Packers coach Matt LaFleur lets loose after Lions loss: 'we got our ass kicked'
Matt LaFleur doesn’t know why it happened, but the Packers coach used some spicy language to describe the end results of Thursday night’s loss to the Lions.
It all could be boiled down to Green Bay’s first-half performance, when Detroit built a 27-3 lead. After the 34-20 loss, a reporter asked LaFleur what exactly happened in the opening half. Anyone could see what unfolded. But why couldn’t the Packers put up a fight? Green Bay closed the gap, but the hole at halftime was just too deep.
“I mean, you saw it. We got our ass kicked,” LaFleur said. “If I knew, it wouldn’t have happened, It wasn’t good enough. They whipped us. They manhandled us. Again, if I knew the answer to that, it wouldn’t have happened.”
As another reporter asked a question, LaFleur interrupted to say the query before was “BS.” He obviously was irritated. The Packers did something similar the week before. They trailed the Saints 17-0 at the start of the fourth quarter. And thanks to some late heroics by quarterback Jordan Love, the Packers won the game, 18-17.
Dan Campbell’s snarly bunch of Lions weren’t going to let a Packers comeback happen Thursday night. And with the victory, Detroit’s fourth straight over Green Bay, the Lions take early control of the NFC North. Also, put the Lions up there with the best teams of the NFL.
“Give Detroit a lot of credit.” LaFleur said. “They came in and whooped us pretty good,” LaFleur said. “I was pleased with our team’s effort in the second half. I challenged them at halftime to just continue to go out and compete and I felt we did that.
“We had an opportunity; we were down 10 and we had a bad penalty to make it a three-possession game. But, every area, there’s a lot of improvement out there for us. I think any time you go out there and you can’t effectively run the football and conversely can’t stop the run, that’s a recipe for losing football. And that’s what happened tonight. Give Detroit credit. We knew they were a tough opponent, but they manhandled us really in every phase.”
Detroit’s David Montgomery, who’d missed last Sunday’s game, started on Thursday. He sure didn’t show signs of an injury, given he rushed for 120 yards. Meanwhile, the Packers got back Aaron Jones, who’d missed two games with a hamstring strain. Jones had only five carries for 18 yards. Detroit raced to such a big lead that the Packers didn’t have the time for a running game in the second half. As a team, the Packers rushed 12 times for a meager 27 yards.
And the Lions sacked Love five times for a negative 43 yards. The Packers quarterback also threw two interceptions.
LaFleur and the Packers get an 11-day break from games. The Raiders are the next opponent and the two teams play on Monday Night Football. Maybe by then, the coach can fix the problems the Lions exposed.