Matt LaFleur joins Todd Bowles and Shane Steichen on the early-season hot seat for NFL coaches

In the Green Bay Packers' 35-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in their 2026 home opener on Thursday night at Lambeau Field, Coach Matt LaFleur expressed disappointment and acknowledged the need for the team to find solutions quickly. LaFleur noted that the season is still young and believed his team had the right people to turn things around. The Packers are currently 1-2 after three games, having overcome an 0-3 start with a late comeback away from the loss.

Following the game, LaFleur addressed several key issues. He spoke about the offensive line, stating that they needed to continue working with those players to determine what they were doing well offensively. LaFleur also highlighted the lack of a run game, noting that having nine rushes in the game was detrimental to their performance. He expressed frustration over the absence of running back Josh Jacobs, acknowledging that the team needed to put him in a better position to succeed.

LaFleur emphasized that the team had a long way to go and that acquiring help would be crucial in turning the season around. He stated that they were nowhere near where they needed to be after three games but had plenty of time to improve. LaFleur also addressed the team's response to the loss, stating that they had to respond better and not put the blame on any single aspect of the game.

He touched on the roughing the passer call and the Jager Burton false start on fourth down, expressing that those were lessons the team would learn from.

Regarding the offensive line, LaFleur avoided placing blame solely on them, attributing blame to various factors and acknowledging the need for better play calls and execution. He reiterated that the team had the right kind of players who were willing to work hard and overcome adversity. LaFleur praised quarterback Jordan Love, describing him as a great leader respected by everyone in the locker room. He believed Love was not afraid to speak his mind but did so in his own way, which he appreciated.

LaFleur concluded by encouraging the team to take the next three days to decompress and then focus on working together to address the challenges they faced. He emphasized that the players in the locker room were not afraid of hard work, challenges, or adversity, and that they would roll up their sleeves to fix the issues the team currently faced.