The Green Bay Packers enter the bye week with a 9-3 record and a firm hold on first place in the NFC North. They also enter this week just a half game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the race for the top seed in the conference and the bye that goes with it. The Packers own the tiebreaker against the Cardinals, having defeated Arizona in Week 8.
The Pack will return to action on December 12th when they host the Bears on Sunday Night Football.
Matt LaFleur has accomplished a lot in his two-plus years as head coach in Green Bay. His teams have never lost two straight games since he took over and his overall record is an impressive 35-9, that’s a .795 winning percentage. However, LaFleur’s teams have not only failed to win after their bye weeks but they have also played some of their worst games of the season in those contests. And the Packers franchise has lost four straight games after their bye week.
In LaFleur’s first season at the helm in 2019, the Packers entered the bye week with an 8-2 record. They traveled to San Francisco to take on the 9-1 49ers in a key game that would have major tie-breaking implications in the NFC playoff race.
The Packers came out flat and were behind 23-0 at halftime in a game they ultimately lost 37-8. Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times and completed just 20 passes for 104 yards. The game was never close and the Packers were non-competitive. As a result, the NFC Championship Game was held in San Francisco that year and the Packers were beaten badly in that game as well.
In 2020, the Packers bye came early, after Week 4. The Pack was off to a strong start that season. They were 4-0 and had outscored opponents 152-101. Two of their wins came on the road against quality opponents.
After the bye, the Packers headed to Tampa Bay to face Tom Brady and the Bucs. Again, the Packers played their worst game of the season after the bye and lost to the Buccaneers 38-10 after taking an early 10-0 lead.
Aaron Rodgers threw interceptions on consecutive drives in the second quarter including a pick-six. The Pack allowed 28 points in the second quarter and the game was never close after that.
Rodgers had one of his worst days as a pro, completing just 16-of-35 passes for 160 yards, no touchdowns and the two interceptions. His quarterback rating was 35.4, well below his league-best ranking of 121.5 for the season.
So, in two seasons after the bye, LaFleur’s teams are 0-2 and have been outscored 75-18. Both games came against quality opponents on the road, but in both instances, the Packers faced that team again in the NFC Championship Game and lost to them. The blowout regular-season losses certainly didn’t help the team’s confidence come playoff time.
Going back further, Green Bay has no lost four straight games coming off the bye with the 2018 Packers losing to the Rams in Los Angeles 29-27 in a game that the team at least played well in, and the 2017 club falling at home to the Lions 30-17 in a game started by Brett Hundley because Rodgers was injured and unable to play.
The last time the Packers won after the bye was 2016 when after an early Week 4 bye, the Pack defeated the New York Giants at Lambeau Field 23-16 on Sunday Night Football.
It’s difficult to say why the Packers have struggled after the bye week in recent years and, especially under LaFleur. Does the week off break the team’s mental preparation? Disturb their rhythm? The team has played their worst game of the season in each of the last two seasons the week after their bye.
After the loss to the Bucs, both LaFleur and Rodgers said the team had a bad week at practice and it carried over to the game. “Got outcoached, got outplayed,” LaFleur admitted after the loss in Tampa Bay last October. “The Bucs had a good game plan and they really took to us. We’ve got to make sure we stick together.” He also added, “It starts with me first. Obviously, I didn’t get these guys ready to play and I didn’t do a good job as a play caller. That’s two problems in one.”
LaFleur had similar comments after the 2019 blowout loss to the 49ers after the bye. “I’m disappointed in myself with how we got outcoached and we got outplayed,” LaFleur said. “The bottom line it’s unacceptable. We have to look at ourselves. There’s a lot to correct if we want to be the team we want to be.”
The mark of a great coach is somebody who can learn from past mistakes and adapt. It is now up to LaFleur to do just that and have the Packers ready to play next week when they host the Bears on Sunday night. Hopefully, for LaFleur and the Packers, the third time after the bye will be the charm.
You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers