Packers coach Matt LaFleur on the Browns defense, Joe Flacco
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur talks about his team preparing for the Cleveland Browns, with a top-ranked defense and veteran QB Joe Flacco.
GREEN BAY – As the Green Bay Packers prepare for their first road trip this season at the Cleveland Browns, coach Matt LaFleur spoke with the media. Here are some quick highlights:
Matt LaFleur says stingy Browns defense presents more challenges than just Myles Garrett
The Packers will have their hands full with edge rusher Myles Garrett. A four-time All-Pro, Garrett is among the few NFL defenders whose disruption can be legitimately compared to Micah Parsons’.
But LaFleur made clear his offense will need to handle more than one player from a Browns defense that leads the league in allowing only 191.5 yards per game through two weeks.
“I think a lot of it starts with their front,” LaFleur said, “and it’s not just Myles. We all know what kind of player Myles Garrett is, but they’ve got a lot of guys. They’re a hard-penetrating front that causes a lot of problems for quarterbacks. I think that allows the DBs to kind of tee off on some things, but they also play aggressive man coverage too. So it’s a really well-coached unit, and we’re going to have to have our best game offensively.”
The Browns added to their defense during the offseason by drafting defensive tackle Mason Graham with the fifth overall pick. Linebacker Devin Bush, the 10th overall pick in 2019, already has three defended passes while cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II are a solid battery in the secondary.
But it’s the Browns’ defensive front that has especially impressed. The Packers defense ranks second in the NFL in stopping the run this season, behind only Cleveland. They’re the only two defenses that allowed fewer than 100 total rushing yards in the first two games.
“I would say there’s similarities in regards to how hard both units play and the style of play,” LaFleur said. “There’s definitely some different things from a front structure and just how these guys are an attack front, they’re going to cause a lot of penetration up front, and they’re going to try to get eight guys in the box. There’s been a lot of ugly runs on tape when going against this defense.”
Browns quarterback Joe Flacco keeps slinging it
More than a decade after winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, Joe Flacco doesn’t have the same zip he once did. LaFleur still sees a quarterback capable of winning games in the NFL.
“The guy is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback,” LaFleur said. “He worked with my brother a little bit with the Jets, and Mike (LaFleur) just raves about the person. He’s one of the purest throwers I’ve ever seen on tape, and obviously I’ve gone against him a few times. You’ve got to be really dialed in in terms of your coverage. Because it’s going to be tough to fool him. There’s nothing that he hasn’t seen.”
Flacco’s mobility, never a strength in his game, has certainly diminished in his age-40 season. That should be advantageous for the Packers’ ferocious pass rush.
“I think a big key is just going to be able to get him off the spot, get pressure to him,” LaFleur said. “I always tell our guys, whether it’s our quarterback or anybody else, it’s hard to throw from your back. I think that’s going to be critical, but he can make every throw. He’s super intelligent, he throws on time, the ball is going to come out of his hand.”
Packers injury updates
Right tackle Zach Tom and left guard Aaron Banks will be limited in practice. Both missed last week’s game against the Washington Commanders with injuries.
When receiver Jayden Reed had surgery for his broken collarbone this week, he also had a Jones fracture in his foot repaired. LaFleur said he does not expect the additional foot surgery to alter Reed’s return to the field, which is expected to be late this season. “I think it will actually help him in the long run,” LaFleur said.
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