NFC Notes: Anders Carlson, Matt LaFleur, Jordan Love, Lions, Packers

Lions

Lions DB Ifeatu Melifonwu said the crowd noise and energy play an advantage for the team as it helps disrupt the opposing offense.

“The energy was awesome. You always feed off that. It gives you energy and momentum,” Melifonwu said, via Lions Wire. “Like on defense, you can’t even hear. You just have to rely on hand signals because you can’t hear each other even if you’re right next to the person. Getting the calls in the huddle, you can barely hear. So it’s definitely — I think we use it to our advantage. It definitely gives us momentum.”

Packers

Packers HC Matt LaFleur spoke about the missed chances against the 49ers in their loss on Saturday night, as did K Anders Carlson who believes he needs to improve ahead of next season.

“I felt like we had plenty of opportunities to kind of put the game out of reach and unfortunately just didn’t do enough,” LaFleur said, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “And it’s never one play, ’cause I’m sure a lot of it’s going to come down to the missed field goal, but there were plenty of opportunities. You can go back in the first half and have three red zone opportunities and have six points. There’s a lot of plays out there that it just, if one plays goes different, then probably have a different result right now.”

“Obviously, didn’t pan out the way we wanted it to,” Carlson said of the missed kick. “After each kick, just staying ready for the next one, and there wasn’t another one. I don’t know. I think if we had the answer, we would have fixed it, right? So certainly just got to work on the consistency. We’ve seen him do it. We know what he’s capable [of], but you’ve got to be consistent in order to last in this league.”

Reporters asked Carlson if the wind and poor weather were a factor in his missed kick.

“No, I mean, the flag showed right to left, and I played it right to left,” Carlson noted. “I just need to have a better hit next time. I think there’s a lot to learn. For me, it’s tough to see these guys because I know how much they put in. I just want to put them in the best position possible. Just thinking about them and working for them.”

Packers

Packers QB Jordan Love was mostly terrific in the divisional round against the 49ers and nearly led Green Bay to the upset. But he acknowledged his second interception was the type of mistake he can’t make going forward. While he hadn’t had the chance to see any tape, Love said at the time he thought he could muscle it in back across his body over the middle and didn’t see LB Dre Greenlaw in position to cut it off. 

“I haven’t looked at it yet,” Love said via Pro Football Talk. “Haven’t looked at any pictures, so. Looking back on it, yeah, throw it away. I don’t know if I had an opportunity to be able to run, maybe get out of bounds but, you know, force it across the middle late, which is a mortal sin and it cost us. So it’s something I’ll look at. That’s an area right there I’ll be able to look at, grow from, and get better in the future.”

• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport says the Packers are confident in Love as their franchise quarterback and plan to address his deal this coming spring. He adds not to be surprised if Love signs a “massive, franchise quarterback-type extension.”