The Green Bay Packers are getting ready for an incredibly important home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Green Bay is currently trailing the Chicago Bears in the NFC North, while the Vikings are one loss away from complete irrelevance at 4-6, quickly falling out of the wildcard race.
With this in mind, it doesn't come as a surprise that head coach Matt LaFleur offered a strong message to Packer fans on Monday ahead of the divisional showdown, according to 247 Sports' Eli Berkovits.
""Hopefully our fans will show up in droves and not sell their tickets to Vikings fans. We've seen that before.""Matt LaFleur
LaFleur is taking a shot at Packer fans, hoping it sparks the homefield environment the team badly needs after previously taking losses at Lambeau against the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers.
LaFleur's comment is meant to rile up a fan base that remains one of the league's best homefield advantages. Traveling to frigid Green Bay is a challenge in itself; the old school feeling of the stadium furthers this advantage, and it is clear LaFleur is looking to press it.
Matt LaFleur Trying Obvious Ploy Ahead of Important Divisional Matchup
It isn't a shock that the coach is looking for an extra boost when you look at the games ahead of the Packers. After a surprisingly hard-fought win over the Giants, the Packers are scheduled to take on the Vikings, Lions, Bears, and Broncos over the next four weeks of the 2025 season. This is a franchise badly in need of a big win, and Sunday's divisional matchup is the best chance to grab a bit of momentum before a brutal stretch of games.
With that said, one Packers fan replied to the reported comments, making a very fair point, stating that there should be "Less worry about what Packer fans are doing, more worry about playing a complete game on offense." This is an extremely fair counter to LaFleur's attempted shot at Green Bay fans.
Perhaps the head coach should be less concerned with the fan base and what it chooses to do with its tickets and more with scoring 20 points or more. Before the win over the Giants, the Packers had been limited to a combined 20 points against the Eagles and Panthers in back-to-back losses. It was as concerning an offensive performance as fans have seen in recent memory, and one win over a tanking New York team won't be enough to lessen the heat.
Nonetheless, LaFleur's point is a fair one in wanting fans to show up and show out against a tough divisional opponent. However, it is equally fair to note that this has been an incredibly frustrating offense that hasn't lived up to expectations in recent weeks. Therefore, LaFleur should focus less of his attention on one of the league's best fan bases and more on fixing an offense that remains unreliable.