Matt LaFleur improved on challenges and fourth down aggressiveness in 2025

DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 14: Head coach Matt Lafleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on December 14, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Early last season, I criticized Matt LaFleur's game management after the latest in a series of questionable challenge calls went against the Packers.

Now, with the 2025 season firmly in the rearview mirror, I'm happy to report that LaFleur must read Acme Packing Company. Not only did he shore up his pitiable track record on challenges in 2025, he massively dialed up the Packers' aggressiveness on 4th downs.

LaFleur was successful on six of 10 challenge attempts in 2025, his best record since he was successful on three of five attempts in 2020. This follows internal changes that led to league-wide improvements in head coach challenge rates in 2025, but we'll still take it. LaFleur wasted fewer challenges in 2025, and that's a step in the right direction.

But the 4th down decision stuff is vastly more important. After going extremely conservative in 2024, LaFleur dramatically reversed course in 2025. According to RBSDM.com, no coach in the NFL was more aggressive on 4th down decisions than LaFleur. The Packers made the analytically correct go/no-go call on 4th down 72.7% of the time last season, far ahead of the league average of 51.6%.\

Put differently, LaFleur was more aggressive on 4th downs in 2025 than the notoriously aggressive Dan Campbell has been in any season in his career.

Crucially, there appears to be an inflection point in this data. Through the first seven weeks of the season, the Packers had a go rate of just 62.5% - tied with the Giants for seventh in the NFL. But from Week 8 through the end of the season, the Packers' go rate was 78.6%, comfortably the highest in the NFL. They were farther ahead of the second-most aggressive team (the Cowboys at 72.2% in that same span) than the second-most aggressive team was from the seventh-most aggressive team (the Colts at 66.7%).

What happened in Week 7? The Packers faced a late 4th down call in Arizona Cardinals territory trailing by 3. LaFleur initially wanted to go for a field goal (and tie the game), but Jordan Love lobbied him to go for the win. They did, and Love found Tucker Kraft for a 15-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later, Josh Jacobs cashed in a touchdown, then Micah Parsons and the Packers held on to secure the win.

There are many things for which we can criticize LaFleur, but this, happily, appears to no longer be one of them. If LaFleur can apply the same process improvement to other areas of his coaching game, the Packers could reap massive benefits in 2026.