Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley Publicly Defends LaFleur Amid Brutal Fan Backlash After Week 11 Loss To Eagles
The Green Bay Packers were once viewed as one of the prime contenders for the 2025 Super Bowl, but after a heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11, the pressure on head coach Matt LaFleur is heavier than ever. Two straight home losses, with just 20 total points scored against the Carolina Panthers and the Eagles, have triggered a full-blown wave of criticism. In the middle of that storm, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has unexpectedly become the one to step forward and publicly defend LaFleur.
A championship-caliber defense, but an offense that keeps dragging the team down
According to Wisconsin Sports Heroics, under Jeff Hafley, the Packers defense is playing at an elite level:
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Top 7 in the NFL in points allowed, at about 19.6 points per game
Top 5 in total yards allowed, around 287.2 yards per game
Against the Eagles in Week 11, the Packers defense once again kept the game close, repeatedly giving the team chances to turn it around. However, the offense once again collapsed, scoring just 10 points. The same issues that have been mentioned over and over resurfaced:
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Uninspired, predictable play-calling
Failure to fully utilize weapons like Jordan Love, Christian Watson and Josh Jacobs
Lack of in-game adjustments
The article stresses that no matter how good the defense is, it cannot forever cover up an offense with no clear identity. If things do not improve, the Packers are in real danger of missing the playoffs.
Matt LaFleur under the spotlight
The piece lays out the broader picture of LaFleur:
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From 2019 to 2024, he guided the Packers to a 56-27 record and multiple playoff appearances
However, in the last two seasons, the team has consistently played below its potential against supposedly weaker opponents
After the Week 11 loss to the Eagles, criticism zeroed in on how LaFleur runs the offense:
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Third-down efficiency has been very poor over the last two games
The offensive approach is labeled as too conservative and lacking killer instinct
The system is being criticized as having no clear identity
The author argues that while LaFleur’s past record is impressive, it is the present and future that will ultimately decide his fate in Green Bay.
I fuck with this heavy. everyone has been on Lafleurs ass about the Offense lately. (including me)
— Doff (@wizzrd6) November 14, 2025
pretty cool to see Hafley go to bat for his Head Coach.
I think Lafleur is a good coach, just stuck in a tough spot rn. I have faith he'll figure it out. https://t.co/Ftl5SJ8g9g
LMAOOOOOO
— J (@LUISGARCIASZN) November 11, 2025
This dude is mentally disabled https://t.co/U8UVpwb9Nb
Jeff Hafley steps up and publicly backs LaFleur
The biggest focal point of the article is Jeff Hafley’s strong, confident defense of LaFleur. In an interview with USA TODAY reporter Ryan Wood, Hafley made his stance crystal clear:
"That is one of the best head coaches in all of the NFL, and also one of the best play callers. I still hate going against him in our two-minute drills in practice, because he is extremely hard to defend."
Hafley believes that:
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LaFleur is a high-level designer and executor of a complex, hard-to-read offensive system
The team is dealing with injuries and the inexperience of several key players
The offense needs time to gel and find its rhythm
By openly praising LaFleur in this way, Hafley is not only shielding the head coach from outside criticism, but also sending a message about internal unity: the Packers will not allow external noise to tear apart the structure of the team from within.
A 5-5 record and a make-or-break test against the Giants
According to the article, the Packers currently sit at 5-5 and are heading into a crucial matchup with the New York Giants in Week 11 (in the flow of the schedule following the Eagles game). This is described as a pivotal point for LaFleur’s future:
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If the offense continues to sputter, calls for changes on the coaching staff will only grow louder
If the Packers can leverage Hafley’s dominant defense to beat the Giants and build momentum, the pressure might ease
The author emphasizes that the Packers have a defense good enough to be the foundation of a playoff run, but the essential condition is that LaFleur must find a way to revive the offense.
Hafley - the quiet hero and a signal of hope for the Packers
In closing, the article suggests that Jeff Hafley is becoming the "quiet hero" in Green Bay:
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On the field, he has turned the Packers defense into one of the elite units in the NFL
Off the field, he is willing to publicly stand up for LaFleur at a time when the atmosphere around the team is heavily tilted against the head coach
Wisconsin Sports Heroics frames Hafley’s comments as a bright spot in the middle of a dark moment. They do not erase all doubts about LaFleur, but they do show that inside the building, there is still belief, respect and a desire to fight together.
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