fingers here. He knows that it was a collective team effort, or the lack thereof, that led to this loss.
“It’s never just one thing,” LaFleur said. “There’s enough blame, if you will, to go to all of us, collectively.”
The Packers will need to dust themselves off quickly with a Week 3 matchup against the New Orleans Saints coming up next Sunday.
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