Packers
Packers HC Matt LaFleur slowed reporters who suggested that QB Malik Willis could be a threat to the starting position of QB Jordan Love, who is out due to injury.
“I want to pump the brakes on all that stuff,” LaFleur said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “I think Jordan Love is playing some pretty high-level football, and it’s great that we feel the same about Malik in his ability to go in there. I thought he’s had two really back-to-back outstanding performances. So we’re in a good spot with that position, certainly have a lot of confidence in both of those guys, but it’s clear that Jordan is our franchise quarterback, and when he is healthy, he’s going to be our starter. So, just want to squash all that.”
“Regardless of anything, whether you rest certain individuals you’re kind of limited, especially our situation right now with the number of injuries that occurred,” LaFleur added. “Guys are going to have to play ball. They better approach it in such a way that they’re getting their mind ready to go play ball.”
- LaFleur on Willis’ right shoulder injury: “I’d think he’d be available against Minnesota.” (Hodkiewicz)
- LaFleur on Willis: “He can make any throw on the planet. I’d put him up against anybody.” (Schneidman)
Packers
Packers HC Matt LaFleur explained the team’s poor defensive performance against Ravens RB Derrick Henry, which he attributed to misalignments and missed assignments, noting that the tape is impossible to deny.
“There’s a lot of reasons for that,” LaFleur told reporters. “Certainly, we have to coach our guys a lot better. There was way too many mistakes in regards to misalignments and missed assignments. And when you do that against a good football team, you see the results. That was probably the most disappointing thing after watching the tape, it’s just how many times we weren’t playing the right technique or weren’t in the right position to make a play. And when we did have opportunities, when we were in position, there was some moments where we played really good run defense. But it was just too hit or miss. Stuff we’ve been calling since the preseason, throughout camp, throughout the course of the season, that — whether it’s a check or not getting the right adjustments. You can’t do that, knowing what type of back we were playing. If you give this guy a head of steam, he’s a tough guy to bring down. And he proved that last night.”
“You have to give Baltimore credit,” LaFleur added. “They played hard. They played more physical than us. And they moved us. They moved us off the line of scrimmage. They controlled that game. I don’t recall seeing a 300-yard rushing performance. That’s tough. That doesn’t happen very often in the National Football League. They ran the ball, what, 50 times or whatever it was? It wasn’t up to the standard.”
Vikings
- Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell said he’d love to get QB J.J. McCarthy one more start if his grip strength is good enough for him to go. (Goessling)
- McCarthy (hairline fracture in hand) is “progressing,” and his swelling has come down “a little bit, according to O’Connell. (Seifert)
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