DENVER — The pass sailed through the Rocky Mountain twilight, a mile high and steeped in high-minded significance. This was Jordan Love going up top to Christian Watson for what looked to be a knockout blow to the Denver Broncos, but really, it was Matt LaFleur channeling his inner Tommy Shelby, conjuring a “Peaky Blinders”-style takedown of his detractors while coldly reminding them who’s in charge.
Two minutes into the second half of Sunday’s game at Empower Field, with the Green Bay Packers up 23-14, LaFleur met the moment. Correctly guessing that the Broncos would be in “quarters” coverage, with four defensive backs splitting the deep end of the secondary, the seventh-year coach went for the jackpot, making a daring call that belied his reputation.
LaFleur’s heart raced as Watson sped down the left hashmark with only grass ahead of him. Love’s pass traveled 52 yards in the air and seemed headed for Watson’s grasp. And then everything — Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, Watson’s exposed torso and, eventually, the Packers’ plausible path to the Super Bowl — came crashing down hard.
The nightmare that unfolded over the next 90 minutes, which included an apparent season-ending knee injury to star edge rusher Micah Parsons, was, as one of LaFleur’s assistant coaches would later elegantly describe it, “a straight-up d— punch.”
Now the man calling the shots must fight his way out of this predicament, or, as improbable as it sounds, he could be ushered out of Titletown.
Six months ago, incoming team president Ed Policy told reporters he would assess LaFleur’s status after the current campaign, setting up a scenario in which the coach (whose deal runs through the 2026 season) will either receive an extension or a pink slip. Five weeks ago, after a dispiriting defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, LaFleur fielded a postgame question about his job security, saying, “I’ll leave that for everybody else to decide.”
The Packers (9-4-1) proceeded to win their next four games and, on Sunday, looked poised to take down the Broncos (12-2), who hadn’t lost since September. Instead, Denver scored a signature victory, bolstered the league’s best record and sent Green Bay into next Saturday’s road showdown with the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears (10-4) in a fragile state.
By the time LaFleur prepared to leave the stadium Sunday night, his eyes were glassy and his world had been rocked. In addition to losing Watson, who was taken to a local hospital after suffering a chest injury on Surtain’s leaping interception, the Packers endured an even more devastating blow when Parsons crumpled to the ground after planting his left leg on a pass rush late in the third quarter.
“A double whammy,” LaFleur said as he packed up his belongings in his private dressing area near the entrance to the Packers’ locker room. “But no one’s gonna feel sorry for us.”
The Packers also lost the game, 34-26, and their hold on first place in the NFC North. And LaFleur, who has coached more aggressively as of late, lost a golden opportunity to quiet the noise surrounding his status.
Barring a complete collapse, LaFleur, who has a .671 career winning percentage, is likely headed for his sixth playoff appearance in seven seasons. In that context, the idea of him losing his job — even if the Packers put forth an underwhelming postseason performance — seems hard to fathom.
“That’s crazy,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said as he walked to his car more than an hour and a half after Sunday’s game. “Just look at his winning percentage. I think he’s really good.”
The talk about LaFleur’s job security has also infiltrated the Packers’ locker room.
“I don’t understand why he gets the flak he does,” said running back Josh Jacobs, whose second touchdown, a 40-yard burst through the Denver secondary a minute into the second half, gave Green Bay its 23-14 lead. “People want him to be perfect. It’s wild to me. He has a great record. But that’s the world we live in.”
The building LaFleur works in, Lambeau Field, is unique: The team is a publicly owned corporation, with high standards and a long history of success. In the NFL, anytime there is a change at the highest levels of leadership, the head coach’s position becomes a bit more tenuous. It was a bit surprising that Policy, who last summer succeeded Mark Murphy as the Packers’ de facto owner, was willing to make any public comment on LaFleur’s contract situation. Though it may not have been his intent, Policy’s statement necessarily ramped up the pressure on LaFleur.
LaFleur’s ability to guide the Packers through a quarterbacking transition from four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers to the previously untested Love was a testament to his strategic acumen and leadership. If he were to lose his job and hit the open market, he’d likely attract interest from numerous teams seeking head coaches. However, his overarching goal is to bring a Lombardi Trophy to Titletown, something that last occurred 15 seasons ago.
The blockbuster trade for Parsons fueled the Super Bowl fever that has swept Green Bay since the Packers’ season-opening victory over the Detroit Lions. On Sunday’s sixth snap from scrimmage, Parsons made yet another massive play, prying the football from rookie running back RJ Harvey near midfield to set up the Packers’ first scoring drive. Almost certainly, the next turnover Parsons forces will come in 2026.
He may find inspiration from Watson, whose recent return from the torn ACL he suffered on Jan. 5 revitalized a Packers offense that had sputtered after tight end Tucker Kraft suffered a season-ending torn ACL in early November.
It made perfect sense in Sunday’s third quarter that when LaFleur decided to dial up a dagger, Watson, who’d scored five touchdowns during the Pack’s four-game winning streak, was the obvious target.
“We got exactly what we wanted,” LaFleur said of the quarters coverage. “I don’t know what happened up front; they got pressure (on Love). But he got it off, and it was right there — and then then the guy (Surtain) made a f—– play. That’s what great corners do.”
It was the first interception of the season for Surtain, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and it started the surreal stretch that left the Packers and their coach stunned at their misfortune. In the locker room afterward, there were expressions of defiance, yet there were also moments of sober introspection.
“Honestly, I know it might not have anything to do with me, but my guy (Eyioma Uwazurike) hit the quarterback on that play,” left guard Aaron Banks said. “If he hadn’t, maybe it would have played out differently, and (Watson) wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
Jacobs, who also made a terrific 14-yard touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone while being shadowed by Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw, acknowledged the pain of losing Watson and Parsons but insisted the Packers remain capable of making a run.
“I know we have a lot of guys in here who are eager to make a name for themselves,” Jacobs said. “Well, this is their chance. It’s a unique opportunity, for them and for all of us. Our mentality is to keep swinging.”
As LaFleur left the locker room and walked slowly toward the team buses, he still looked a bit shellshocked. Eventually, as he assessed the situation and acknowledged the stakes, his glare became steely, and his inner Tommy Shelby resurfaced.
“We will keep swinging,” he said softly. “We have no other choice.”
