Matt LaFleur's time with the Green Bay Packers has often drawn mixed reviews. While the numbers are undeniably good and the team has done pretty well with him, his inability to get the job done when it matters the most has infuriated fans way too often.
LaFleur has made his fair share of questionable decisions in key moments. From taking the ball away from Aaron Rodgers' hands to mismanaging the clock to let big leads slip, LaFleur's shortcomings might be few and far between, but they're notorious enough to consider whether he's the right guy for the job.
That's why, even after -- surprisingly -- getting a multi-year contract extension in January, his future in Green Bay might be more uncertain than most people realize. At least, that's how Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker feels:
"The Packers look like NFC contenders yet again as they bring back a strong group with All-Pro-caliber players across the field. The issue may not be reaching the postseason, but what happens when that arrives. If LaFleur can’t end his playoff win drought, it wouldn’t be stunning to see the franchise make a move — and instantly render LaFleur one of the most sought-after candidates on the market," he wrote.
Should the Packers move on from Matt LaFleur?
To be fair, the Packers have won two-thirds of their games under LaFleur. Also, he's been dealt some tough luck with injuries, and the Packers' defense often underperformed before Jeff Hafley's arrival two years ago.
That said, he's also to blame for plenty of the team's shortcomings. He didn't move on from Rich Bisaccia despite having one of the worst special teams units in the league, he's failed to give Jordan Love a longer leash, and his reluctance to give up play-calling duties has also hurt the team way too often.
LaFleur is great at scheming and designing plays, but his game-management skills have always left plenty to be desired. He's won games he was supposed to lose because he's bold and willing to take risks when he doesn't have anything to lose, but he's way too conservative in big moments or as a favorite.
Perhaps he'd be better off giving up play-calling to have a better understanding and a broader picture of the actual game. That way, he might not waste as many timeouts, and he'd do a better job of managing the clock.
LaFleur is a solid coach, and he would be a top-tier offensive coordinator for any team. If let go, he'd probably be unemployed for a week at most. That doesn't mean he's the right guy to lead this team back to the mountaintop or that the Packers should keep him around just because of that.
The Packers should be held to a different type of standard. This is one of the most historied franchises in professional sports, and just making the playoffs isn't good enough. The sample size is big enough, and if the same mistakes doom him again in January, this team shouldn't hesitate to pull the plug and move on.
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