The Green Bay Packers have a talented roster, but outside of Micah Parsons and Xavier McKinney, it's hard to make a case for anyone else being a clear-cut top-five player at their position. Josh Jacob and Tucker Kraft should crash the top ten, but even Jordan Love is polarizing.
Even so, this team has Super Bowl expectations and for very good reasons. That's why, even with a brand-new contract extension, Matt LaFleur might be under more pressure than ever before in his head-coaching tenure.
In CBS Sports' annual rankings, the Packers' offensive triplets ranked No. 12. They were ranked as low as No. 19 and as high as No. 9. The Packers' lack of high-end talent will make next season a tough challenge for LaFleur. However, it might also be a blessing in disguise, as it gives him an opportunity to prove that he's an offensive guru and not just a byproduct of his talent
This should be a make-or-break season for Packers' Matt LaFleur
LaFleur got the nod in Green Bay because of his sharp offensive mind. He was another rising star in the coaching scene, a former member of the Shanahan tree, and someone who looked tailor-made to bring out the best in Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers seemingly undermined him and called his own plays more often than not, so it was tough to make a fair assessment of his head-coaching prowess at first. He was a first-timer trying to coach a future Hall of Famer with well-documented ego issues.
Then, he got a pass because of Jordan Love. The young quarterback went through some growing pains, and the Packers still managed to have an efficient and creative offense, now with LaFleur fully in charge.
But now that the years have gone past, the jury is still out on LaFleur. He's clearly elite at scheming guys open and being creative with his formations and his personnel, but his play-calling and game management have left plenty to be desired at times. He's been aggressive as an underdog and frustratingly passive as a favorite or when leading.
Packers fans should give him a pass if, despite the lack of superstars on offense, the Packers still figure out how to march down the field and get to the end zone. Watching him elevate this personnel should be the ultimate vindication.
But what if that's not the case? What would even justify keeping him around for much longer? Granted, general manager Brian Gutekunst has given him a tough hand to play, and he'd probably be the first to blame. But if an offensive guru can't bring the best out in an offense, maybe he's not much of a guru after all.
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