There may not be a more underrated head coach in the NFL than Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers. Very few seem to remember that, in 2018, the Packers went 6-9-1, fired Mike McCarthy, and looked like they are getting set for a long rebuild.
As it turned out, the decision to hire LaFleur was one that altered the trajectory of the franchise. Green Bay went 13-3 in his first season as head coach. In fact, they won 13 games in each of his first three seasons with the team and made to the NFC Championship Game in both 2019 and 2020.
Even Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Improved Under Matt LaFleur
Dan Powers
Do not get wrong. Aaron Rodgers was a great quarterback before LaFleur arrived in Green Bay. By 2019, he already had won two NFL MVP Awards, a Super Bowl, and a Super Bowl MVP Award.
That being said, in 2018, Rodgers had a completion percentage of 62.3%, 4,442 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, just two interceptions, and a passer rating of 97.6.
Rodgers had a bumpy 2019 season, too, despite the team’s overall success, as he adjusted to a new offense. He had a 62.0% completion percentage, 4,002 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 95.4 passer rating.
But in 2020, partially motivated by the Packers drafting his successor, Jordan Love, but also due to his newfound familiarity in LaFleur’s offense, Rodgers returned to MVP form. That year, he had a 70.7% completion percentage, 4,299 passing yards, 48 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 121.5 passer rating. Rodgers also won his third NFL MVP Award.
The following year, Rodgers won MVP again with a 68.9% completion percentage, 4,115 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, four interceptions, and 111.9 passer rating.
Of course, the 2022 season was not nearly as good of year for Rodgers, LaFleur, and the Packers. The team went 8-9, missed the Playoffs for the first time in LaFleur’s tenure, and their future Hall of Fame quarterback showed signs of decline.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Could Pass Chicago Bears Legend George Halas on the All-Time Winning Percentage List
After moving on from Rodgers, many believed that the Packers would face multiple seasons of poor performance. However, they went 9-8 and made it back to the postseason in 2023. This year, they are 8-3 going into Thanksgiving against the Dolphins and have a chance to give their head coach a piece of NFL history.
If Green Bay wins in Week 13, LaFleur, who has a career winning percentage of .681 as head coach, will pass Chicago Bears and NFL legend George Halas for 10th place on the all-time head coach winning percentage list. Halas, in 40 seasons, had a winning percentage of .682.
LaFleur does have a ways to go before he catches Halas on the all-time wins list, though. The long-time Bears coach won 318 games in his career, second only to Don Shula’s 328 in NFL history.
LaFleur has 64.
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