Matt LaFleur reflects on decision that nearly cost the Packers game against the Bears
Football coaches these days are much more aggressive than they used to be. On Sunday, Matt LaFleur took the aggressive route against the Chicago Bears, and it backfired. The Packers still came out with a 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears, but they needed a late-second field-goal block to get it. The big and questionable […]
Football coaches these days are much more aggressive than they used to be. On Sunday, Matt LaFleur took the aggressive route against the Chicago Bears, and it backfired. The Packers still came out with a 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears, but they needed a late-second field-goal block to get it.
The big and questionable decision happened on a 4th & 6 at the Bears six-yard line, with 11:29 left in the fourth quarter.
Usually, analytics perceptions tend to favor aggressiveness. But in this case, even Ben Baldwin's model indicated it was a toss up in terms of winning percentage. LaFleur went for it, and the Packers didn't score.
"Possessions were at a premium. There weren't a lot of possessions," LaFleur said after the game. "We had three possessions in the first half. A handful in the second half, I didn't know when we would get the ball back. Typically, I just thought we were on the five-yard line, let's go for it, we were down five points."
To LaFleur's point, the decision also considered field position. In a game where offenses weren't producing that much, the Packers coach thought they could get the ball back in time to score later — which happened.
"With the hope that in the worst-case scenario, we'll get a stop and get the ball back with pretty good field position," LaFleur added. "(The Bears defense) did a nice job, that's their strength, right? Third-down defense and redzone defense. They were better than us in those two areas today."
The Bears moved the ball but ended up punting it back. The Packers marched down the field and scored a touchdown, but failed in the two-point conversion, making it a one-point game.
In the final drive, the Bears had a 3rd & 19 after sacks from TJ Slaton and Rashan Gary, but Caleb Williams made a couple of huge plays to put Chicago in position to score. However, Karl Brooks blocked Cairo Santos' 46-yard field goal, and the Packers won.
It wasn't the best day for the Packers, but a final good play overcame questionable decisions and an underwhelming execution.
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