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Rob Demowski
MINNEAPOLIS–Health is at its peak. this is it green Bay Packers Coach Matt LaFleur attends Sunday’s regular season finale minnesota vikings,
Seventh-seeded Packers start third-string quarterback in NFC playoffs clayton tune And 16 key contributors did not start (some played only on special teams). The result was predicted: A lost 16-3 This included minus-7 total passing yards as a team, the lowest in a game since 1976.
This meant the Packers (9-7-1) would enter the playoffs with zero momentum. They lost four consecutive games to finish the regular season. Their last win was on 7 December against Chicago Bears,
It also meant that the Packers returned without any new major injury concerns to their starting players. Security Javon Bullard It was the closest thing to a scare. He played 21 defensive snaps before someone came down on his knee, ending his day, but Bullard later said he would be fine. Backup receiver/kick returner Bo Melton (Knee) was the only other declared injury.
It was a different approach than last year’s regular season finale against the Bears, when LaFleur played his starters even though they could only improve from the seventh seed to the sixth seed. And at the receiver it burned him Christian Watson Tore his ACL and lost for the playoffs.
“I think we did the right thing today.” LaFleur said Sunday. “And we’ll see. Only time will tell. But I definitely feel better about it than I did after the game a year ago. It was a double whammy when we lose the game and you lose a key player for us to go on that run. I thought it was the best decision.”
This meant that the Packers not only stuck to the offense jordan love But Watson too, Romeo Doubs And josh jacobsas well as four of their five starting offensive linemen (aaron banks, sean ryan, Rasheed Walker And zach tombackup quarterback malik willis Was inactive due to injury (right shoulder, hamstring).
If Love were to go into the game, LaFleur said: “The pass will not be attempted.”
On defense, LaFleur leads Xavier McKinney, edgarin cooper, Quay Walker, ration gary, Kingsley Enagbare, lucas van ness, carl brooks And Carrington Valentine, trayvon diggsfrom which exemption was claimed dallas cowboys Last week, started at cornerback and played half the defensive backs.
LaFleur could have achieved his fifth double-digit season win in his seven years as Green Bay’s coach. Instead, the Packers became the fourth playoff team in NFL history to finish the regular season with a loss of four or more games, joining 1986. New York Jets (five losses), 2024 pittsburgh steelers (four) and 1999 detroit lions (Four), according to ESPN Research. Of that trio, only the Jets won a playoff game that year.
What happens in the playoffs may be more important to LaFleur.
His contract expires after the 2026 season, and he may need a win or two in the playoffs to earn an extension this offseason. Considering that new team president Ed Policy said last summer that he did not want a lame-duck coach, the outcome of this season could decide LaFleur’s future in Green Bay.
Love, who was cleared from concussion protocol last week after missing the previous game, did not speak to reporters after the game because he did not play. But according to multiple players, Love spoke to the team after the game. His message?
“Just move on from this and get your mind prepared for the playoffs,” Tune said. “We have an opportunity to do something special and so he was refocusing everyone’s minds and getting everyone mentally prepared for what’s in front of us.”
The seventh-seeded Packers learned later Sunday that they will open the playoffs at the No. 2 Bears.
