What seemed to be a movie-like start to the season for the Green Bay Packers became an absolute horror show in the fourth quarter. Even with Kyler Murray out, head coach Matt LaFleur managed to blow another double-digit lead.
Once again, LaFleur was too aggressive when he didn't have to and not nearly aggressive enough when the situation called for it. Then, a series of misfortunes and the utter collapse of the offensive line led to a head-scratching turnaround and a 39-22 win.
A 22-point fourth quarter turned the Vikings' nightmare into a celebration, leaving Packers fans with a bad taste in their mouths and an even bigger revelation: Matt LaFleur might be the NFL's equivalent to Doc Rivers.
Matt LaFleur's Packers can't hold big leads
To be fair, John Harbaugh might be a better comparison, given that, like Rivers, he also has a ring and continues to live off of it. At least, no one can take that silverware from them, whereas LaFleur doesn't even have that to show for.
That said, his ability to let big leads slip right through his fingers should have him right there with the all-time great chokeartists. No matter the context, the roster, the opponent, or the way, he'll make sure the Packers lose games they already had in the bag.
The Packers rewarded LaFleur after blowing three double-digit leads last season, including an epic 18-point collapse in the Wild Card round vs. the Chicago Bears, of all people. So, why would this be a surprise? It's right on brand.
This team was down two key starters in Micah Parsons and Josh Jacobs. They were on the road against a divisional rival and Super Bowl contender, and they did everything they needed to do to end up on top. Until, of course, terrible clock management, vanilla play-calling, and a head-scratching decision to go for it on fourth down instead of taking the points led to a collapse.
Truth to form, what most fans and analysts thought would doom the team ultimately hurt them when it mattered most. The shaky offensive line couldn't hold up and keep Jordan Love safe and sound, leading to multiple turnovers as the game went out of reach.
What's infuriating isn't that the team lost, not even that they lost by a margin to a divisional rival. The real problem here is that this keeps happening time and time again with no actual consequences other than empty, P.R.-trained responses. There's no accountability or improvement.
Matt LaFleur might be a great offensive coordinator, an elite one even, but it takes much more than that to coach the Green Bay Packers. And if he doesn't have the mental fortitude to weather the storm and lead this team to the final game of the season, it might be time to have a conversation about his future.
Maybe Doc Rivers was a bit too much, maybe something like Mike D'Antoni or George Karl suit him better, since they didn't win a championship, either.
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