GREEN BAY — Matt LaFleur started this COVID-19 pandemic-affected NFL season with a to-the-point reminder for all of his players, coaches and staff.
“We’re all in this sucker together,” the Green Bay Packers coach said succinctly as training camp got underway on Aug. 2.
Now, 156 days later, his team has not just survived a 17-week season with minimal COVID-19-related issues but thrived — going 13-3 and earning the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed and the first-round bye that comes with it.
But with cautionary tales throughout the NFL providing ample reminders of how quickly things can go awry and a Super Bowl run can be ruined by one ill-advised decision that causes the virus to spread throughout the team facility, LaFleur’s message to his players after they earned a much-needed few days off with their 35-16 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday was a simple one: Don’t slip up now.