Where did that come from?!
Matt LaFleur has occasionally unveiled trick plays during his time with the Green Bay Packers, but those moments are few and far between. Especially a hook-and-ladder. That's the kind of filth Ben Johnson has been cooking up, first with the Detroit Lions and now the Chicago Bears.
That's what made it all the more surprising when LaFleur pulled out a new trick from his bag during Sunday's non-padded practice.
"Hook and ladder! First time I've seen that in eight seasons here. Tyrod Taylor to Bo Melton to Pierre Strong Jr. for 17 yards to the 3 in a red-zone drill," The Athletic's Matt Schneidman wrote from practice.
A hook-and-ladder is exactly what Schneidman described. The quarterback completes a pass before the receiver instantly laterals it to another player. It's rarely called and almost always catches a defense off guard.
Johnson certainly didn't invent the concept. Plenty of teams use it. The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs have enjoyed their own success. But Johnson has cooked up a hook-and-ladder play design at some crucial moments in recent years, including late in the fourth quarter of the Lions' 20-16 win at Lambeau Field in January 2023. It was Aaron Rodgers' final game in Green Bay.
OK, love LaFleur's idea to incorporate some hook-and-ladder concepts into the playbook. It's about time, honestly. But let's keep it on ice until, let's say, Week 5.
Packers should now put the hook-and-ladder on ice until Week 5
It makes it even better that LaFleur could use one of Johnson's beloved plays against him. The first opportunity arrives in Week 5 in Green Bay.
After all, Johnson bizarrely created a personal rivalry between himself and LaFleur. In his introductory press conference with the Bears, Johnson didn't take a shot at the Packers, but at LaFleur specifically. It was awkward and odd.
Not as awkward as their icy handshake after the Packers beat the Bears at Lambeau Field in Week 14.
Johnson took it a step further by shouting "F--- the Packers" in the locker room after their dramatic wild-card round win in January. Xavier McKinney put it best by calling Johnson a "troll."
You know what would be the ultimate troll? Beating the Bears at their own game when the two teams meet on October 11 at Lambeau Field. That would be the perfect time to debut the green-and-gold version of the hook-and-ladder, and the Packers have the players to make it a destructive play.
Imagine Matthew Golden, who has possibly the safest hands on the team, making the initial catch before flipping it to Christian Watson, whose acceleration and elite top-end speed could turn it into a touchdown if defenses don't see the trickery coming. Or maybe even Jayden Reed, who is one of Green Bay's yards-after-catch specialists. Perhaps even MarShawn Lloyd would be the choice.
Why Matt LaFleur should embrace more trick plays this season
LaFleur is one of the league's best play-callers and offensive minds, but he's never truly gone deep into his bag with trick plays. We've seen some exotic designs, especially early on in the Jordan Love era.
One such attempt came in Week 3 of Love's first season as the starter against the New Orleans Saints.
Love tossed the ball to running back Emanuel Wilson, dragging defenders toward the right sideline. As it was designed, Wilson would turn and throw the ball back to Love, who would then hit a wide-open Dontayvion Wicks down the left sideline.
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It almost came off. The design worked, but the execution failed. Wilson's backward pass to Love fell short, which forced Love to pick it off the ground. Love then slipped and barely missed Wicks, who was, indeed, wide open.
Outside of some trickery with players sent in motion, we don't see too many play calls like this from LaFleur.
That's not to say LaFleur needs to turn into Johnson or Dan Campbell, who draw up fourth-down fake punts like they're playing Madden and don't want to ever play defense, but the Packers could benefit from some extra creativity in crucial moments.
Hook-and-ladder plays are a brilliant concept. There's some jeopardy, as it would count as a fumble if the lateral goes wrong. But it's a relatively easy play to execute, and the potential reward far outweighs the risk. If done rarely and only in must-have moments in must-win games, it can be devastating.
Defenses rarely see it coming, and it's so tough to stop. The initial throw to a receiver causes defenders to swarm to the football, while others may stop entirely. The instant lateral to another player can catch defenses on their heels. By the time they realize what's happening, it's game over.
LaFleur even adding this concept to the playbook is a major win. Now, he should put it on ice until Johnson's Bears arrive in Week 5.
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