Packers coach Matt LaFleur on tush push: ‘It is what it is’

Green Bay, Wis.– PACKERS Coach Matt LaFleur wouldn’t say whether his opinion of the tush push has changed since his team’s attempt to ban it in the game failed last offseason.

with philadelphia eagles However, coming to Lambeau Field on Monday night, LaFleur knew it would be a hot topic, and he had little interest in discussing it.

“I’m not going to get involved in it,” LaFleur said, speaking for the first time during Eagles week on Thursday. “It is what it is. The NFL made a decision, and we have to find a way to try to stop the game, and it’s a tough game to stop.”

Former Packers president Mark Murphy, who retired in July, officially led the team’s rule change proposal to eliminate such plays, but both LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst called the play a safety threat.

It was discussed among team owners, coaches and general managers throughout the offseason, but the proposal failed with 24 of the 32 teams voting on it. It got two fewer votes during the official voting in May.

Now, LaFleur, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and their players have to deal with Monday night’s game. LaFleur said the best way to prevent it is to “not let it happen.”

“You can’t allow them in those little situations because you know what they’re going to do,” LaFleur said. “And apparently they’ve been quite successful at it.”

According to ESPN Research, the Eagles have run tush pushes 21 times through the first eight games this season, with a conversion rate of 76.5%. This is down from 82.1% last season, 83.3% in 2023, and 92.6% in 2022.

The Packers actually ran the tush push five times with the quarterback jordan love in 2023, and converted four of them, but did not run it in the last season and a half.

“Each team is built a little differently,” LaFleur said. “And to me, it’s always, do you want your quarterback to be subject to some of the hits that he could potentially face in those situations?'”

The Eagles defeated the Packers twice last season – in the regular season opener and in the NFC wild-card playoff round.