Matt LaFleur sums up Packers' blowout loss to Falcons with one unique description

Butt-whooping, noun: What the Atlanta Falcons did to the Green Bay Packers on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 3.

That’s how Packers head coach Matt LaFleur classified it, anyway.

After the Packers lost a 35-14 prime-time game to open the NFL’s Week 3 slate, one reporter asked LaFleur about his team’s perceived lack of resiliency after a roughing-the-pass call in the first quarter seemed to turn the prime-time game on its head. The eighth-year head coach said it was hard to blame any one moment in what was a blowout loss.

“I don’t wanna say that was the reason that we lost,” LaFleur said. “They had 500 yards of offense, we had whatever it was (Editor’s note: 328, with 134 in the fourth quarter). It was a butt-whooping, so I’m not gonna put it on one thing.”

“Certainly, we have to respond better, but that was at least a three-quarter butt-whooping right there.”

LaFleur also called the loss “humbling” after the Packers running backs put up just 17 rushing yards on the night – the fewest in any NFL game so far this season – and allowed 244 rushing yards to the Falcons‘ two running backs – the most allowed in any NFL game so far this season. Running back Bijan Robinson had 194 rushing yards on his own – one yard shy of a career high.

Falcons wide receiver Drake London also tallied a career-high 194 yards on nine catches.

Atlanta’s 35 points were the most Green Bay has allowed in a home opener since 1971. The loss was also the Packers’ first in a home opener since 2012, dropping the team to 1-2. That’s the worst start the Packers have had in a season since LaFleur took over as head coach in 2019.

Green Bay will play on the road again in Week 4 when they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers’ next home game is in Week 5, when they host the Chicago Bears.

The Falcons, meanwhile, will head to New Orleans for a visit with the New Orleans Saints after Atlanta got its first win of the year in Week 3.