For a head coach who preaches "all gas, no (expletive) brake," we sure hadn't seen much of that attitude from Matt LaFleur earlier this season. That changed in Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The Green Bay Packers left it late to take down the struggling Cardinals, but the win hinged on a gutsy fourth-down call late in the contest. Facing a 4th-and-2 from the Arizona 29, in range to hit a game-tying field goal, LaFleur changed his mind, withdrew the kicking unit, and sent Jordan Love back onto the field.
Love found tight end Tucker Kraft for 15 yards, and Josh Jacobs powered into the end zone for the game-winning score moments later. After the game, LaFleur delivered an epic explanation for his bold decision.
"When our quarterback's coming off and I can see the disdain on his face," said LaFleur. "I looked up at the clock, saw how much time was left. It wasn't by any means a chip shot, although Lucas (Havrisik) has come in and done a hell of a job. It's just one of those deals where it's like, no matter what we call, this guy's going to make it work. That's exactly what happened."
Matt LaFleur believed in (Jordan) Love on crucial fourth-down call that won the game
LaFleur would've been justified in believing in his kicker. Lucas Havrisik hasn't missed a kick since signing to cover for the injured Brandon McManus, and he hit a franchise-record 61-yard field goal on Sunday.
Still, the right call was to play for the win. A tied game would've given Arizona more than enough time to control the clock and move into field-goal range — Green Bay only had one timeout remaining.
Sometimes, you have to risk losing to take a shot at winning. That's what LaFleur did.
As the Packers are learning as this season goes on, good things happen when you put the ball in Love's hands. The Packers converted twice on fourth down, both coming from the right arm of Love.
On the first, he hit Matthew Golden on the money for an eight-yard gain to convert on 4th-and-2. A beauty. His second won the game. Love found Kraft for 15, justifying his coach's decision. It forced the Cardinals to drive the length of the field to score a touchdown and allowed the pass rush to tee off and create chaos.
The performance didn't come without problems, particularly in the secondary, but the Packers found a way. This was a clear example of hitting the gas and playing to win.
Let this game serve as a reminder of how to do it. It's the approach LaFleur must take when the games truly count.