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Packers coach Matt LaFleur wants team to play complementary football

As the Packers sit at 2-1-1 heading into the bye, coach Matt LaFleur talks about wanting his team to focus on clean football in all three phases.

Green Bay fans know well that the NFL is rife with upsets — the last two Green Bay Packers games drove home that point.

The Packers sat out last week on bye, but while they did, upsets continued. For example, the Denver Broncos defeated the previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles 21-17 in Philadelphia, the New England Patriots defeated the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills 23-20 in Buffalo, and, in a smaller upset universe, the Tennessee Titans defeated the Arizona Cardinals 22-21 in Arizona.

The Packers will face three of those teams — the Eagles, Broncos and Cardinals — in the coming weeks.

The following are secondary market ticket prices as of Oct. 6 and our guesses as to why they are where they are. 

For our look at Packers’ tickets prices, we average the lowest ticket prices for two seats at 11 secondary-market websites: Event USA, Gametime, Green Bay Ticket Service, SeatGeek, StubHub, TicketIQ, Ticket King, Ticketmaster, TickPick, TicketSmarter and Vivid Seats.

Oct. 12, 3:25 p.m., Cincinnati Bengals, Lambeau Field, CBSFace-price range: $139-$196Average lowest-cost seat: $355Average lowest-cost seat on Sept. 22: $443Range of lowest-cost seats: $292-$425

Matt LaFleur vs. Bengals: 1-0 at Paycor Stadium.

Last week: Detroit Lions 37, Bengals 24

Records: Bengals 2-3, Lions 4-1

What is special about this game? The average get-in price fell $88 during the past two weeks. That’s not especially unusual. Prices tend to come down as game time nears, but this decrease is balanced by the increases for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers games (see below). The Bengals game was in the $400+ range for much of the season.

There were several reasons, not the least of which is this is the only home game for Green package season ticket holders over a six-week period. Also, weather this time of year is usually at its footbally best, and indeed, the forecast for Sunday is partly sunny skies with a high of 69 degrees.

But the Bengals are playing without elite quarterback Joe Burrow, and although his replacement, Jake Browning, had a better week against the Lions than against the Denver Broncos the week before, it wasn’t enough. Browning threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, matching the performance of the Lions’ Jared Goff, but the Bengals’ quarterback also contributed three interceptions.

The Bengals would seem a good team to play coming off a bye week when you need to recover your mojo after two disappointing performances. After all, if you hold an opponent to 13 points or score 40 points in the NFL, you should win. The Packers did not, but things are worse in Cincinnati. Sports columnist Jason Williams of the Cincinnati Enquirer has this to say about the Bengals:

“The Bengals have no plan on offense and lack talent and toughness on defense. They’ve been outscored by an average of 25 points the last three weeks.”

However, to complete the circle, the NFL is rife with upsets, something Packers fans hope their team does not forget.

Oct. 19, 3:25 p.m., Arizona Cardinals, State Farm Stadium, FoxFace-price range: N/AAverage lowest-cost seat: $200Average lowest-cost seat on Sept. 22: $221Range of lowest-cost seats: $182-$236

Matt LaFleur vs. Cardinals: 2-0, including 1-0 at State Farm Stadium.

Last week: Tennessee Titans 22, Cardinals 21

Records: Cardinals 2-3, Titans 1-4

What is special about this game? The price of this game was on a normal trajectory for a month, slowly coming down each week. There are a lot of Packers fans in Arizona, and the western states more generally, so this could be another of those home games on the road.

The Cardinals are a team for which better is often expected, but then they lose at home to a team like the Titans, from whom little was expected this year. The Cardinals led 21-3 in this game and still managed to lose. At home.

“For the fourth time in five weeks, the Cardinals’ offense had a chance to seal the win on its terms. And for the fourth time in five weeks, the Cardinals ceded the ball back to their opponent, keeping a game alive,” wrote Arizona Republic’s Theo Mackie.

The Cardinals play the 4-1 Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis this week. Tickets could be even cheaper by game time.

Oct. 28, 7:20 p.m., Pittsburgh Steelers, Acrisure Stadium, NBCFace-price range: N/AAverage lowest-cost seat: $327Average lowest-cost seat Sept. 22: $314Range of lowest-cost seats: $302-$361

Matt LaFleur vs. Steelers: 1-1, including 0-1 at Acrisure Stadium.

Last week: Steelers on a bye. Two weeks ago, Steelers 24, Minnesota Vikings 21

Records: Steelers 3-1, Vikings 3-2 (two weeks ago)

What is special about this game? This one keeps getting more expensive as the 3-1 Steelers accumulate victories behind future hall of fame (and former Packers’) quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It will be the first time the Packers face Rodgers since he decamped for the New York Jets in 2023. His years there were not hall of fame level, but anyone who knows Rodgers knows how motivated he would be to beat the Packers in a prime time Sunday night game.

The Steelers host the pesky Cleveland Browns and travel to Cincinnati before welcoming the Packers to Pittsburgh, which has a well-regarded stadium and a reputation as a good city to visit for a football weekend.

Prices might come down the week before the game, but probably not by a lot.

Nov. 2, noon, Carolina Panthers, Lambeau Field, FoxFace-price range: $139-$196Average lowest-cost seat: $304Average lowest-cost seat on Aug. 29: $238Range of lowest-cost seats: $263-$342

Matt LaFleur vs. Panthers: 3-0, including 2-0 at Lambeau Field.

Last week: Panthers 27, Miami Dolphins 24

Records: Panthers 2-3, Dolphins 1-4

What is special about this game? The average get-in price of this game is up $66 since the last time we checked in August. That’s probably less because the Panthers are an intriguing opponent than the fact that this is only the third Green package home game and it’s already into November.

The Panthers play the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills before coming to Lambeau Field.

Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @RichRymanPG and on Instagram at @rrymanPG.