The Packers entered their Week 18 matchup with the Bears without much to play for. Someone should have emphasized that reality to head coach Matt LaFleur. His insistence to play his starters for extended period of time might cost Green Bay any chance of making a deep postseason run.

Quarterback Jordan Love and wide receiver Christian Watson both exited the game in the second quarter due to injury. The team’s star quarterback appeared to injure his right elbow when throwing a shovel pass to evade pressure from the Bears’ defensive front. Watson suffered a non-contact injury that forced him to the ground when trying to make a cut on a pass pattern.

LaFleur will be forced to answer a ton of tough questions if either or both stars are sidelined for the postseason. Malik Willis is a good backup quarterback but he’s not the sort of offensive star that can power a team to a lengthy playoff run. Not having Love for the playoffs would be an absolute disaster for Green Bay.

Matt LaFleur put the Packers health at risk, which was a mistake

Losing Watson would not be as disastrous but he’s a key part of the team’s passing attack. The Packers do not have a bona fide No. 1 wideout which means they get things done by committee at the wide receiver position. Watson’s combination of speed and size makes him Love’s best deep threat. Opposing secondaries will attack the line of scrimmage more aggressively if he’s ruled out for the postseason.

Losing Love, on the other hand, would be disastrous. Love was taken out of the game as a precaution, but why he was even playing in the first place is a question LaFleur has yet to answer coherently.

LaFleur has done a lot of things right for Green Bay this season but all of his good decisions might be overshadowed by how much he’s played his starters in Week 18. The fact that Josh Jacobs continues to soak up carries even after these two high-profile injuries only show that LaFleur hasn’t learned his lesson. A playoff game without the likes of Love and Watson might be what’s required to help him adjust his strategy moving forward.