After trading for Micah Parsons and cleanly dominating their first two games, the Green Bay Packers looked like a clear Super Bowl favorite in the NFC. Now in November with a 5-3-1 record, head coach Matt LaFleur is answering questions about his future in Green Bay.
The Packers fell to the Philadelphia Eagles at home on Monday night, with LaFleur’s offense a key reason why. In Green Bay’s three losses, the defense showed up ready to play, allowing just 39 points combined. The offense should be a strength due to LaFleur’s offensive mind, Jordan Love‘s ascending play, and a deep group of weapons. However, it’s holding the team back.
It’s never just one thing wrong, but the offense’s consistent maladroit performances lead to one burning question: Is it time for Matt LaFleur to be on the hot seat?
The Packers dropped in the standings on Monday, falling to third in the NFC North and seventh in the NFC. They’re a playoff contender with legitimate reasons for hope. Still, the perception around the head coach is at an all-time low.
Why is LaFleur’s brand in a downward spiral in his seventh season?
I wrote last week how the problem with the #Packers offense is more than just play calling, it's poor game planning and stubborn adherence to the bad plan until it's desperation time. Last night's game just solidified my theory.
— Jersey Al – GBP (@JerseyAlGBP) November 11, 2025
On paper, things could be much more dire for the Packers. Their defense is playing at a high level, including severely limiting the 2024 Super Bowl champions on Monday. Jordan Love is having his best season beyond the past two weeks. The Packers have exciting young weapons who haven’t yet reached their peak.
Around the league, other perennial contenders like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens are having problems of their own. Like Green Bay, people viewed these teams as contenders, and they have underperformed. The Packers aren’t where they want to be, but not peaking in November and having room to grow while still being in a decent enough spot to make the playoffs isn’t the end of the world. The sky isn’t falling yet.
Matt LaFleur revitalized Aaron Rodgers and then led a differently built roster featuring an untested Jordan Love to back-to-back playoff appearances. LaFleur has weathered PR storms admirably while keeping the storied franchise in contention, leading it to winning seasons. He’s a well-respected coach and a brilliant offensive mind, and he built a foundational culture with consistent player buy-in. By most standards, that’s what you want in a head coach.
But the pitchforks are out for LaFleur in full force. While there is no quantifiable metric to show it, Packers fans’ discourse has never felt so vitriolic toward LaFleur.
It’s more fair to criticize the seventh-year head coach this season. Matt LaFleur’s offense — his niche — is underperforming and making the same mistakes week after week. The Packers are committing the same, often-unforced errors, including pre-snap penalties, drops, poor ball security, end-zone trips that result in no points, questionable game plans, and poor situational play-calling. They continue to play the wrong kicker, costing them needed points.
Players need to execute. Even the best-laid plans falter when executed poorly. But most of these issues persist due to a lack of attention to detail and stubbornness, which falls on coaching.
These same mistakes hobbled the Packers in their biggest games last season, leaving them a one-and-done playoff team. Despite cries of “We need to find consistency,” and “We’re looking into everything,” the offense’s problems persist. The longer the same concerns go unaddressed, the more faith in LaFleur plummets.
Since Love became the starting quarterback, Green Bay’s offense has been the league’s youngest. The offense might still be filled with young players, but at this point, they’ve been battle-tested and have too much experience for that to be an excuse. It’s another reason for the disdain for LaFleur this season.
LaFleur’s biggest faults — his approach to game planning, personnel, and situational calls — are full on display this season.
Usually, LaFleur’s virtues — his creativity, aggressiveness, and scheming — are enough to overshadow his flaws.
Not so in 2025.
Matt LaFleur seems to be coaching the team he wishes he had, rather than the one he actually has. He wants a balanced offensive approach that uses the run game to wear down opponents, eat up the clock, and minimize mistakes. But his offensive line isn’t good enough for what he’s asking. He doesn’t have depth at running back beyond Josh Jacobs to take the Kyle Shanahan approach.
Too often, LaFleur is running the ball ineffectively on early downs while not utilizing enough play action to make it worth it. He’s not helping Love get into a rhythm by scheming quick throws or attacking the middle of the field. He gets too creative with gimmick plays that rarely pan out.
Worse, LaFleur has become more conservative in his approach and erratic on fourth downs and in situational football. He plays not to lose, and when his game plan doesn’t work, he stubbornly refuses to adapt. Play action and no huddle have been some of his best works, but he forgets this too often. It’s hard not to be frustrated seeing LaFleur slow to adapt and leave his worst traits unchecked.
They've continued to run the ball despite not being successful, yet stopped doing the thing they were good at, which is supposed to come from running the ball.
It's just not a well designed offense right now, which is staggering from a Matt LaFleur team. https://t.co/nQ6LdYZ509
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) November 11, 2025
Matt LaFleur has been the head coach for seven years with a roster capable of competing and hasn’t been to a Super Bowl. This season, expectations were already sky high thanks to a healthy, ascending Love and the first first-round wide receiver in two decades. Trading for Micah Parsons and dominating their first two games moved the needle even further. Fan expectation is through the roof, and LaFleur isn’t delivering. Fans are wondering if his message is getting stale and if he’s peaked in Green Bay. Is it time to look elsewhere?
It’s still a hard pass from me. LaFleur has flaws, and it’s clearly part of who he is as a coach. I would prefer the Packers win every game by 9,000 points.
Still, LaFleur is a leader, a teacher, and a good play designer. He has the skills I want in a head coach, and fans need to remember that just because there are other good playcallers out there, that doesn’t mean they’ll be good head coaches. National perception surrounding LaFleur is much higher than in our own community, even while they acknowledge his flaws. I’ve seen enough bad games (I get plenty of Cleveland Browns games as the local broadcast) to see how much worse it is for other teams.
Matt LaFleur is also down key players and playing with a poorly-performing offensive line. Other coaches also deal with these issues, but it’s not like there aren’t legitimate reasons for mistakes beyond it being the coach’s fault.
Finally, and crucially, he hasn’t lost the locker room, at least publicly in any verifiable manner. His players still want to fight for him, and not every coach can say that.
#Packers Jordan Love on his trust of Matt LaFleur and the staff:
"I gotta lot of trust in Matt… I’ve been with Matt since I’ve been here… that’s not anything that’s wavering."
— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) November 11, 2025
LaFleur’s worst month tends to be November, where he has a 13-13 record. Historically, Green Bay comes alive in December, where the Packers are usually able to find a winning formula. If that remains true, perception shifts once again.
Still, it makes sense why LaFleur’s brand has taken a hit. The offense is letting the rest of the team down, his flaws aren’t being fixed, and his stubbornness is hurting the team. If he can’t turn things around in the next two months, that perception will be even worse. I’m not here for a “Fire LaFleur!” but I understand the frustration and can’t deny his seat might be heating up.
The Packers have been a top 10 offense in weighted DVOA every season since MLF took over, with two different QBs and two completely different versions of the roster. I don't want him fired because of a bad month of offensive football. https://t.co/s5y64AIApC
— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) November 11, 2025