GREEN BAY – The issue appeared to be calming down. Now it's rearing its ugly head again.
"The penalties are a real problem," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said Monday after returning from the 27-23 victory at Arizona. "Especially the controllables."
Not including declined fouls, the Packers were flagged 10 times for 94 yards against the Cardinals. That's close to their totals from the previous two games combined (12 for 93) after far worse numbers through the season's first three games.
Three personal fouls Sunday were the most damaging yardage-wise, but LaFleur seemed far more bothered by the pre-snap penalties and others that fall under mental errors on both sides of the ball. Those are the "controllable" ones.
The offense was flagged for an illegal formation, a false start, lining up in the neutral zone, and offensive pass interference when blocking on a screen pass before the ball was thrown (which was declined).
Meanwhile, the defense jumped offside on a pair of third downs, one of them a third-and-23 that allowed Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett to go for broke, and he hit a 43-yard bomb to set up a touchdown shortly before halftime.
"You could tell that Jacoby saw the flag and he just threw one up down the sidelines," LaFleur said. "So, it's a free play for the offense and there's no consequence. We can't put ourselves in that position."
The other offside jump came a handful of plays later on third-and-9 in the red zone. Brissett threw incomplete, but with a re-rack on third-and-4, he threw a TD pass.
"I think more than anything else it's just being on top of the details, so you can go out there and execute at a high level," LaFleur said. "And we're far from that right now."
LaFleur said after the game Sunday the penalty issue is preached on a daily basis, but the team isn't getting the right results. What that means in terms of changing up preparation methods or emphasizing corrections differently remains to be seen, but it sounds like it's all on the table and up for discussion amongst the coaching staff.
As always, LaFleur stressed it'll start in practice and repping the situations that have caused trouble. How that process might get adjusted in search of better outcomes isn't clear yet.
"You're constantly harping and trying to find solutions," he said. "Obviously when things aren't getting corrected, that's a problem. And we've got to figure it out. And everybody's got to take it personal. I know I do as a coach. But each individual – coaches, players, everybody – we've got to find solutions."
The defensive flags contributed mightily to the Cardinals converting 50% of their third downs (7 of 14), the first time a Packers opponent hit 50% this season.
Another costly one came on third-and-14 in the second half, when LaFleur described a zone coverage called, but outside corner Nate Hobbs played press man and was successfully attacked on a go route for a 35-yard gain. That conversion set up another Cardinals TD.
LaFleur acknowledged Hobbs had some rough moments in the game but he expects the competitive corner to "rebound … and be better for it."
Bigger picture, the defensive breakdowns don't fall on one player, and collectively much better is expected when the defense has performed so well over various stretches this season.
"Those are the things that get you beat," LaFleur said of the lapses in key moments. "You cannot have those critical errors.
"I just think there's another level for us. That's not to put any pressure on anybody, it's just we feel confident in what we can do, but ultimately you gotta go do it."
Especially when the AFC North's first-place Pittsburgh Steelers, and former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, are getting set to host the Packers on Sunday Night Football.
LaFleur already was sending the message Monday this game will be about the Packers and Steelers, not Rodgers, with his focus on the internal and striving for that next level for his team.
"There's a lot of things that we're going to have to do a helluva lot better in order for us to have sustained success," LaFleur said.
