Playing in London will be a test for Matt LaFleur’s team
The Green Bay Packers will play the New York Giants in an interesting environment in Week 5. The Packers will play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The overseas trip can challenge football teams who stick to a tight weekly schedule. The Packers will play football in a different time zone, which isn’t easy. Also, players and staff will deal with jet lag from the cross-continental flight.
During Wednesday’s press conference, a reporter asked Matt LaFleur how he felt about playing a game in London as coaches don’t like distractions. Playing in another country would be a significant one. LaFleur did his best to make a politically correct statement, but the coach obviously was not happy about the trip. He compared it to another Prime Time football viewing many coaches have complained about.
“I’m not going to give you my honest answer,” LaFleur said with a grin. I’d rather refrain. It feels like a Thursday night game for us coaches, just in terms of all the preparation you got to do, but you just do it. It is what it is.”
LaFleur said the team had a plan to give the players when they should sleep and how they would prepare for this unique game on the schedule. He said the team needed to be disciplined this week, even with the temptations of being in a foreign city.
“Hopefully, they can go back in the offseason,” LaFleur said. “Certainly, you’re not going to lock them in their rooms or anything like that. I think guys got to understand, they’re professionals, and they’ve got a job to do. We all do. And you’ve got to be disciplined in how you go about your business.”
LIVE: Head Coach Matt LaFleur meets with the media on Wednesday as the #Packers prepare for #NYGvsGB in London 🎙️ https://t.co/k2yykfHY6D
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 5, 2022
The Packers can be 4-1 if they take care of their business
Week 5 is a golden opportunity for the Packers. The team has a chance to improve to 4-1 with a win over the 3-1 Giants this Sunday. The early morning game will have challenges, but the Packers should have the advantage over the weakened Giants if they take the game seriously.
