Matt LaFleur is stepping into an interesting situation in his first gig as a head coach.The new Green Bay Packers boss (well
Clay Matthews Jersey , not official as we write this, but soon enough), inherits one of the best quarterbacks in the game (when healthy) in Aaron Rodgers, a Pro
Bowl receiver in Davante Adams and a young, up-and-coming defense.More Packers
coverage from FOX Sports WisconsinGreen Bay Packers 2019 NFL draft
capsulesPackers close out 2019 draft, select LB Summers in seventh roundPackers
add CB Hollman
Mike Daniels Jersey , RB Williams in sixth roundPackers address defense in fifth round, select DL Kingsley KekePackers use third-round pick to select TE Jace
SternbergerBut also a Packers team which has missed the postseason the past two
seasons and fan base hungry for a return and not thrilled at the prospect of a
third straight year without a rooting interest in the playoffs (that is, beyond
rooting against Chicago or Minnesota).To do so, LaFleur will be going against
Packers history.No first-year Green Bay head coach has led the team to the
playoffs in his initial year at the helm. As in ever. Not Curly Lambeau. Not
Vince Lombardi. Not Mike Holmgren. No one.Interestingly, only five had a better
record in his first season with the Packers than the previous season, and two of
those just meant getting three and four wins that initial year.
However
Jaire Alexander Jersey , each of the past two Green Bay head coaches did improve the team’s record in his first year.PACKERS HEAD COACHES, FIRST
YEARCOACHYEARPREV1ST YROVERALLPLAYOFFSCurly Lambeau1921n/a3-2-1209-104-218*Gene
Ronzani19502-103-914-31-10Lisle Blackbourn19542-9-14-817-310Ray
McLean19584-81-10-11-10-10Vince Lombardi19591-10-17-589-29-46Phil
Bengston19689-4-16-7-120-21-10Dan Devine19716-84-8-225-27-41Bart
Starr19756-84-1052-76-31Forrest Gregg19848-88-825-37-10Lindy
Infante19885-9-14-1224-400Mike Holmgren19929-79-775-376Ray
Rhodes199911-58-88-80Mike Sherman20008-89-757-394Mike
McCarthy20064-128-8125-77-29* – Includes championships won before there was a
playoff systemOf course, none of this means LaFleur can’t lead the Packers to
the playoffs in 2019. A look around at the current NFL coaches shows that while
it’s not common for a first-year head coach to lead his team to the postseason,
it isn’t like it’s never happened.Two coaches who were in their first year this
season led their team to the playoffs. The same in 2017. Others have led their
team to the playoffs in subsequent seasons (probably one reason they are still
head coaches in the NFL; we aren’t including those fired after the 2018
season).Keep in mind that, of course, circumstances can help or hurt a
first-year coach. For example
Kingsley Keke Green Bay Packers Jersey , Drew Brees joined the Saints in 2006 and Andrew Luck was healthy in 2018 after missing all of the previous season, while
on the flip side Jon Gruden and the Raiders dealt away some key players this
year.But — and good news here, Packers fans — generally speaking teams improved
in the first year under the active head coaches. OK, not Bill Belichick, but we
think things have still turned out pretty well for New England.CURRENT NFL HEAD
COACHES, FIRST YEAR WITH TEAMCOACHTEAMYEARPREV1ST YRBill
BelichickPatriots20009-7*8-8Sean PaytonSaints20063-1310-6*Mike
TomlinSteelers20078-810-6*John HarbaughRavens20085-1111-5*Pete
CarrollSeahawks20105-117-9Jason Garrett**Cowboys20116-108-8Ron
RiveraPanthers20112-146-10Andy ReidChiefs20132-1411-5*Bll
O’BrienTexans20142-149-7Jay GrudenRedskins20143-134-12Mike
ZimmerVikings20145-10-17-9Dan QuinnFalcons20156-108-8Doug
PedersonEagles20167-97-9Sean McDermottBills20177-99-7*Doug
Marrone***Jaguars20173-1310-6*Anthony LynnChargers20175-119-7Sean
McVayRams20174-1211-5*Kyle Shanahan49ers20172-146-10Frank
ReichColts20184-1210-6*Mike VrabelTitans20189-7*9-7Jon
GrudenRaiders20186-104-12Pat ShurmurGiants20183-135-11Matt
NagyBears20185-1112-4*Matt PatriciaLions20189-76-10* — Made playoffs** — Garrett
took over as interim coach midway through the 2010 season and went 5-3. He had
the interim tag taken away after the season.*** — Marrone took over in the final
two games of the 2016 season and went 1-1. He had the interim tag taken away
after the season. Clay Matthews left a strong impression on Los Angeles Rams
head coach Sean McVay the last time he saw him in person on a football
field.While 2018 was a disappointing year for Matthews overall
Kingsley Keke Jersey 2019 , his best game of the season arguably came against McVay and the Rams in October. Matthews notched a season-high seven tackles and
recorded one of his 3.5 sacks on the season. Matthews may be set to enter his
11th season in the NFL, but the prospect of having Matthews a part of a Wade
Phillips defense has McVay eager to get started.“We saw a lot of good stuff when
we saw him last year and I’ve always respected his game from afar when you’ve
coached against him,” McVay told reporters this week at the coaches’ breakfast
at the league meetings. “So when you’re able to add two players like he and Eric
Weddle – veteran players that are about the right stuff, being out in L.A. it’s
a good deal to be able to get Clay back home.”Specifically, it’s Matthews’
versatility that McVay is most excited to see join his team.“He brings a veteran
presence that has a lot of versatility to his skill set,” McVay said. “And when
you look at it from an offensive standpoint when you think about the guys that
can do a lot of different things that pose problems to a defense he does the
same thing to offenses. He can rush the passer he can play in coverage. You can
move him all over the place. So I think versatile players that are smart that
have the ability to have production in a lot of ways they give you a lot of
different things they can do defensively.”Matthews thought the fit with the Rams
would be ideal for him as well. He’ll get a chance to pair with Dante
Fowler
Color Rush Kingsley Keke Jersey , Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald on the Rams defensive line.
