Lambeau leap: Brothers Mike LaFleur of Rams and Matt of Packers enemies for a day
The Green Bay Packers locker room was not a happy place after a defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2019 season’s NFC Championship game.
Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was the 49ers’ quarterbacks coach at the time, so he paid a visit to older brother Matt, the Packers’ head coach.
“He’s damn near in tears because he feels so bad for me,” Matt said Thursday during a video conference with Los Angeles area reporters. “I’m like, ‘Dude.’... That’s just kind of the relationship we have.
“We’re as close as any two brothers, especially in this league, could be. I’m always pulling for him. I’m always trying to help him — except for when we play each other.”
On Sunday at Lambeau Field, the LaFleurs will be on opposite sidelines for the seventh time.
The Rams like Brett Rypien’s skills as a starter if he replaces Matthew Stafford but admit the offense will need to adjust to the No. 2 quarterback’s abilities.
“It’s almost become normal,” said Mike, 36. “You don’t even think about it.”
His older brother apparently does.
Matt, 43, is 2-4 in games against Mike.
“I feel like too many times I’ve been on the wrong side of things — and that’s a tough pill to swallow for letting the little brother win,” Matt said. “Because certainly early on … I never took it easy on him. I always tried to bury him every time I could.”
So who are their parents rooting for Sunday?
“Yeah, I mean they like me more,” joked Mike, who is in his first season on coach Sean McVay’s staff.
“Well, I said they better root for the Packers since I bought them a house,” said Matt, the Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2017.
The Rams, who fell to 3-5 after getting routed last Sunday at Dallas, will travel to Green Bay in search of their first victory at Lambeau Field under McVay.
The Rams’ 2020 season ended there with an NFC divisional-round playoff loss. The defeat spurred the Rams to trade quarterback Jared Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick to the Detroit Lions for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Rams also lost at Lambeau Field in 2021 and last season while playing without Stafford, defensive lineman Aaron Donald and receiver Cooper Kupp, all of whom suffered season-ending injuries.
“I don’t know what it is,” Kupp said of the Rams’ difficulties at Lambeau Field, adding, “I don’t know which script writer had us going to Green Bay all the time these last few years. Got to talk to him about what that’s all about. ... I don’t think there’s anything super specific about it. We’ve just got to execute better.”
As of Thursday, Stafford’s status for Sunday was undecided, at least publicly, because of a thumb sprain he suffered against the Cowboys. McVay has said that a decision might not be made until just before kickoff.
But Brett Rypien is expected to start at quarterback for the Rams, with Dresser Winn as his backup.
Matt LaFleur said the Packers were preparing to face Stafford.
“We would be foolish not to,” he said. “Any time you have a player of that caliber, Hall of Fame caliber, like you better prepare for them. Otherwise, you’re doing your team a disservice.”
The Rams are no doubt thrilled that they will not face Aaron Rodgers. Last April, after 18 seasons with the Packers, the four-time NFL most valuable player was traded to the New York Jets.
“I’m kind of happy we don’t get to see him,” Donald said, chuckling.
Said defensive coordinator Raheem Morris: “It’s great.”
Packers quarterback Jordan Love has passed for 11 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, for a Packers team that is 2-5 after their loss to the Minnesota Vikings, their fourth loss in a row.
“They’re young, they’re hungry, they’re competitive,” Morris said.
Mike LaFleur has been busy this week helping McVay prepare Rypien for what would be his fourth career start, his first for the Rams.
When asked about coaching against his brother, Mike LaFleur said he was more concerned about Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry.
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Matt is in his fifth season as the Packers coach. The Packers advanced to the NFC championship game in each of his first two seasons and to the divisional round in 2021. They missed the playoffs last season.
Mike’s career has included stints with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, 49ers, Jets and now the Rams.
Asked if he could envision a day when he also is an NFL head coach, and scheming against Matt, Mike said the brothers had never talked about that subject.
“The amount of stuff, as a play-calling head coach like Matt and like Sean,” he deadpanned, “it makes me not even want to think about it at all.”
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