The Green Bay Packers' path to a division title was always an uphill battle. Playing in the toughest division in football is the absolute worst, and even a win in Detroit on Thursday night wouldn't have been enough to *truly* put them back in the division title conversation (though it obviously sure would have helped).
But, you know, they lost. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. Maybe now Packers fans can now have some peace of mind in just figuring out how Wild Card Weekend is going to play out?
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And Wild Card Weekend is notoriously never stressful? After the Packers' 34-31 loss on Thursday night, it seems pretty clear that the road to the Super Bowl is going to go through Detroit, which was exactly the message that Matt LaFleur told his players after the game.
Matt LaFleur's message to the Packers after Week 14 loss is short and sweet
Matt LaFleur with Larry McCarren: "Now we've got to earn the right to come back here."
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) December 6, 2024
A mantra! The Packers are back! I'd argue that this is maybe even better than actually winning the game. Now the Packers have a slogan. Hopefully, LaFleur left some money in the ceiling of the coaches' locker room, so he can come back and get it in late January.
This is what good coaching is all about – LaFleur's got the Packers on a mission now. Once the Packers simply earn the right to play in Detroit, things will definitely go differently.
Now the Packers get a little mini bye week before they start earning that right over the final month with games against the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. And while all this new straightforward motivation is nice, ideally, this is the last time Matt LaFleur has to send a clear message.
One is fine with me.