2. Packers’ search for a new defensive coordinator is underway
The Packers will have a pair of new coordinators in 2021 after LaFleur announced on Friday that Shawn Mennenga has been fired and Mike Pettine will not return after the end of his contract.
LaFleur said he has already chosen assistant coach Maurice Drayton to replace Mennenga, believing that Drayton’s energy and excellent communication skills will spur the turnaround that Packers are looking for in special teams.
On the defensive side, LaFleur plans to conduct a thorough search to find the right individual to raise the league’s total defense to ninth place.
“I think if you look at the great defenses in the league, there is a certain (aggressive) mentality that comes with that,” said LaFleur. “And it’s not necessarily what you’re calling, but how you’re playing each call. I think there are some areas where we can continue to educate our players and be great in those situations, so if it’s a low and short third, that you’re not throwing it away. You don’t want to give up any freebies. You want to make people earn every inch out there on the grass. “
It must be attractive work. The Packers have a good balance between established Pro Bowlers (Za’Darius Smith, Kenny Clark and Jaire Alexander) and emerging talents (Darnell Savage, Rashan Gary and Kingsley Keke).
“I think we are getting better and better,” said Gutekunst. “We are not there yet. I don’t think we are where we want to be completely, but I have a lot of faith in many of the players who are on that side of the ball and are able to accomplish what we needed to do. … I think we are going in the right direction. “;
3. LaFleur keeps his decision to kick the basket
Although a lot has been done about the Packers choosing to kick a late field goal against Tampa Bay, LaFleur maintains the decision and everything that came to it.
LaFleur said he spoke to one of his analysts in the press booth when the Packers were lost by 31-23 and facing the quarter to 8, and believed it was a situation that you could follow anyway.
Knowing that the Buccaneers would still have a chance to play for the win, even if Green Bay tied the game at 31, LaFleur sent Mason Crosby out because he felt that “it was the best thing to do to give us the best chance of winning the game. “
“Let’s say you score and get a two point conversion, you still have to stop them anyway,” said LaFleur. “No matter how you cut, you had to stop defensively. I felt that our defense was playing at a very high level at the time.”
The defense almost got that stop, too, before Judge Perry Paganelli signaled cornerback Kevin King for holding on to defense Tyler Johnson in the third and fourth with 1:46 left to give Tampa Bay a new series of casualties.
“I’m not sitting here making excuses. It didn’t work. I’m going to take over,” said LaFleur. “But if I had to do it again, if it is the fourth for the 8-yard line goal, we will be kicking a field goal. If it is the fourth for the 5-yard goal, I think we will have a different discussion. You have to play the percentages. “