Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers had a major opportunity during Week 14 NFL action. Going up against a New York Giants team that has been bad this season was a huge chance to take another step towards the playoffs. Unfortunately, the team was unprepared and ended up losing the game by a final score of 24-22 to drop to 6-7 and make their playoff odds decrease.
It was a sobering game for the Packers and their fans. All the hype had been surrounding the team after a major three-game winning streak.
Not only did Green Bay lose the game, they blew Jordan Love leading a drive that gave them the lead with just 1:33 left in the game. That kind of loss can completely deflate any positive momentum that a team has put together.
Matt LaFleur Did Not Hold Back On Fellow Packers’ Coach
Throughout the course of the 2023 NFL season, fans have been calling for the Packers to fire defensive coordinator Joe Barry. LaFleur has always had his defensive coordinator’s back. That wasn’t the case after blowing the big Monday Night Football game.
LaFleur was very unhappy with how Barry called the team’s defense on the Giants’ game-winning drive.
“We obviously gave up too many chunk plays, lost our leverage twice and gave up, like I said explosive plays. Explosive plays lead to points… it was just bad ball.”
No one expected the Packers to be in a position to make a push for the playoffs after the way they started the season. Just being in the position is a major step in the right direction. Despite that fact, losing a game to a bad team in the fashion that Green Bay did is angering.
The Packers need to do something on the defensive side of the ball. While they have had good stretches at times this season, they still give up way too many chunk plays and give up too many first downs that good teams simply don’t allow. Barry is a big part of the failure that they have had.
LaFleur will have some tough decisions to make this offseason. Almost all fans in Green Bay are hoping that Barry will be a casualty of the changes that need to be made. His defense has always been frustrating to watch.