Packers HC Matt LaFleur watched the defense get torched
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur watched his secondary struggle to stop the Minnesota Vikings passing attack in a Week One loss Sunday. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had any throw he wanted to wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson took advantage of holes in the Packers’ defense on his way to two first-half touchdowns. He finished the game with a whopping 184 receiving yards.
Following the game, Packers star cornerback Jaire Alexander hinted that he disagreed with the Packers’ approach on defense. He wanted to match up with Jefferson. The approach by the coaching staff seemed like an odd choice, especially in the first half, when the Vikings were pillaging the defense at will. Jefferson had 158 yards by the half.
One would think LaFleur might be humbled in retrospect and by cursory viewing of the game film. He didn’t seem to budge in his Monday press conference with the media. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur defended the Packers’ decision not to have Alexander shadow Jefferson.
“You would have to commit to man coverage. I don’t know how else you would get it done.”
Matt LaFleur on not having Jaire Alexander follow Justin Jefferson, says it’s an easy proposition if you want to change the whole structure of the defense.
“You would have to commit to man coverage. I don’t know how else you would get it done.”
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 12, 2022
The Packers’ defense didn’t get it done
What is Matt LaFleur talking about here?
The defense didn’t “get it done” if getting it done means stopping the Vikings’ offense and winning the game. After the game’s first series, the Packers needed to try something on defense. It was evident Jefferson was using the zone coverage against the Packers. Alexander has a history of success shadowing Jefferson.
Defending the zone was a poor excuse by LaFleur and not one that will make Packers fans feel better about their chances of the matchup in Green Bay later this year. The defense will have to devise a better game plan to stop Jefferson. That might mean “changing the whole structure of the defense” to get it done.
