The Packers are 0-1 with Jordan Love and 2-0 with Malik Willis, and Matt LaFleur doesn’t get enough credit.
Despite losing his starting quarterback late in the Week 1 loss to Philadelphia, Green Bay still ranks second among NFL teams in average yards per play (6.4) and fifth in total offense (391.7 yards/game). More importantly, LaFleur’s club leads the NFL in takeaways (nine) and turnover margin (plus-seven).
However, as Green Bay (2-1) prepares for a marquee clash with Minnesota (3-0) at Lambeau Field on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), there’s one number LaFleur loathes.
“We’ve had some costly penalties that have shown up in every game and it’s going to come back to bite us if we don’t get it cleaned up,” LaFleur said Monday, referring to his team’s 8.67 flags per game. “We address it every day, but certainly talked about it again today. We’ve just got to get back to practicing with good fundamentals.”
Practicing is something Love expects to do this week, as he has in a limited capacity since spraining his MCL in Brazil Sept. 6. His intense pregame in Nashville on Sunday was a conditioning workout, LaFleur said, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky.
LaFleur also took note of how his former running back Aaron Jones has helped Sam Darnold and the Vikings. Jones is averaging what would be a single-season career best 6.0 yards per touch through his first three games in Minnesota. His 64.3 rushing yards per game are his most since 2020, when he posted 78.9 with the Packers.
“He’s a problem and he looks really good,” said LaFleur.