The Green Bay Packers spent most of Sunday afternoon in Tampa trying to turn a shaky start into a workable afternoon. The offense moved the ball in stretches, the defense stiffened late, and the visitors found just enough to leave Raymond James Stadium with a win.
It was not a clean performance. Green Bay still looked uneven in the red zone, and several drives stalled after the Packers had already done the hard part of getting down the field. Players left the building with a victory, but the film was not going to be a celebration reel.
Running backs were part of that mixed picture. MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson both put the ball on the ground against the Buccaneers, and Johnson’s fumble came near the goal line in the fourth quarter with a chance to stretch the lead. The Packers still got out with a 17-14 win, but the mistakes were hard to miss.
After the game, coach Matt LaFleur made it plain that ball security is no longer a talking point. He framed the problem as one that will be solved on the depth chart if it is not solved in practice.
LaFleur’s message was a clear threat to the players who keep fumbling. He did not dress it up as a reminder or a teaching moment that can wait until Tuesday. He told them the next step is the bench.
“A great teacher is the bench, so if guys don’t start holding onto the ball, they’re going to be sitting on the bench,” LaFleur said.
That line landed differently than a standard postgame comment about fundamentals. It put names, snaps and playing time on the table. Anyone who coughs the ball up again has been told what the consequence looks like.
Johnson’s fumble was the one that drew the most attention. He had run well for much of the afternoon, but he lost the ball inside the Tampa Bay 5-yard line after Green Bay had a chance to go up by two scores. The Buccaneers recovered, and a drive that should have ended the argument turned into another problem.
Lloyd’s fumble came on a reception and rolled out of bounds, so Green Bay kept the ball. It still counted as another loose ball from the same position group on the same day. LaFleur did not separate the two plays when he spoke. He talked about guys, plural, who need to hold onto the football.
The Packers are 2-2 and have spent the early season living with self-inflicted mistakes. Fumbles are now at the front of that list. LaFleur has the talent to rotate backs, and his comment suggested he is willing to use that rotation as a penalty, not just a rest plan.
Players have heard coaches talk about protecting the ball for years. What changed Sunday was the specificity. LaFleur did not say the staff would emphasize ball security in meetings. He said players who keep fumbling are going to be sitting.
That leaves little room for interpretation inside the running back room. Johnson and Lloyd both know the coach watched the same plays everyone else watched. The next fumble will not be treated as an isolated slip if LaFleur follows through on what he said.
Green Bay’s win covered some of the damage. A one-score game against Tampa Bay can hide a red-zone giveaway if the defense holds. LaFleur did not sound interested in that kind of cover. He treated the fumbles as a problem that outlasted the final score.
The threat also puts the rest of the offense on notice. If the standard is that loose balls lead to the bench, receivers and tight ends who put the ball on the ground will have a hard time arguing they are exempt. LaFleur’s wording was broad enough to cover anyone who fails to secure it.
For now, the Packers get a short week to sort out who carries the load. LaFleur has already told them how he plans to teach the lesson if the fumbles continue. The bench is the plan, and he said it out loud.
Be the first to comment