What NFL-Leading Stat Does Packers’ Matt LaFleur Find ‘Annoying’?

“It’s become such a problem and it’s going to kill us,” Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of the team’s chronic offside penalties.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur reacts to a call during the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers lead the league by a mile in one category.

If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, the Packers journey to the top of the leaderboard has been taken 5 yards at a time.

The Packers on Thursday were guilty of defensive offside, neutral-zone infraction or encroachment four times in their victory over the Miami Dolphins. Green Bay has been flagged 20 times (16 accepted, four declined) for those infractions this season. That’s eight more than any other team and more than the six most-disciplined teams combined.

“You just had to ask me that question. You just wanted to get me going today,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur joked a day after the 30-17 victory.

Against Miami, Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare lined up offside on defense.

“The only thing I would say we have to do a much better job on is we have to make sure we line up onsides. It feels like it’s Groundhog Day,” LaFleur said immediately after the game.

Plus, TJ Slaton was flagged for a neutral-zone infraction (defined as jumping into the neutral zone and causing the offensive player to move) on a field goal and Devonte Wyatt was guilty of encroachment (defined as crossing the line of scrimmage and making contact with the offensive player) on defense.

According to NFL Penalties, teams on average are guilty of 3.16 defensive offside, 1.91 neutral-zone infractions and 0.59 encroachment.

The Packers are crushing those numbers with NFL-high tallies in each.

While LaFleur’s initial response on Monday had a bit of humor, he was serious when he continued.

“No, it’s really annoying,” he said. “You’ve got to be conscious. I guess we’ve got to drill it more. I got to get refs out there at practice to tell when a guy’s offsides. I told those guys and, obviously, just telling isn’t enough. We’ve got to start checking with the officials. It’s become such a problem and it’s going to kill us.

“It hurt us yesterday. That is one thing from the defensive side of the ball that we absolutely have to get corrected. Shoot, it gave them an opportunity on the field goal. We got them to fourth-and-9, we jump offsides, they decide to go for it, they convert. Now, luckily, we held them to three but, still, you can’t put yourself in those situations, especially against really good football teams.”

The Packers are going to play a really good football team – perhaps the best football team – on Thursday night at the Detroit Lions.

Dan Campbell’s team has been flagged a total of three times for those penalties. (The Lions are no choir boys, though; only two teams have been plagued by more penalty yards.)

Overall, the Packers have been flagged 100 times (fifth-most). Of that, 81 have been accepted (seventh-most) for 589 yards (16th-most). Green Bay’s opponents have been flagged 81 times for 644 yards (10th-most), so Green Bay is a net even in penalties and a bigger beneficiary of penalty yards (plus-55, 13th-best).

Enagbare is tied for No. 1 with four offside penalties. Among defensive linemen, nobody has been guilty of more accepted penalties than Lukas Van Ness with six, including two neutral-zone infractions and one defensive offside.

“We just got to check with the refs a little bit more and, I guess, scoot back,” Enagbare said.

Packers Lead the Pack

Here are the team penalty counts from NFL Penalties for defensive offside, neutral-zone infraction and encroachment.

Green Bay

Defensive Offside: 12. Neutral-zone infraction: 5. Encroachment: 3. Total: 20.

Chicago

Defensive Offside: 8. Neutral-zone infraction: 3. Encroachment: 1. Total: 12.

N.Y. Jets

Defensive Offside: 8. Neutral-zone infraction: 3. Encroachment: 0. Total: 11.

Las Vegas

Defensive Offside: 6. Neutral-zone infraction: 4. Encroachment: 1. Total: 11.

Washington

Defensive Offside: 7. Neutral-zone infraction: 3. Encroachment: 1. Total: 11.

Denver

Defensive Offside: 5. Neutral-zone infraction: 5. Total: 10.

Cleveland

Defensive Offside: 6. Neutral-zone infraction: 3. Encroachment: 1. Total: 10.

L.A. Rams

Defensive Offside: 7. Neutral-zone infraction: 2. Encroachment: 1. Total: 10.

San Francisco

Defensive Offside: 6. Neutral-zone infraction: 2. Encroachment: 2. Total: 10.

Jacksonville

Defensive Offside: 7. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 0. Total: 8.

Pittsburgh

Defensive Offside: 5. Neutral-zone infraction: 3. Encroachment: 0. Total: 8.

Tampa Bay

Defensive Offside: 7. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 0. Total: 8.

Dallas

Defensive Offside: 6. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 1. Total: 8.

Indianapolis

Defensive Offside: 5. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 2. Total: 8.

Kansas City

Defensive Offside: 6. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 0. Total: 7.

N.Y. Giants

Defensive Offside: 6. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 0. Total: 7.

Philadelphia

Defensive Offside: 4. Neutral-zone infraction: 0. Encroachment: 3. Total: 7.

L.A. Chargers

Defensive Offside: 3. Neutral-zone infraction: 3. Encroachment: 0. Total: 6.

Baltimore

Defensive Offside: 3. Neutral-zone infraction: 2. Encroachment: 0. Total: 5.

Buffalo

Defensive Offside: 3. Neutral-zone infraction: 2. Encroachment: 0. Total: 5.

Arizona

Defensive Offside: 1. Neutral-zone infraction: 3. Encroachment: 0. Total: 4.

Atlanta

Defensive Offside: 2. Neutral-zone infraction: 2. Encroachment: 0. Total: 4.

Carolina

Defensive Offside: 1. Neutral-zone infraction: 3. Encroachment: 0. Total: 4.

Houston

Defensive Offside: 3. Neutral-zone infraction: 0. Encroachment: 1. Total: 4.

Miami

Defensive Offside: 2. Neutral-zone infraction: 2. Encroachment: 0. Total: 4.

Minnesota

Defensive Offside: 4. Neutral-zone infraction: 0. Encroachment: 0. Total: 4.

New England

Defensive Offside: 2. Neutral-zone infraction: 2. Encroachment: 0. Total: 4.

Cincinnati

Defensive Offside: 2. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 1. Total: 4.

Detroit

Defensive Offside: 3. Neutral-zone infraction: 0. Encroachment: 0. Total: 3.

New Orleans

Defensive Offside: 2. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 0. Total: 3.

Tennessee

Defensive Offside: 2. Neutral-zone infraction: 1. Encroachment: 0. Total: 3.

Seattle

Defensive Offside: 1. Neutral-zone infraction: 0. Encroachment: 1. Total: 2.

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