5 Packers Heading Into Playoffs On Thin Ice Following Bears Loss

Matt LaFleur

Let’s make one thing clear: Matt LaFleur’s job is not in jeopardy. Since arriving in Green Bay, he’s consistently exceeded expectations, blending innovative play design with a knack for getting the most out of his roster. His offensive schemes, in particular, are among the NFL’s best, filled with layered concepts that keep defenses on their heels.

But even great coaches have their flaws, and LaFleur’s have a way of surfacing at the worst possible times.

Sunday’s loss to the Bears provided another painful example of his ongoing struggles with clock management. With 4:28 remaining, the Packers trailed by two points but held all three timeouts. Instead of using them to preserve as much time as possible for a potential game-winning drive, LaFleur let the Bears bleed the clock all the way to the two-minute warning.

This was the moment to act, yet LaFleur’s inaction put his team in a tighter spot.

Luck bailed him out—briefly. DJ Moore fumbled a quick wide receiver screen, and the Packers recovered, giving them new life. But LaFleur’s mismanagement continued.

On the ensuing drive, the Packers played conservatively, understandable given the stakes. What wasn’t understandable was burning a timeout with 58 seconds remaining before a critical fourth-and-four. He could've let the clock tick down even further, limiting the time Chicago had to mount a comeback.

The Bears did use that extra time to march down the field after Brandon McManus drilled a 55-yard field goal. Chicago ultimately sealed the game with a walk-off field goal, a result that might have been avoided with better clock usage.

LaFleur’s game management is a recurring issue that hasn’t improved over his tenure. His reluctance to use timeouts at optimal moments or manipulate the clock to his team’s advantage is a glaring weakness for a coach whose other strengths are so evident.

With the playoffs looming, LaFleur must clean up this area of his coaching. The margin for error shrinks in January, and decisions like these can cost teams seasons.

For Green Bay to reach its full potential, LaFleur’s tactical brilliance must extend beyond the X’s and O’s and into the game’s finer details. Until then, the Packers will remain a team capable of brilliance but too often undone by avoidable mistakes.

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