The Green Bay Packers came away with a 27-19 win Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. While there may have been stories afterward about Jordan Love, Taylor Swift and the controversial officiating; one storyline may be getting lost in the weeds. With their 3rd straight win, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur may well have started to put his name in the running for NFL Coach of the Year thanks to this second-half turnaround.
Green Bay Packers: Going to bat for Matt LaFleur
There were rumblings beginning to occur regarding LaFleur’s job security after the Packers struggled in the first half of this season. I wrote not just one, but multiple, articles raising this possibility given some of what was being vocalized by the Packers fanbase. Questions were beginning to mount as to whether LaFleur was the right man to lead a post-Aaron Rodgers Packers. But what makes Green Bay’s recent success notable is how they’ve been able to rectify their past offensive struggles.
Jordan Love arguably had two of his best games against quality opponents like Detroit and Kansas City, and he hasn’t thrown an interception during this 3-game winning streak either. But other key components like the offensive line have also improved, and that’s despite key injuries and being under the command of a first-year starter. LaFleur, mainly known as an offensive guru, deserves massive credit for that.
NFL Coach of the Year: The Other Contestants
If Matt LaFleur really is in contention for the NFL’s top coaching honors, then it is only fair to identify the competition that he may face. There is no doubt that the Houston Texan’s first year head coach DeMeco Ryans is a popular choice. He has been able to turn around the NFL’s worst team last year into a possible playoff contender this year. Other candidates include the Miami Dolphin’s Mike McDaniel and within the NFC North division, the Detroit Lions’ Dan Campbell.
What LaFleur and Ryans may have going for them is that unlike Miami and Detroit, many had lower expectations for both the Packers and the Texans coming into this season. Furthermore, the fact that Love and Texans QB C.J Stroud are in their first year as starters makes their coaches’ performance even more impressive.
Matt LaFleur: Does he have a legit chance?
You don’t necessarily have to be helming an elite team in order to be the NFL Coach of the Year. But what is guaranteed to be taken into account is your team having the ability to defy the odds and prognosticators and showing marked improvement from the previous season.
The Packers finished 8-9 last year and missed the playoffs, so a playoff birth is almost a necessity for LaFleur’s chance at snagging the top coaching award. And not just sneaking to the playoffs; but rather competing in them and even making a run at the Lions for the division crown. If the Packers continue playing the way they are now, then that could very well become a reality and enhance Matt LaFleur’s odds of being named the league’s top coach this season.
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2 Comments
You may want to edit the 1st line of article. It says the Packers won over the Packers. ??
Thank you for pointing out the error. The mistake has been corrected.