LaFleur lauds Packers' 'different energy' after playoff win
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is proud of what his team has accomplished so far this season.
"There's a different energy about our team. It's so much fun to come to work every day," LaFleur said after Sunday's 48-32 wild-card victory over the Dallas Cowboys, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today.
The Packers, who made the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in their first season after trading Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, dominated the Cowboys. Green Bay started the contest on a 27-0 run and took a 48-16 lead early in the fourth quarter.
LaFleur's outfit put on a clinic offensively and averaged 7.7 yards per play. Quarterback Jordan Love had 272 yards and three touchdowns on 16-for-21 passing. He posted a 157.2 passer rating in his first career playoff start.
"Jordan Love. Wow. That's about all I can say. Wow," LaFleur said of Love postgame. "What he did, the poise he shows, the command he shows. ... But what a moment for him. To me, that was a big-time play. It just shows the growth that he's had since his first start against (the Kansas City Chiefs) to now. Just so proud and happy for him."
Love joined the Packers as a surprise first-round pick in 2020. He made only one start as a rookie against the Chiefs in a game Rodgers didn't play due to the league's COVID-19 protocols. Green Bay moved on from former Super Bowl MVP Rodgers and named Love its QB1 in 2023.
Love completed 64.2% of his passes while tossing 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns - the second-most in the league - against 11 interceptions during the 2023 regular season.
The Packers didn't pick up the Utah State product's fifth-year option, but the 25-year-old is under contract through the 2024 season after inking a one-year extension last May.
"Can't say enough how proud I am of everybody in the locker room," Love said Sunday, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "It's been a long season. We've been counted out a lot of the season, so just the way everybody keeps battling, keeps competing ... It's a great feeling."
Green Bay will now visit the San Francisco 49ers, who had a bye on Wild Card Weekend as the NFC's No. 1 seed.