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Matt LaFleur delivers blunt assessment on what has to change for Packers to achieve greater playoff success, which explains bold offseason moves

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 8:49 AM ET

Matt LaFleur has been one of the best head coaches in football since he took over the Green Bay Packers back in 2019. But there is one thing left to do: a Super Bowl championship. During LaFleur's time as a head coach, the Packers have won three postseason games, but have failed to get over the hump.

On The Pivot podcast, LaFleur talked about what has to change and how the Packers can achieve more playoff success. The interview was made before the trade for Micah Parsons, but it's easy to see why the Packers pulled the trigger on such a big roster move.

"I think for us, when you have opportunities, you’ve got to make the plays, make the calls, and put the guys in the right spot," LaFleur said, remembering how close the Philadelphia Eagles game last season was. "Unfortunately, last year in that game, it’s 16-10 in the fourth quarter. We needed a stop, we didn’t get it, then we turned the ball over, and there you have it."

It was certainly a bold offseason for the Packers, doing things that usually the external public doesn't expect from Green Bay. The team drafted a first-round wide receiver for the first time since 2002 in Matthew Golden, and spent two first-round picks to acquire Parsons.

"In those moments, because most playoff games come down to a handful of plays, one possession, you’ve got to make the play," LaFleur added. "Bottom line. How we do that, I don’t know yet, but we’ve got to figure it out. It’s on all of us, coaches and players. Somebody’s got to do something to get us over the top."

The Packers hope and expect that big-time players in Golden and Parsons will elevate the team's margin for error, and put it in position to execute in high-leverage moments.

Lessons from the past

Matt LaFleur said that, initially, being a head coach wasn't his main priority. It started to change when he was the offensive coordinator under Sean McVay on the Los Angeles Rams. In 2017, former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn passed on the opportunity to promote LaFleur from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, hiring Steve Sarkisian to replace Kyle Shanahan.

"The moment that changed me in my coaching career was after Atlanta, not being promoted and going to LA to be Sean McVay's coordinator," LaFleur recalled. "That made me do a lot of soul searching. Why didn’t that happen? It made me work harder on the areas where I knew I was coming up short. From a professional standpoint, that was my biggest pivot."

His period with the Falcons also brings memories. LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach when the team suffered that tough Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots after the 2016 season.

"In that moment, we had played aggressively all season, and that’s what got us there. Now, hindsight is 20/20, you’d think in that situation, just hand the ball off three times, kick the field goal, or get a first down," LaFleur explained. "But in real time, you’re factoring in the number of possessions, whether you’re up or down, and how much time is left on the clock. That always plays into how I think about managing games."

Matt LaFleur has been in the NFL since 2008. Now, he's entering Year 7 as the Packers head coach. It's been a long journey, and he's still learning to put the Packers in the best position to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Title Town.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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