Green Bay Packers 35, Houston Texans 20
MATT LeFLEUR: Start out saying it's always awesome to bounce back after the game that we had the previous week. Really proud of our guys effort, just how they brought it each and every day. We had a lot of guys out in this game and we had a lot of guys step up and so that's always awesome to see guys getting opportunities and maximizing those opportunities, and also, it's always fun to come into, you know, another team's stadium and the support that we had from our fans, it was unbelievable. There was a lot of go pat go chants and that really -- I think that provided us with a lot of energy. Big shout-out and thank you to all the Packer fans out there.
Q. I don't know if there are many teams who can lose their star running back and not experience much of a drop-of, but what did you think of Jamaal was able to do, and does today show how much value he is to this team?
MATT LeFLEUR: Oh, Jamaal is a starter in our mind, and we feel like we have two of them. We feel like we have a great young talent in AJ Dillon. We are really fortunate to have three guys that are capable of carrying the load, and Jamaal does so much from not only, obviously, as a runner, but in the passing game, whether it's going out of the backfield, catching balls and in protection, he's always consistent and we know we can always count on him.
Q. When you were preparing for the week, what kind of coverage were you getting or anticipating for Davante Adams and what did you get as the game went on that he was so wide open?
MATT LeFLEUR: Well, we knew that this is a man coverage team primarily and that they were going to mix in quarters, they were going to play some two-safety defense, some Cover 2, and you know, we have answers for all those things.
The one thing that I'll say is when Davante got those one-on-one ops, we made the most of them and that's a credit to the other ten guys on the field. First of all it starts with him making sure he beats his man at the line of scrimmage but I can't say enough about our pass protection and then our quarterbacks ability to throw great balls and hang in there against some tough looks.
It was a complete team effort.
Q. Can you just talk about what the defense gave you in the second half, the offense starts to scuffle a little bit and the defense is in some tough spots but two red zone spots and the fourth down stop, just how important those sequences were?
MATT LeFLEUR: Yeah, because a lot of times that can come back and bite you, and certainly we had our own struggles on offense, we had four three-and-outs on the day, three of them consecutively in the second half. A lot of times, that will come back and bite you, but our defense rose to the occasion and made the most of it. We're really fortunate that those guys were able to come through for us.
Q. I know they weren't big yardage plays, but Malik and Jace both finding the end zone. How did those two plays develop and what's your confidence level in guys like that that maybe don't get opportunities but then get one and take advantage of it.
MATT LeFLEUR: Yeah, it's just encouraging to see that, you know, you can put a little something on those guys' place and they come through for you when you need them. So it was awesome to see those guys score their first touchdowns, and you know -- but again, it takes everybody, and that's a credit to our quarterback and the guys up front for making stuff happen.
And those throws that he had on those two plays were unbelievable.
Q. Early in the third quarter after Houston scored, Aaron has Davante open on a crossing route for what looks like a big gain and he misses them and the next play comes back to Adams for that long touchdown. Is that a low and a high that you guys feel at the time or is that just in the flow of it and just kind of a nothing moment?
MATT LeFLEUR: Yeah, you know, you've got to have a quick memory in this game. Not every play is going to be great and you're going to miss some throws and guys may drop some balls or have some missed assignments. You've just got to move on to the next play. You've got to hit the reset button after every play and we were fortunate that those guys were able to do that.
Q. You inherited a Rogers/Adams connection that had been awfully good. Can you talk about, though, how important it was to develop that even further? This is the second game and he's got double digits, nearly 200 yards. Pretty powerful combination there.
MATT LeFLEUR: Yeah, no doubt about it and again that's just a credit to all those guys. Obviously they have got great chemistry and have been playing together for a long time.
You know, some of those were just a credit to Aaron seeing some stuff out there. I can think of one in the second half where we had a third down call where that wasn't necessarily the route called, and he looked over and saw Davante one-on-one and gave him a go route and same with the long touchdown pass. He was supposed to run a corner route, and Aaron took advantage of the look and checked the play.
So we're so fortunate to have a quarterback that's capable of seeing those mismatches and then taking advantage of them.
Q. You mentioned the touchdowns by stern Berger and Taylor, but overall depth you showcased today, Henry Black making the forced fumble, Vernon Scott with the open-field tackle. What did this game do to showcase what you have across the roster?
MATT LeFLEUR: I hope it trends upward for us in terms of the confidence that we have in those young guys that when we call their number is called, they are able to deliver for us. That's critical.
Q. Said earlier how awesome it is to bounce back after a game like last week. How important to make sure that game isn't an anomaly and play the way you played against a team that's had its struggles and what did you find out about your team today?
MATT LeFLEUR: I just think we're a resilient group. These guys rallied around each other and made plays when we needed them. We're going to have to continue that because, you know, there's so many uncertainties throughout the course of a season, whether guys are available or not. Injuries are part of the game and you have to have that next-man-up mentality, and we had a lot of guys just step up and they have been working hard. They have been working for those moments and it's just awesome to see when guys that put everything out there on a daily basis, and then have good things come to them, you know, that just -- it's a lot of fun to watch.
Q. What did you see on the special teams miscues, and then seeing the defense respond on a quick change like that?
MATT LeFLEUR: I'm going to have to go back and watch it because it's hard to see like the block punt, I couldn't see that. I know what happened on our right side, but in terms of what happened, I'm not quite sure, and then I could tell on the on side, it looked like one of our guys had an opportunity to recover the on side. We just didn't come through.
You know, there was a lot of good things on special teams. Obviously JK Scott did a great job punting the ball. But certainly there's a lot of room for improvement and it's not only on special teams; it's really on all three phases.
Q. I think you're six for six this year now scoring points on opening drives. Just how much time during the week do you spend on that and just how important has that been, really overall, in this 5-1 start?
MATT LeFLEUR: There's a lot of time that goes in throughout the course of a week on everything we do. I know putting the openers together, it is a tedious process, but it's really a credit to our players, you mean, because it didn't really matter what you call. It's their ability to go out there and execute the play that is called.
You know, not everything always happens the way you draw it up. We're lucky and fortunate that we have a lot of great players that are able to make plays when they present themselves.
Q. Davante said today what he said basically back in week one; that before the game even started, he knew it was going to be a big day for him. Is that based on the game plan you put together or is that just his confidence, and if so, does that confidence radiate off of him for you as a play caller to notice that and want to call more plays for him?
MATT LeFLEUR: I think, again, it came down to, No. 1, Aaron getting us in the right plays, and then just their ability and everybody around them to go execute their jobs, because they can't get it done by themselves. It takes everyone and I can't say enough about just what a job our offensive line did. They have got one of the premiere near defensive players to ever play the game on the other side, and we know that he's capable of wrecking a game and we didn't want that to happen.
So it was awesome to see guys like Wagner and Turner and then the other three guys, Corey, Lucas and Elton just come through for us.
Q. I'm not sure I've heard a team be so candid after a down week of practice as you guys after the Tampa week. How different was this week? Was there a time this week that it became apparent that it was a different week and how gratifying to see it translate on to the field with how sharp you guys were today?
MATT LeFLEUR: I personally think there was probably a little too much played into the whole practice thing. Obviously we know our preparation is paramount. We have got to be locked in and ready to go, and the energy and just the focus has to be there on a daily basis, no doubt about it. But like I said earlier last week, I've been a part of teams where you've had weeks of practice, and you go out and play well. I think it's just -- there's so many variables. It's from just us as coaches putting together a good plan, and then it's, you know, like I said, the energy and focus and the ability to go out there and execute.
I don't want to put too much focus on it. Again that's something we talk about practice preparation equals game reality. Our guys were dialed in all week long. I think this team is a lot better than what their record states. They have played a lot of tough teams and they have come up just short in a lot of games.
It's crazy when you come out of a game when you win 35-20 and we know that there's so much more to improve upon, really, in all three phases. It's a credit to our players and we know that we are going to have to get back to the drawing board once we put this game to bed tomorrow against a really tough opponent in the Minnesota Vikings.
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