The Packers must consider coaching staff changes
It's too early to talk about a potential Matt LaFleur firing by the Green Bay Packers. But it's not early whatsoever to talk about demanding coaching staff changes below the head coach. Recently, former Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert mentioned that LaFleur didn't like to be challenged, and that might be a problem to build a good […]
It's too early to talk about a potential Matt LaFleur firing by the Green Bay Packers. But it's not early whatsoever to talk about demanding coaching staff changes below the head coach. Recently, former Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert mentioned that LaFleur didn't like to be challenged, and that might be a problem to build a good group of assistants.
At this point, the Packers staff seems to be full of coaches willing to do what LaFleur wants, except for special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia. The group lacks diverse ideas, different backgrounds, and the results are clear on the field. LaFleur is a good coach, but he looks overwhelmed.
Matt LaFleur has been a positively impactful piece of the Packers' construction over the last four years, therefore it would be unfair to fire him after one bad season in rebuilding circumstances. But as much as it is an evaluation season for the Packers roster, it should be for the coaching staff as well. And the results are not good at all.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich didn't bring any positive impact. He has a background as an offensive line coach and run game coordinator, and the unit is badly struggling at both. Luke Butkus, the new offensive line coach, leads a group in which almost everyone has regressed, except for Zach Tom. It's almost like a Peter Principle.
Jason Vrable is the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. Ok, the WR room is too young. But the amount of times you see wrong routes and drops is astounding.
On defense, Joe Barry's problems are not new. He's never had a defense better than 20th in DVOA, and this is his third defensive coordinator job in the NFL. The defense is worse this year than it was in 2021 and 2022 in DVOA, and that's with more high draft capital investment.
There's a trend around the Packers community on social media that Barry can't be fired because the team doesn't have a good option to be the interim. Well, that might tell you everything you need to know about the defensive position coaches.
Jerry Montgomery has been the defensive line coach since 2018, and it's hard to see any player getting better. Pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich has done a good job with Rashan Gary, but he's still not a fully developed and complete defender.
Matt LaFleur has to have job security and he deserves a shot with a well developed version of this team. But that doesn't mean changes can't be made.
In 2018, when LaFleur built his initial coaching staff, he went out of his way to keep Mike Pettine and hire Nathaniel Hackett to be his coordinators, and they didn't have any previous connection. And that's important, sometimes, to give the team more diverse answers for the same questions.
The Packers need coaches from different backgrounds, with fresh ideas, and with a solid track record of player development. If the team is young, the franchise has to lean on good coaching to have better performance.
There’s one negative difference for LaFleur compared to the other “Playcallers”
There are always comparisons between LaFleur, Shanahan, McVay, and McDaniel
