Matt LaFleur - Head Coach, packers Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-14 | Full transcript (primary source).
Matt LaFleur, Head Coach of the Packers, addressed the media during a press conference on September 14, 2026, following the team's recent performance. The discussion focused on the team's offensive strategies and areas for improvement after their week one matchup.
Transcript
LaFleur: Good afternoon.
Reporter: Jordan I believe said last night that you guys don't have the touch push in the playbook. Is that accurate?
LaFleur: Not necessarily. We haven't done it in a while. A lot of it was due to like last year when he, I mean he's been injured the last couple years. And so we kind of got away from it. But we certainly have elements to make it happen and that's it's not like it's a hard play to implement.
Reporter: Would you see one back look at the past protection yesterday?
LaFleur: I saw some good things and I saw a lot of some of the things that we have to clean up. And just what's disappointing is we had a few protection busts that absolutely should not and cannot happen. And especially we knew that was the challenge going in. I mean they were going to give you some tough looks and that's the toughest test that you're gonna face week one is to play that defense in that environment. And like I said, I thought it was there was some really good stuff. But when your quarterback gets hit 15 times or whatever it is, that's too many times. So all in all there are some things we could do schematically that we got to do a better job with and then there's some things that where we have to go to and execute. But we have to have everybody on the same page if you want to give yourself a chance.
Reporter: Yeah, that was that was a bust.
LaFleur: Yeah, well Redmond on that one and I don't blame him. You know, you always look at yourself first and you got to make sure you're putting those guys through those situations. And we really want to tuck on that side and Redmond being the protection guy on the backside. But it was that tight end should have been out in a route. Instead, it picked off the tackle and then we had I think it was Turner in the backfield.
Reporter: Obviously no one's gonna be like Flores in terms of what they do. But do you expect after that teams to kind of change how they approach your O-line based on?
LaFleur: I think there's some things that we definitely have to get cleaned up that will certainly see I'm sure this week. But as far as that would be a wholesale commitment to go to that style of defense, which you don't see a whole bunch of that in the league. And I think, you know, I think we ended the game with like 10 explosives for like 300 yards, so it is feast or famine unfortunately. We had some great moments where we feasted on it certainly, but at the end of the game when we needed to get some plays, they did what they do and they got two takeaways or three takeaways.
Reporter: That of course, you don't want to play the what-if game, but a healthy Aaron Banks, how much does that change the way the offensive line plays as a whole?
LaFleur: Well, I think it definitely helps. I mean here's an experienced guy that you know the game's not too big for him. I'm not saying that about anybody else, but he's got a lot of experience. He's been in those situations before he's gone against that defense. And so I think as far as the communication is concerned, the more you've had guys that have been in those situations, I think typically the guys respond a little bit better.
Reporter: And this week do you have to look at some different guys in those spots, or how do you approach?
LaFleur: Well potentially, yeah. I think it's a competitive situation. Certainly, whatever we do we need to make sure that we find continuity as quickly as possible, and I think that's part of the problem is we've had a lot of guys in and out of alignment. And I'm not making excuses, it is what it is, you got to find a way to get it done. But I do think the more guys play together, typically the better they play together.
Reporter: Mention the ten explosives regardless of the protection bust elsewhere. But do ten explosives need to produce more than 22 points?
LaFleur: Absolutely, we got to be better in the red area. I think we finished 1 of 4. And the whole key, I guess going back to that game is just there were some very, very unfortunate, like just whether it was mental errors or lack of focus. We had some pre-snap penalties. That was a huge emphasis going into the game because what you need to do is you better stay on schedule if you're playing that defense because as soon as it gets second and pass or third and pass known pass situations, you're gonna get ate up and then who knows what's gonna happen.
Reporter: What's the coaching point that you give to McClellan on that roughing player or was it just did he do her thing the right way there or are you not?
LaFleur: I thought he did a good job, but apparently they saw something different.
Reporter: And you must have a pretty good game plan because you're successful right away. Do you have to look at all and just then what your process is for, you know, change it or adjusting as the game goes on or you said is that not?
LaFleur: I don't personally think that was it because it's not like they'd be different if they came back with a totally different game plan. But it was the same plan in the second half. They just got to us a few more times. And again, I think any time in this league if you kick enough field goals, you're able to get beat and that's essentially what happened. We kicked too many field goals when we had opportunities. We didn't take advantage of short fields at times. I think, shoot, we were on the plus side after Sky Moore's punt return and the next thing you know, you got third and 25 and even then I still thought we could have got points out of that. That's when we threw it quick to Bird to Jane Reed and we just threw it a little behind and it hits off his hands.
Reporter: So what was it? Was it cramps for CeeSay or something else there at the end?
LaFleur: Yeah, I believe it was cramps.
Reporter: Touchdown, but I think he did. I thought he did pretty good. I mean, I don't even put that touchdown on him. I mean, I know he's in coverage right there. But like that's one of those plays that is absolutely killer. Like we've got to be more aware of the moment. I mean, it's a no snap no play for the offense. They're just trying to draw you off sides before the two-minute warning and we have a guy that jumps off sides and the quarterback just throws it up and Jefferson makes a hell of a play. So but those types of plays when they happen in the game, they get you beat.
Reporter: You mentioned some mental errors, how do you address that during the week? It's not necessarily tangible like technique or fundamentals. How do you go about addressing them?
LaFleur: Well, you coach it up and you make sure that you try to, you got to put them in those situations again and make sure at least at a bare minimum that you walk through it, make sure that you get it right.
Reporter: So now that you slept on it, you still stand by that fourth and one instead of taking the points and everything?
LaFleur: Yeah, I think so. I think, you know, just trying to push it to a two score game and when you're up two scores that changes the whole complexion of the game.
Reporter: To have, I guess just as a head coach just that quick of a decision to be, you know, that big of an effect, you know, on the game. Is it difficult in the moment to try to make that decision from your end?
LaFleur: I mean, that's what we do, right? I mean you have to make quick decisions. So like it's not anything out of the norm. You just got to roll with it. You got a philosophy kind of, I would say going into it and granted circumstances can change that philosophy a little bit. But typically I would say we're gonna be much more aggressive and go for it in a fourth and one. You know, I think over the history of us running QB sneaks, we've been pretty successful. But unfortunately it didn't work out.
Reporter: Did you guys have any other injuries pop up that maybe you didn't see?
LaFleur: Nothing significant, just obviously some bumps and bruises.
Reporter: Okay, he was talking a little while ago about how Micah can start practicing after the second game. Do you think that's a possibility?
LaFleur: Yeah, I haven't talked to our medical people. That would be great, but I don't want to tell you guys one thing. I'm sure this is the week progresses and we get closer to that next week I'll be able to give you some updates on that.
Reporter: Your perspective you guys were able to extend Tucker on Saturday's how big is that move, you know for you this offense?
LaFleur: That's huge. It's huge. I think Tuck's what we want to be about. I think he shows up every day and puts us a hundred percent into this thing. He does a great job. I mean, he's obviously earned the respect from his teammates being voted the captain. And he just he does things the right way and I love this style of play which he presents out on the field. So you can't have enough guys like Tucker Kraft.
Reporter: Which is so far off of his usual work?
LaFleur: Yeah, I thought he did great. I thought he did a great job. You know that was probably five more snaps than anybody in the building wanted him to go. We were gonna cap him at 40 and somehow John Dunn got it done to get five more snaps out of him, but I thought he did a great job. You know, I don't think he was gassed or anything like that. He's in phenomenal shape and he's really put a lot of time effort into this thing. And I think a lot of credit goes to our athletic trainers and our strength staff as well. They put a lot of time in with him to get him to this point.
Reporter: You made some plays downfield not that he hasn't been met before but is that could be more of an emphasis to give him some more opportunities other than the check downs and screens he's been so good at?
LaFleur: Yeah, I think yeah. Anyway, you can get that guy the ball the better and so we're gonna try different ways to get that done and each game could have a little different feel to it dependent upon just what we're seeing out there.
Reporter: What'd you see from Edward Cooper?
LaFleur: I saw a guy flying around making plays. He was all over the place.
Reporter: You guys coach it when you're jumping off sides too much because that seemed to be an issue throughout camp as well?
LaFleur: Well, obviously we're not doing a good enough job because it hasn't gotten corrected. And it's so just like I told the team, you know you see it in practice. You'd be an idiot not to think it's gonna show up in the game and unfortunately it showed up and you know some critical moments and it was both sides of the ball. It wasn't just defensively, it was on the offensive side as well. I think we had six pre-snap penalties, I want to say three false starts, three offsides.
LaFleur: Thanks guys, have a good one.
