Matt LaFleur Deserves More Credit for Winning Debut While Other 1st-Year Coaches Failed
By Parker White
You don't want to put too much stock in the first week of the NFL season, but it's still a big deal-- especially if you are a rookie head coach.
Getting off to a good start goes a long way to unlocking season-long success. And if you are a Green Bay Packers fan, you have to love the debut of the new regime headlined by head coach Matt LaFleur despite Thursday night's snoozer against the Bears.
Here and now, he's the only new head coach to get a Week 1 win.
Of the seven new head coaches that have played so far this week, #Packers coach Matt LaFleur is the only one to win.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 9, 2019
Maybe Vic Fangio flexes his muscles tonight if the Denver Broncos dominate the Oakland Raiders, but LaFleur's first game as a head coach was on the road against the division rival Chicago Bears, who are definitely in the playoff hunt.
Oh, and even though he's an offensive-minded coach and the Packers only scored 10 points, Green Bay's defense looked spectacular. They're one to pay attention to moving forward.
Matt LaFleur finished his speech when Aaron Rodgers jumped in, holding the game ball.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 6, 2019
“Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on ... It’s not every day you get your first win as an NFL head coach.”
The team then mobbed LaFleur and knocked off his hat. pic.twitter.com/J4aGQRdWdb
I wouldn't be too worried about a Packers offense that has a healthy Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback, either. Give credit to Chicago's stout defense, and to be able to win when your strength isn't carrying the day is huge and a positive sign for the culture LaFleur has put in place so far.