GREEN BAY — After a costly loss that exposed uncomfortable cracks late in the season, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur stepped in front of the microphones and made one thing clear: the blame starts with him.
The Packers’ 34–26 loss to the Denver Broncos was more than just another mark in the loss column. It was a missed opportunity — one that stalled momentum, tightened the playoff picture, and raised questions about Green Bay’s ability to finish games against hungry opponents.
And while it would have been easy to point fingers — at execution, missed chances, or situational breakdowns — LaFleur didn’t allow the narrative to drift.
“This One’s on Me”
From his opening remarks, LaFleur didn’t deflect.
“I’m the head coach, so this falls on me,” he said. “When you put yourself in position to control a game and don’t close it out, that’s preparation, that’s adjustments, that’s situational football. And that starts with me.”
Denver capitalized on key moments, while Green Bay struggled to respond when the game tightened. As questions turned toward quarterback play and late-game decision-making, LaFleur quickly shut down any attempt to single out individuals.
“We don’t lose a game like this because of one guy,” LaFleur said. “That’s not how football works. We all had chances to change the outcome, and collectively, we didn’t do enough.”
Protecting His Quarterback, Setting the Standard
LaFleur was particularly firm in defending his quarterback, emphasizing composure and leadership even in defeat.
“I saw a quarterback competing until the final whistle,” he said. “He made plays, he took hits, he stayed aggressive. Are there things we need to clean up? Absolutely. But I’m not going to hang this loss on him.”
The message was clear: the standard is higher, and meeting it requires more than flashes — it requires consistency.
“We showed stretches where we played Packers football,” LaFleur added. “But against a team like Denver, you can’t let up. When you do, they make you pay.”
A Team-Wide Accountability Check
LaFleur didn’t limit his criticism to one phase of the game.
“Defensively, we didn’t get off the field when we needed to,” he said. “Offensively, we didn’t sustain drives. Special teams didn’t flip the field the way we expect. That’s complementary football, and we didn’t play it well enough.”
Rather than shielding the locker room, LaFleur challenged it — players and coaches alike — while refusing to create a scapegoat.
“We win together, and we lose together,” he said. “That’s not coach speak. That’s reality.”
A Message to Packers Fans
LaFleur also acknowledged the frustration surrounding the loss, especially from a fanbase accustomed to postseason expectations.
“I understand the disappointment,” he said. “When you know what this team is capable of and you don’t see it for four full quarters, that’s frustrating — for fans and for everyone in that locker room.”
But he quickly pivoted toward perspective.
“This group is still building,” LaFleur continued. “There’s belief in that locker room. There’s fight. But belief alone doesn’t win games — execution does. And that’s where we have to grow.”
Turning a Setback Into a Test
The loss to Denver will linger — not just because of the score, but because of what was at stake. A chance to solidify positioning. A chance to show maturity. A chance to take control.
Instead, it became a reminder of how thin the margins remain.
For Green Bay, the standings will tighten. The noise will grow louder. Every snap will matter more.
But if LaFleur’s message resonates, this loss won’t define the Packers.
It will challenge them.
And whether they respond with urgency — or allow frustration to spiral — may ultimately decide how their season is remembered.
49ers legends Jerry Rice and Steve Young to coach 2026 Pro Bowl Games
NEW YORK — The NFL announced today that Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Steve Young will be the head coaches for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games powered by Verizon. Rice will coach the NFC while Young will lead the AFC.
For the first time, the 2026 Pro Bowl Games powered by Verizon will move to Super Bowl LX Week in the San Francisco Bay Area. The event brings the league’s top players together for an AFC vs. NFC flag football showdown, which will preview the elite athleticism and competition of the sport ahead of its LA28 Olympics debut.
The revamped programming gives the league’s best athletes an opportunity to compete during the NFL’s biggest week of the year, surrounded by their families, friends, and select fans, and provides all fans with a must-see TV event that helps culminate the end of the season.
The televised event will air live from San Francisco’s Moscone Center South Building on Tuesday, Feb. 3, which will be transformed into a dynamic flag football arena. Coverage of the Pro Bowl Games powered by Verizon will begin on ESPN starting at 6:30 p.m. ET with the flag game at 8 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN, Disney XD and ESPN Deportes.
Rice, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2010, is the most prolific wide receiver in NFL history, holding regular season records in receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895), touchdown receptions (197), scrimmage yards (23,540) and total touchdowns (208). He also holds multiple playoff records, including receiving yards (2,245) and touchdown receptions (22), including an NFL history-leading eight touchdown receptions in four Super Bowl appearances.
Rice, a three-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl XXIII MVP, was selected to 13 Pro Bowls in 20 career seasons, earned 10 first-team All-Pro selections, was named Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year twice (1987 and 1993) and is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Teams of the 1980s and 1990s, and the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams.
Young, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2005, led the league in passer rating six times and was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, earned three first-team All-Pro honors and was twice named Associated Press Most Valuable Player (1992 and 1994). A three-time Super Bowl champion, Young earned Super Bowl XXIX MVP honors with a Super Bowl-record six touchdown passes.
Also known for his dynamic running ability, Young finished his career with 4,239 rushing yards and 43 rushing touchdowns, both the second-most by a quarterback all-time at the time of his retirement. Additionally, Young helps coach varsity girls high school flag football at Menlo School in Northern California, where both of his daughters played. In October, the San Francisco 49ers Foundation announced Young as the organization’s Honorary Captain of Girls Flag Football, alongside the launch of a new initiative, “Football Is Made for Girls.”