The team has not yet confirmed the hire, but head coach Matt LaFleur expressed frustration with the special teams unit throughout the season and during his postseason press conference.
The Packers’ difficulties on everything from field goal blocking to kick coverage forced the team to use some starters on their special teams unit — a move that ultimately backfired in the team’s loss in the NFC Divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers, when running back A.J. Dillon got injured when another teammate fell on him. Dillon was unable to return to the game and the Packers’ offense sputtered without him.
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Kicker Mason Crosby also had one of the worst seasons of his long career with the Packers, as the team converted just 73.5% of its field goal attempts — the second-lowest percentage in the league. The Packers’ field goal unit struggled all year with protection and handling snaps, contributing to Crosby’s misses. The team also allowed two blocked field goals in the regular season and another in the 3-point playoff loss to the 49ers.
It was just one of many critical special teams errors in the playoff loss, which also included a blocked punt that was returned for San Francisco’s only touchdown of the game, a long kickoff return, and only having 10 players on the field for the 49ers’ winning field goal as time expired.
“That can’t happen. It’s unacceptable,” LaFleur said of the final error, although he took the blame.
Drayton only served a single season as the teams’ special teams coordinator, taking over for Shawn Mennenga, who was fired after just two years as the Packers’ special teams coordinator.
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