In football you either play all in or you play not to lose. I say you always play all in even when you are winning at the end of the game. That means on defense you play the defense you have been playing that got you the lead. You do not play prevent. You do not play safe. You go all in.

Its the same on offense. You do not go conservative. I will say you do not have to go for the big play but you do not go to a run-run-pass-punt offense either. If you are passing the ball effectively use it to set up the run. If you are running the ball effectively use it to set up the pass. Go with what got you there.

Yes you might have to tweak the game plan due to the other team making adjustments but do not ever go conservative. Foot on the gas and do not let up or use the brake.

Blaming the players is misplaced.
They were all trying their hardest (well, maybe not Gary…)
Love was great in those situations; it was other aspects that failed.

Your final line is ironic…” the mentality that when the opponent is down, the game is over” is what a player/coach would think if they are making excuses to let up!

La Fleur is the one who needs an attitude readjustment.

"Closing games starts with Jordan Love."

No. Closing games starts with Matt LaFleur. He famously said "All gas, no brakes", but really meant "All gas, hard on the brakes when the Packers get a lead". With a lead LaFleur gets conservative in his play calling and puts manacles on his offense and has done so during most of his gig as HC of the Packers. Until LaFleur changes, there is not much Jordan Love or the rest of the offense can do.

Closing out games begins with our Head Coach.

Thinking of my fellow Americans afflicted with explosive diarrhea.

The answer to the Packers closing problems isn't all that complicated. In the NFL, defense wins championships, and the Packers don't have a championship defense. That's been true since Reggie White left the building. .

This past years failure was a weird one, because Packers failed but yet no one is being blamed for the failure. In fact, we actually rewarded people on top of failing. But anyways, the reason Love is not respected outside of packers fans is because; In the regular season, other fans are watching their team play as well, but when it get to the playoffs when these other fans have no choice but to watch who is in, thats when they judge, and so far in the playoffs, Love or MLF havent done anything or always failed so others cant really see greatness when its always failure they see in the important moments.

Did we lose leads because our players gave up? I think this is one of the most ridiculous takes. Look at the loss in the playoffs. Love had the best stats/rating of any QB in that round. We paid for a bad offensive line and a toothless defensive front, combined with poor tactical choices. Of course those defects didn’t stop us building a lead that had to be over turned and yet here we are implying the players didn’t want it.

The reality as I see it is that, after 7 years of LaFleur, that I don’t ever see player effort as the critical problem and not was talent overall obviously deficient except maybe last year and perhaps in his first year. Mostly we have lost in games we ought to have won on paper. In the end, primarily for coaching blunders, game preparation and in game tactical reasons.

Even this year, we approach the season with a fair deal of optimism in many parts that our OL will be better, primarily because we now see Morgan, Belton and Rhyan as now having found their best positions despite at least 2 of the 3 having to find them without prior practice last year. If that’s true, looking at the players as a source of fault is totally indefensible. It’s also reminiscent of a major reason we failed the year before.

At some point the penny needs to drop to move forward. It seems to me there are a lot here abouts who absolutely refuse to see the patterns that repeat, including the author. LaFleur needs to change or we won’t. That includes his understanding of player dynamics, his level of aggression and his ability to adjust and manage not just his players but his coaches, generally and in game.

Yes, the Packers need to start playing to win, and when they are to not deviate unless the opponent changes approach. When an opponent does, as Chicago did in the playoffs, it’s usually a tactic one might have expected from the outset. Would it be too much to have a replanned tactical response?

To me that’s a basic requirement of competency in a Head Coach. For that matter, when nothing is working initially, so is a plan B (think Browns for example). Sure, on any given day no tactics or tactical changes may work, but not having them certainly won’t work better, as we have long seen.

Either LaFleur has taken a very profound step as a leader or, by January, Policy’s “Frankly, the fact that I was being asked, is firing him even an option at that point? I was a little bit shocked by that” will be up there in ignominy with the “we are not idiots” statement of Murphy. I think the fall out will be even uglier and wide reaching though. Last chance saloon for the legend of coaching competence in Green Bay.

Putting the burden of blame on Love is only partially true. Because it begins with the playercaller- in this case LaFleur. How many times have we seen him stop what had been working, and once they get a decent lead.
How many times are we going to see another attempt at an end around on the opponent's 20-yard-line? Which never, ever works, except to make the opponents laugh and gain more confidence? How often will we continue to see the first two downs be runs up the middle, then let Love attempt a pass under increased pressure?
This happens repeatedly, but for some reason, MLF decides to keep doing what is not working, and hoping for different results. So games slip away, aggressive play is shelved for being more conservative, and the result is another loss, and another promise of "All gas no brakes" football.
Until the next game and lead.

EVERY YEAR THEY HIT A WALL WITH INJURIES AND CHANGES.
And if that isn't enough.
Most want to blame MLF for
a stale, complacent, and unhealthy environment.
Obviously; Being successful is No longer a given!

The mastering of a new updated defensive approach.
Has kept this team from stepping outside their comfort Zone
So staying in control, and hoping, is all what MLF could do.
Gambles come with regrets. And lack of respect.

Searching for the right talent will continue,
until the turn-over stops.
The only problem this team has is a
GM , who Loves a revolving door.

Good article, except for your closing line:

"It's about developing the mentality that when an opponent is down, the game is over."

I'll assume that mistake was intentionally ironic. Our HC has his team play like the game is over once we have a sizeable lead.

Instead, AGNFB means running up the score! That is NOT somehow a bad thing. 50 points or bust! Every week. 7 not 3. And NEVER 0 points from an offensive possession.

That has to be the mentality. And I'll guarantee many of our players have it.

I wonder why this article wasn't written last year when we were 9-3-1??

Oh, because after we lost Kraft, Jenkins, Tom, Parsons, and Wyatt we couldn't close? Is that why?

There is no denying the MLF has a touch of McCarthy in him, and that's why Rodgers was against both in games. Both were/are two-foot drivers, and Love doesn't have the demeanor to flip them off and step on the gas himself. Can he or can't he? That question will be debated a long time unless he does one of them. If he does, will he become hated as like Rodgers?

There we go... great article. Once the Packers get the upper hand, especially in the second half, close the game out and don't forget what got you there in the first place. Sometimes I think the problem is MLF with his desire to keep pounding the ball to shorten the game. Thich is fine if that is the strength of your offensive line. But if not, put the ball in Love's hands in the fourth quarter and let him move the chains--before it's desperation time!

This off season the Packers have changed members of the coaching staff , let players walk and added new players to their roster . The one constant is MLF again this season . True that this is a brand new season no looking back . But, if the patterns of the the last few seasons continue with late game collapses and poor game management ,etc then “ it is time “ to move on without our glorious leader .

Better O-Line will help us close.

We don’t need starters…..we NEED FINISHERS……..THATS IN ANY SPORT NEED TO FINISH …

LOMBARDI HAD GO TO PLAYS THAT WORKED…….THE ANDY RIEDS HAVE PLAYS THEY HAVENT RAN YET TO CLOSE.THAT WORK

I still remember love trying to throw a pass in play game vs Eagles and Brady said that pass had no chance…the receivers running routes you have to thread the needle and such a bad angle ….I believe he was throwing to Bo Melton in the end zone …..

You can’t have plays like that . Bad angles and bad throws with bad angles…..that’s pop warner 101

That’s on MLF

I agree with some that the Packers don't need talent.

Last year three things happened. One obvious is the major injuries that occurred. Second is conditioning. Line play faded in second half of games and season. Parsons hinted so. Third, is Lafluer. He got conservative and didn't respond fast enough to let teams back in games. Lafluer also had poor WR rotations in the second half of games. No way Williams and Heath/Melton should be in the game on critical series or plays in the second half of games.

The third one bothers me the most. Seems like every year Lafluer and Gute too sometimes had to adjust how they approached the season. Fix it this year! No excuses.