Packers HC Matt LaFleur admits harsh truth after embarrassing preseason loss to the Jets at Lambeau Field
Green Bay lost 30-10 to New York
The night did certainly not go like the Green Bay Packers expected. Drops, turnovers, and an overall bad performance results in a 30-10 loss to the New York Jets in the team’s preseason opener at Lambeau Field. Sure, exhibition games don’t count, but head coach Matt LaFleur was not happy about what the group showed on the field.
“Bottom line, you just don’t want to put bad football out there,” LaFleur said after the game. “So whether it’s preseason or not, it’s a little disappointing, I would say. The thing about it is you’ve got to have the urgency to fix it, and it’s got to get fixed fast, because the regular season is going to be here in no time.”
The Packers have two more preseason games, against the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks. However, fans will probably not watch starters on the field much more. Over the next two weeks, Green Bay will have joint practices with both the Colts and Seahawks, which reduces the importance of preseason games. Part of the solution to get better, though, is to avoid self-inflicted mistakes, like drops and penalties, which was a common narrative last season.
“Anytime you just play the poor technique and poor fundamentals and you’re making bad decisions, it’s hard to play the game of football,” LaFleur added, “If you get called for a holding penalty, it seems like every other play.”
Ultimately, preseason games matter because it’s better to have this type of outing in a game that won’t count for record purposes. LaFleur admitted that penalties hadn’t been an expected problem until now.
“A lot of things showed up tonight that I really wasn’t necessarily anticipating. Like, all those penalties were a major problem,” he mentioned. “And it’s hard to get into any type of rhythm when you’re having multiple penalties. I mean, you have a short yardage situation, third and one. It looks like it’s going to be an easy first down and you get called for a holding. You just can’t have those.”
The Packers will only have two practices this week. The team gets back to work on Tuesday in Green Bay before traveling to Indianapolis on Wednesday. The joint practice will be on Thursday, two days before the second preseason game on Saturday. The final exhibition game against the Seahawks is in Green Bay as well.
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