Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Arnie Stapleton The Associated Press
On NFL opening weekend, Packers coach Matt LaFleur's decision to go for it on fourth down instead of taking points backfired during a crucial moment in Green Bay's 39-22 loss to Minnesota. Similarly, the Rams' last-minute travel plans to Australia led to their significant defeat against the San Francisco 49ers, who had arrived early to acclimate to the time difference. Despite Rams coach Sean McVay denying any connection between travel and performance, critics suggested otherwise.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Two of the biggest backfires on the NFL’s opening weekend came roughly 70 hours and 9,500 miles apart.
asserted
Two → come → weekend
Packers coach Matt LaFleur took points off the board but didn’t come up with a first down, and that gamble blew up in his face, the tide-turner in Green Bay’s 39-22 loss at Minnesota on Sunday.
asserted
gamble → take → Sunday
That came long after the Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams swooped into Melbourne, Australia, barely a day before kickoff and were walloped 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers, who were Down Under for a week to acclimate.
asserted
who → come → week
Rams coach Sean McVay said the travel plans had nothing to do with his team’s flop, but some Aussies in the NFL suggested it probably had plenty to do with it.
uncertain
it → say → it
Let’s start with the Packers.
asserted
’s → let → Packers
On fourth-and-6 from the Vikings 22, rookie Trey Smack nailed a 40-yard field goal to give Green Bay an eight-point cushion early in the fourth quarter when linebacker Dallas Turner was ruled offside.
asserted
Turner → nail → quarter
Rarely has a yellow flag turned out so fortuitous for the offender.
asserted
flag → turn → offender
Take the points and it’s 25-17.
Take the penalty and it’s fourth-and-1 from the Minnesota 17.
asserted
it → take → Minnesota
LaFleur chose the latter.
asserted
LaFleur → choose → latter
So, off went the points and in came the call.
asserted
call → go → ?
“We had two plays called right there,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said.
asserted
Love → have → plays
“I went with the quarterback sneak.
asserted
I → go → sneak
I thought we could get it and we didn’t.”
uncertain
we → think → it
Rookie nose tackle Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange left the Packers with a bitter taste when he stuffed Love shy of the first-down marker, the stadium exploding into a deafening roar when the virtual measurement showed up short on the scoreboard.
asserted
measurement → leave → scoreboard
Everything fell apart for the Packers after that.
asserted
Everything → fall → that
Four defensive penalties aided Minnesota’s go-ahead touchdown drive with Aaron Jones scoring from 3 yards out with 6:37 remaining.
asserted
Jones → aid → 6:37
The Vikings tacked on two touchdowns on two takeaways to turn a tight game into a comfortable win.
asserted
Vikings → tack → win
“We’re going to be aggressive,” LaFleur said after the game, and he maintained his no-regrets stance a day later, suggesting he’s “just trying to push it to a two-score game.”
asserted
he → go → game
“Sometimes you live and die by that,” LaFleur said Sunday night.
asserted
LaFleur → live → that
“But we’re going to be aggressive and we’re going to try to go for the throat in that situation.”
asserted
we → go → situation
Instead, the Packers ended up choking away a game to a division rival on opening weekend, same as the Rams did in the first NFL game played in Australia.
asserted
Rams → end → Australia
Aussies say the long flight is a bigger problem than jet lag
Unlike the 49ers, who flew in early to acclimate with the 17-hour time difference, the Rams decided to drop in barely a day before kickoff so as not to interrupt their regular routine.
asserted
Rams → say → routine
It didn’t turn out great for the Rams, who were outplayed in every phase.
asserted
who → turn → phase
McVay insisted the Rams’ debacle Down Under had nothing to do with their travel strategy, but you can bet other teams in this copycat league won’t be mimicking LA’s itinerary.
asserted
teams → insist → itinerary
“I would have recommended going out early,” said Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata, who grew up in a Sydney suburb.
asserted
who → recommend → suburb
But I recommend it just because the flight is so long that I don’t think 24 hours is enough to wash out that flight itself.
asserted
hours → recommend → flight
That’s just not.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
You need at least a couple of days.
asserted
You → need → days
But what do I know?
asserted
I → know → what
I’m not a sports scientist.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
How about three days, suggested Australian punter Jeremy Crawshaw of the Denver Broncos.
uncertain
Crawshaw → suggest → Broncos
“If we were to do that, I would advise our building not to do that,” Crawshaw said of the Rams’ itinerary.
asserted
Crawshaw → do → itinerary
“It takes two to three days for you to flush that stuff out.
asserted
you → take → stuff
Sure, on paper, in theory, you should be able to skip the jet lag.
asserted
you → skip → lag
The jet lag is the least of their worries, their joints are probably sore, their legs are swelling from being at altitude for 15 hours.
asserted
legs → swell → hours
“It’s that kind of stuff that the body can’t handle.
asserted
body → ’ → that
So, if you fly in the day before and expect the body to be performing at 100 percent, it’s not going to be,” Crawshaw said.
asserted
Crawshaw → fly → percent
Like Mailata, Crawshaw has made the flight back to Australia countless times, and every time he feels it.
asserted
he → make → it
“Every time I’ve done that, I’ve been wrecked for a couple of days, whether it be jet lag or the body just not feeling right,” Crawshaw said.
asserted
Crawshaw → do → days
“I saw they were going to do that and I was a bit skeptical.
asserted
I → see → that
…and 6 more, not listed.
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