The Green Bay Packers' offense has become a confusing contradiction.
An offensive line that loves to pass block but couldn't open a rushing lane if the season depended on it, so the Packers became a run-first offense. A quarterback paid $220 million who reached an MVP level early in the season, so the Packers built a game plan as if they were forced to start an emergency backup.
None of it makes sense, leaving only one logical conclusion: Matt LaFleur doesn't trust Jordan Love.
Matt LaFleur is calling plays like he has completely lost faith in Jordan Love
Love trusts LaFleur. He said as much in his postgame presser following the Packers' ugly defeat on Monday Night Football. Can we say the feeling is mutual?
Only LaFleur knows the answer to that question, but his play-calling tells a different story.
LaFleur may point to the way defenses are playing the Packers. They are giving them soft-zone looks and daring them to run. That's fine if you can run the football. The Packers lack any kind of explosiveness on the ground.
ESPN's Mina Kimes put it best last week by saying LaFleur was "playing for third down." The first two downs are all about setting up third-and-manageable, but the Packers keep failing early on and getting behind the sticks. And when they do get close, like on the critical 4th-and-1 late in the fourth quarter, they take the ball out of Love's hands.
Love has stepped up when the Packers needed him. Remember Pittsburgh? Green Bay fell behind after a cautious first-half display, so LaFleur gave his quarterback the keys. Love threw 20 straight completions, tying Brett Favre's franchise record, in a second-half masterpiece in front of his mentor, Aaron Rodgers.
But LaFleur followed that performance by putting the offense back in first gear, a run-heavy system built for Malik Willis, not Love.
The offense has become stale. Predictable. Unimaginative.
With the game effectively on the line on the Packers' failed fourth-down run, the TV mics picked up Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo calling out, "Inside zone this way!" He was right, and the Eagles stopped Josh Jacobs behind the line of scrimmage.
It's also notable that, with the game on the line, LaFleur had Jacobs run behind Jordan Morgan and Luke Musgrave. Talk about setting yourself up for failure.
When LaFleur (rarely) trusted his quarterback, Love delivered. He hit Bo Melton on a 2nd-and-7 in a clutch moment, and then found Dontayvion Wicks on a crucial 3rd-and-8. Love led an 11-play touchdown drive to pull the Packers back into the game. On the next drive, he connected with Christian Watson for 25 yards on 3rd-and-10. Another big-time moment.
LaFleur doesn't have it easy. Defenses are begging the Packers to run the football, and he is trying his best to take advantage. Giving up on the ground game isn't the answer, either. But to remain as run-heavy as they are when it's clearly not working? That's a problem.
The Packers have lost three games this season. In each, they have allowed no more than 16 points. Until LaFleur hands the keys to Love, they will keep getting the same offensive results.
Perhaps being more aggressive with Love isn't the answer. That could fail, too, and LaFleur may be right.
But the reluctance to at least attempt to put the offense in the hands of his $220 million quarterback says it all.