Examining Matt LaFleur’s Job Security and the Rams’ Panic Meter

Gilberto Manzano’s Fact or Fiction looks at Green Bay losing another double-digit lead and who really has the NFL’s best defense.

The Packers and head coach Matt LaFleur failed to hold a double-digit lead for the third consecutive game on Sunday, losing to the Vikings. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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1. It’s too soon to panic about the Rams after Myles Garrett’s injury 
2. Vikings will eventually struggle if Kyler Murray misses more time 
3. Calling for Matt LaFleur’s job in Green Bay is premature 
4. Texans’ defense is still the league’s best despite Week 1 letdown 

The Rams may have found something better than a “Friday news dump” after reports emerged of Myles Garrett heading to injured reserve minutes before the first Sunday of the NFL season officially kicked off. 

Finding a clever way to draw less attention to the latest bad news in Los Angeles was probably the one decision the Rams got right in a dreadful first week, which started with the team arriving in Australia less than 36 hours before being crushed by the 49ers, 27–7. 

Packers coach Matt LaFleur might know what his good friend Sean McVay is going through after ending last season and starting this season with inexplicable meltdowns against NFC North rivals. Green Bay blew a double-digit lead against Minnesota on Sunday, which resembled the wild-card collapse in Chicago. 

It was a dreadful start for LaFleur and McVay, but the demise of their respective teams might be a Week 1 overreaction. Don’t fall for the lies that tend to materialize from the first week of the regular season. 

Let’s take a look at where the Rams and Packers go from here for this week’s NFL Fact or Fiction. Don’t worry, Vikings and Seahawks. We haven’t forgotten about you. 

It’s too soon to panic about the Rams after Myles Garrett’s injury 

It’s gotten really bad, really early for the heavy preseason Super Bowl favorites. However, now is not the time to panic for Rams fans and those who picked this stacked team to win it all this season. 

Quite frankly, the Rams shouldn’t even consider bringing back Garrett from injured reserve until after their Week 11 bye. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was brought in to win a Lombardi Trophy, not pad regular-season stats. L.A. needs to ensure his knee is at full strength for when it matters most.

And the Rams should also be extremely cautious with Aaron Donald, who hasn’t played in two seasons and is still getting acclimated after signing with the team two weeks ago. It seems McVay got the wake-up call to play it safe with his aging star players because he hasn’t committed to Donald returning on Monday night against the Giants.

Let’s not forget that this team made the NFC title game without Garrett and Donald last season. Yes, they had Jared Verse, who went to Cleveland in the trade for Garrett, but the Rams signed cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and have a breakout candidate in second-year edge rusher Josaiah Stewart. 

L.A. should prioritize building a better game plan for its secondary and offensive lines because both units got picked on in Australia. Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staff ran circles around McVay’s group. Still, the Rams have a ton of talent to right the ship even if Garrett and Donald aren’t around for another month. 

Don’t shred those Rams futures bets just yet, or at least wait to see what they do in Week 2 against the Giants, which is now suddenly a highly intriguing game. 

Manzano’s view: Fact

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Vikings backup quarterback Carson Wentz stepped in for Kyler Murray after Murray sustained a concussion in the first quarter of Minnesota's win over Green Bay on Sunday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Vikings will eventually struggle if Kyler Murray misses more time 

I’m still having trouble figuring out how the Vikings-Packers game flipped so quickly. It went from the Packers leading by 12 points late in the third quarter to the Carson Wentz–led Vikings ending the game with 29 unanswered points to make one of the biggest statements of Week 1.

The simple answer to the drastic momentum shift is that Minnesota had Justin Jefferson on the field and Brian Flores guiding the defense from the sideline. But coach Kevin O’Connell should also be praised after he was criticized last year over the handling of the quarterback position. It seemed O’Connell learned from last year’s mistakes, and that could explain why he opted to go with Wentz over J.J. McCarthy as Murray’s backup heading into the season. 

Wentz had his lows last year, but his many years of experience made for a better option over McCarthy, who hasn’t shown he can be trusted as a starter or as a backup. When Murray went out on Sunday, there didn’t appear to be a “here we go again” feeling from the Vikings. 

Let’s give credit to O’Connell for having a better backup plan in case his Week 1 starter got hurt again. (While Wentz also started last season as the No. 2 QB on the roster, he wasn’t signed until Aug. 24—after training camp and the preseason. This year he served as a much more suitable backup option, especially early in the season.) Last year, the team was too invested in McCarthy, the 2024 first-rounder, and didn’t really consider the option of him not being ready to play or that he could miss time. 

This time around, everyone was well prepared for things not going according to plan. The Vikings should be fine if Murray misses more time while in the concussion protocol. 

Manzano’s view: Fiction 

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Calling for Matt LaFleur’s job in Green Bay is premature 

As for the other side of that chaotic NFC North battle, LaFleur’s coaching seat is heating up after Sunday’s meltdown, the latest in a series of Packers collapses. 

However, it’s way too early—at least in the season—to discuss whether it’s time for the Packers to move on from their coach, who is now in his eighth season in Green Bay. The organization chose to move forward with LaFleur despite last year’s disappointing results, which began with hopes of winning a Super Bowl after the trade for Micah Parsons. Now, the team needs to see it through for another season, even though I’m sure the fan base is low on patience. Green Bay has held double-digit leads in three consecutive games dating back to last season, all of which they ultimately lost, including last year’s wild-card collapse to the Bears and Sunday’s defeat to the Vikings.

It’s fair to say both sides could benefit from a change. It seems the Ravens and John Harbaugh have after their breakup. LaFleur has won enough to avoid being fired midseason, but the pressure is mounting, and it doesn’t help that Chicago opened by dropping 59 points in Carolina. 

Manzano’s view: Fact

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Houston's defense, led by edge rusher Danielle Hunter (55) and Will Anderson Jr., gave up 409 totals yards to the Bills in the Texans' loss on Sunday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texans’ defense is still the league’s best despite Week 1 letdown 

The Seahawks won the Super Bowl, but for whatever reason, the spotlight rarely shines on the team from the Pacific Northwest. 

The Rams stole the bulk of the headlines in the offseason, even though they lost to the Seahawks in the NFC title game. Seattle can’t even hold the title of being the league’s best defense. Most of the offseason attention was on Houston’s stout unit. (Yes, I know we deserve some blame for that.) 

While I believe the Texans’ defense will be fine after a rare poor performance against the Bills, it’s time we keep the spotlight in Seattle and declare its defense the best in the league. The Seahawks have the hardware to back it up and delivered another stellar performance, stifling Drake Maye and the Patriots in the season opener.

Also, I’m starting to warm up to the “Dark Side Defense” nickname. This defense deserves more recognition. As for the Texans, they need to prove they can move past the divisional round before receiving more hype. 

Manzano’s view: Fiction

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