The Green Bay Packers led 21-3 at halftime in their wild-card playoff game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday night. They led 21-6 entering the fourth quarter. By the end of the game, they were left wondering what had gone wrong, losing 31-27.
Fans looking for the same answer pointed the finger at head coach Matt LaFleur.
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Awkward: Watch LaFleur and Ben Johnson shake hands after the game
From poor clock management to an inability to generate offense in the second half, LaFleur took the heat for Green Bay’s collapse. After six disappointing playoff exits in his seven years in Green Bay, some are wondering if this latest loss will prompt the Packers to move on. So far, there is no sign of this happening. In fact, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported before the game that the two sides are expected to meet after the season to discuss extending LaFleur’s contract, which expires after next season.
Perhaps, losing to Chicago will make the Packers reconsider an extension, though there’s certainly a case to be made for keeping LaFleur. Despite a 3-6 postseason record, including a first-round exit the past two years, he went 76-40-1 in the regular season and missed the postseason only once. If the Packers let him go, he would immediately become one of the hottest names on the coaching market. Therefore, it seems unlikely that they will fire him outright. But with the wealth of talented coaches available for hire these days, you never know.
This article originally appeared in To Win: Will Matt LaFleur be fired after Packers’ playoff loss to Bears? 》