The Green Bay Packers entered Week 3 as a big favorite against the Cleveland Browns.
Not only did they fail to cover the spread, but they also lost outright.
That was a bit of a surprise, considering how well they had played in their first two games.
That’s why analyst Tom Oates put head coach Matt LaFleur on blast.
“So typical of a Matt LaFleur-coached team. Packers on a really nice run going into a game they should win and lay a colossal egg. What an unfocused, undisciplined performance. Fourteen penalties says it all,” Oates wrote on X.
So typical of a Matt LaFleur-coached team. #Packers on a really nice run going into a game they should win and lay a colossal egg. What an unfocused, undisciplined performance. Fourteen penalties says it all.
— Tom Oates (@TomOatesWSJ) September 21, 2025
Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz arguably outcoached LaFleur.
Nevertheless, the head coach wasn’t to blame for Jordan Love’s late-game interception.
Granted, 14 penalties are unacceptable, especially for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, and Lafleur needs to do a better job of holding everybody accountable and keeping his team disciplined and focused.
But it also feels like no one is giving the Browns enough credit for the way they played in the upset.
No team is as bad as it looks in its worst loss or as good as it looks in its most lopsided win.
The Packers are one of the best teams in the NFC, and that has a lot to do with LaFleur’s coaching.
Yet, standards are higher for any true contender.
So, as unfair and undeserving as it might be, LaFleur could be on the hot seat if the Packers don’t make a deep playoff run with all the talent they have.
