The Green Bay Packers are on a BYE this week, and surprisingly, I am stoked about this early chance to get right. Injuries and mental errors have cost the squad 2 very winnable games.
The Packers came out of the gate with dominant performances against the Lions and Commanders, however in the past 2 weeks some familiar weaknesses have reappeared. Not the least of which being awful clock management, especially in 2 minute periods. This is NOT the first time folks have pointed to LaFleurs poor time management, hopefully this gets cleaned up before the long road ahead to the post season.
Heartbreak in Cleveland
In the Week 3 loss to the Browns, Matt LaFleur’s time‑management instincts failed in a pivotal sequence with about 3:18 left in the game. Green Bay was clinging to a 10–3 lead but faced a 3rd‑and‑3 near midfield. Instead of opting for a conservative call or letting Love roll out with a keeper (a move that had produced yardage earlier in the game), LaFleur stayed with a pass concept that ultimately backfired. A costly interception immediately handed Cleveland a short field and turned what should have been a clock‑stressing sequence into a sudden momentum shift.
Beyond that miscue, LaFleur’s clock use in the closing minutes lacked the kind of urgency or control expected in one-possession games. The Packers used three timeouts in the contest (some to avert delay‑of‑game) and bled precious seconds on snaps without getting into rhythm. Instead of orchestrating a drive that ate the clock and forced Cleveland to burn all their timeouts or chase down yardage, Green Bay’s play‑calling and tempo left room for the Browns to recover, culminating in a walk‑off 55‑yard field goal.
First Visit Without A Win At AT&T
What started as the most hyped game of the season with Micah Parsons returning to Dallas, ended with a shocking tie after a shootout. While Jordan Love had no problem getting points on the board, the defense came up way short after Devonte Wyatt left the game with a knee injury.
Matt LaFleur’s time management again is under heavy scrutiny for how he handled the final minutes of regulation and overtime. As the game entered its climactic stretch, LaFleur acknowledged that “the operation was way too slow,” admitting his play calling lacked the necessary urgency, according to a report from the Dairyland Express.
Rather than using a timeout immediately after a 7‑yard run with the clock draining, the Packers allowed the timer to fall to 32 seconds before stopping the clock — a decision LaFleur later said was “inexcusable,” given the threat of running out of time.
Then came this…..
WHAT IN GOD’S NAME ARE WE SNAPPING THAT BALL FOR?!
After the game, LaFleur conceded that communication between himself, Love, and the offense broke down, and said the team “wasted too much time out there.”
2. Historical Pattern
Going back, there’s a clear line of similar issues over recent seasons. I have jumped out of my armchair many a Sunday shouting to the Football Gods, clamoring for answers as to what Matt LaFleur is doing with the clock.
For years I have watched the Packers allow time to tick down in the final two minutes when they need to preserve it, while also somehow managaing to unecessarily burn their timeouts during the course of regulation.
- Between 2018 and 2022, data from NFL analysts showed LaFleur among the worst coaches in terms of “unnecessary timeouts” minus those tied to avoiding delay of game, stopping the clock defensively, or reacting to a challenge, but rather wasted during normal offensive or defensive sequences.
More recently, you need only go back to January and the Packers’ loss to the Bears.
With 58 seconds left in the game the Packers were on the Bear’s 37-yard line and down two points. The Green Bay Packers ended up kicking a 55 yard field goal. The issue is the timeout LaFleur burned which inevitably gave the Bears enough time to come back and kick their own walk off field goal. After the game LaFleur would tell Larry McCarren that the poor time management “falls on my shoulders.”
What’s Going Wrong—Key Weaknesses
From the recent and past examples, several underlying issues are clar:
- Slow operation and execution: Not getting plays in quickly enough in short‑clock/over‑time situations. “Operation too long,” as LaFleur himself said after the Cowboys game.
- Miscommunication among coach / QB / play‑callers: Sometimes the coach expects urgency but the QB isn’t aware or the team doesn’t adjust. For instance, Love said “we weren’t all on the same page on what needed to happen.”
- Questionable timeout usage: Using timeouts in ways that end up costing more time or flexibility later; sometimes waiting too long to use them; sometimes using them prematurely.
- Conservative choices when decisive action may be called for: Opting for field goals or safer plays instead of going for more aggressive, clock‑aware strategies.
Green Bay Packers Looking Ahead
It is a long season, and there is certainly plenty of time to right the ship and get back to the complimentary football we saw in Weeks 1 & 2. There’s also a large number of starters who should be returning healthy to bolster their chances at making a deep run.
LaFleur has lead ths team to countless victories, in fact, coming into this season his 67 regular-season wins are the second-most in NFL history for a coach in their first six seasons, behind only George Seifert. I am certainly still a big believer in LaFleur’s abililties and don’t agree with calls to put him on the hot seat just yet. Though I will admit that I myself have said in the past that Matt has a history of his emotions dictating his play calls, causing communication breakdown and hasty decisions in critical moments of big games.
Outside of HC Matt Lafleur, there’s also growing concerns about the blunder that is currently the Packers Special Teams…..
If Matt can find his balance and stay focussed on the game plan while taking a breath to assess his tme management, I have no doubt this team will return to form.
We’ll see in Week 6 what this rested crew does with a chip on their shoulder and 12 weeks until the playoffs.
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