After Anders Carlson missed a 41-yard field goal attempt that would have extended the Green Bay Packers’ lead over the San Francisco 49ers to seven points late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Divisional Round matchup, Fox sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi shared some surprising insight into Matt LaFleur’s approach to his rookie kicker.
“When we talked to the head coach, Matt LaFleur, about this, he basically said, ‘When he goes out there, I just pray, guys,'” Rinaldi said.
Suffice it to say, LaFleur’s comment hardly paints the portrait of a head coach who’s confident in his kicker. It also raises questions about why the Packers — who went on to lose to the 49ers by a score of 24-21 — would be relying a kicker who their head coach can hardly bring himself to watch.
The Tom Rinaldi story about how Matt LaFleur feels every time Anders Carlson attempts a kick was crazy, “when he goes out there, I just pray.”
If that's truly the case, no reason Carlson should have been the kicker in the playoffs. #Packers #Kickers https://t.co/LceUQmcQSX
— John Breech (@johnbreech) January 21, 2024
At his end-of-season press conference on Monday, LaFleur was asked at least one of those questions. And in answering, the 44-year-old head coach claimed that Rinaldi had mischaracterized his comments during the Fox broadcast.
“That was extremely disappointing that that’s how that message got portrayed,” LaFleur said. “I’ve been a part of production meetings ever since I became a coordinator and I’ve never had an experience like that. But it is what it is. I’ve talked to Anders about it. I think anytime something’s out of your control — kind of saying it and jest and having fun with it. But it got portrayed that way. It’s a learning lesson for me.”
Matt LaFleur is not happy with Tom Rinaldi: “That was extremely disappointing that that’s how that message got portrayed. I’ve been a part of production meetings ever since I became a coordinator and I’ve never had an experience like that.”
LaFleur talked to Carlson about it. pic.twitter.com/fDYqp4GKUp
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) January 22, 2024
While “I was taken out of context” is often the default response for anyone who gets caught with their foot in their mouth, something clearly got lost in translation here. If LaFleur did, in fact, make his comment in jest, then either Rinaldi didn’t pick up on it or failed to articulate it when sharing the anecdote on air. Or perhaps the head coach thought his comment was off-record, which would raise other questions about his interaction with Rinaldi.
Another possibility? LaFleur said what he said, unaware of how it would be perceived, and is now backtracking after his comment became public.
Unless Rinaldi weighs in, all we can do is speculate. Until then, what we’re left with is a kicker with shaken confidence and a head coach who will likely be more guarded in his interviews moving forward.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.