Matt LaFleur is a man who loves it when his team wakes up with their pee-pee hot (I think that's the vernacular).
As an aggressive, offensive-minded head coach, LaFleur likes it when his Green Bay Packers start the game off by delivering a punch to the mouth and trying to lean on that momentum. As such, it's no surprise that LaFleur is one of the rare head coaches who prefers to receive the football on a winning coin toss rather than defer to the second half.
Last season, this strategy helped Green Bay's offense light up, allowing the team to hit hard early and keep dealing.
LaFleur tried to carry this tradition in 2024 but with less appealing results.
Out of three victorious coin tosses, the Packers chose to receive the ball four times. They have yet to score a touchdown on these drives, making the second half more difficult.
This decision is not without its critics. However, just because the result isn't there yet doesn't mean the process is bad. I like the mindset behind receiving. LaFleur should keep it up.
Against the Detroit Lions, the Packers started with a promising drive after choosing to receive. The drive chewed up clock and saw Josh Jacobs carving through Detroit's strong run defense early. Ultimately, Green Bay couldn't overcome its mistakes and left the field with only three points. The Lions gained momentum after that, putting the Packers in a precarious position where they couldn't lean on the run game the way they'd like.
Given Jordan Love threw a pick-six just before the end of the half, the Packers would have loved to have the ball at the start of the second. Their decision to receive gave Detroit multiple chances to score. However, Jeff Hafley's defense did a great job minimizing the damage in the second half.
Still, I favor the process of trying to strike first and the mindset behind the strategy. Momentum is a hard-to-quantify but vital element in an NFL game. LaFleur's thought process is good, even if the results aren't always ideal.
Last season, Joe Barry's defense needed that extra wiggle room. Barry schemed with a death-by-a-thousand-cuts defense that needed every advantage it could get. “
Hafley's defense hasn't had that same problem and has been even better in second halves, but scoring early still helps the defense. Getting an early lead forces the opposing offense to rely more heavily on the passing game and look for big plays to compensate for the lost ground. For a defense whose best trait is their turnover ability, this creates more opportunities for the opposing quarterback to make mistakes where the Packers can take advantage.
The Packers can still score on their first offensive drive or embrace other teams choosing to defer, which amounts to the same strategy by default. But having the chance to dictate the game’s pace from the first drive makes life easier for the entire team.
On the offensive side, momentum is a valuable asset. Scoring on the first drive shows your intent to destroy the opponent, builds confidence, and allows you to elaborate on the successful plays of the first drive.
That was crucial for a young team learning how to win last season. After a rocky first half of the season, the team needed ways to experience winning and build confidence.
It's still a young team, but most players have a year and a half of quality NFL experience. While they don't necessarily need to strike first, the philosophy behind it still applies. If the Packers can score early and keep scoring, they'll dig their opponents into inescapable holes. It’s a test of the opponent’s morale. The mental aspect of the game is still important.
It hasn't worked as hoped this season, but that doesn't mean it can't work. Even against Detroit, scoring three points on the opening drive puts you in early control of the game.
LaFleur
Not to discount the efforts of other teams, but the Packers are their own worst enemy. Penalties, drops, and missed field goals have been the bane of this season. Learn how to play mistake-free football (admittedly easier said than done), and they'll probably score more when they choose to receive. I would rather stick to this mindset and clean up the fundamentals than give up on it entirely.
It won't be a popular decision to keep this process going, especially if they don't score on their opening drives. But the thought process is sound. Regardless, the Packers need to clean up their brand of football. If they can do that, their efforts to get an early lead should pay off, and fans will become more comfortable with the decision.
Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.