Cheese Curds, 8/29: LaFleur’s relationship with Rodgers; 53 deadline looms large

The quarterback-head coach relationship is usually the most important in all of football. Three years ago, the Green Bay Packers faced uncertainty in that area when they hired Matt LaFleur to replace Mike McCarthy.

Of course, all he has done since then is turn around Aaron Rodgers into a two-time defending MVP and lead the Packers to three straight 13-win seasons. A Super Bowl appearance still eludes the LaFleur-led Packers, but LaFleur doesn’t seem to get the credit he deserves for the franchise’s turnaround.

That topic is at front of mind in today’s Cheese Curds, but close behind is the Packers’ impending cut-down to a 53-man roster. The team’s bubble players will be waiting with bated breath on Tuesday to see if they make the team or will be subject to waivers, and roster predictions are flying all over the place around the internet (on that note, keep an eye out for APC’s final predictions shortly!).

Check out news items on those topics below along with a big injury update from an AFC team.

Is This the Year Matt LaFleur Finally Gets the Credit He Deserves? - The Ringer
Does LaFleur get too little credit for the Packers' success because of his team's quarterback? That's entirely possible, but let's not forget that LaFleur has helped harness Rodgers' eccentricities and has developed a great working relationship that has helped both men lead the team to three straight 13-win seasons.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers ranked No. 3 in NFL’s ‘Top 100’ | Packers.com
Rodgers, naturally, remains a top-five player, winning MVP then ranking third for the second straight year.

7 stars of the Green Bay Packers preseason in 2022 | Packers Wire
The Packers found winners in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft while also seeing starting center Josh Myers elevate his play early in preseason games.

Packers’ attention now shifts to cuts, and these 4 players made the decisions harder - The Athletic ($)
Meanwhile, Tyler Goodson and Jack Heflin made big plays last Thursday, which should make some of the roster bubble decisions even more difficult for Packers brass.

Ravens' mascot carted off at halftime with apparent injury | WSET
It was a rough day for the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday -- they lost one of the franchise's highest-profile individuals to an in-game injury that required the use of the golf cart.