When the Green Bay Packers decided to part ways with longtime head coach Mike McCarthy, they knew the next hire had to be huge. After all, McCarthy brought a Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay and had the Packers competitive year in and year out.

The Packers hired Matt LaFleur to replace McCarthy, and he has taken this team to new heights in just his second season after spending time as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans. He has the most wins in franchise history through the first two seasons and has led the Packers to back-to-back NFC North titles.

Yes, LaFleur has more wins in his first two seasons than Packers legends Vince Lombardi, Mike McCarthy, and Mike Holmgren, just to name a few.

Lambeau Field is now home to the NFC Championship Game, and Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams have been playing at an all-time high level, with Rodgers the favorite to win MVP. The Packers' defense has been solid, and Aaron Jones rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the second straight season. Green Bay's offense is in the top five in both total offense as well as points scored, and the relationship between LaFleur and Rodgers has been incredible.

Packers, Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones,Matt LaFleur

Questions initially swirled regarding the offense when LaFleur was brought in as head coach, but Rodgers insisted he wasn't going to change his grasp of changing the offense on the go like he did year after year under McCarthy. As it turns out, LaFleur and Rodgers have worked together without blemish, even more so this season after the Packers selected quarterback Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Aaron Rodgers responded to the Love selection with arguably the best season of his career, and he deserves MVP. LaFleur commended Rodgers' ability to change the play on the fly earlier in the season:

“He definitely has free rein,” LaFleur said. “So, if he sees something and can get us out of a bad play, yeah, he will get us out of a bad play. And he's done a great job of it,” per Michael Silver of NFL.com.

It's no secret that LaFleur has turned around this Packers team in his short time in Green Bay, and putting full trust in a Hall of Fame quarterback has a lot to do with it.

LaFleur's team is preparing for their second consecutive conference title game, and with the home-field advantage this time around and a few thousand fans in the stands, it's theirs for the taking. While Tom Brady is never an easy opponent, the Packers are still sour about their 38-10 embarrassment to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in October.

However, LaFleur and the Packers aren't thinking about that game in October:

“I think our team has come a long way from that day, but everything’s just words at this point,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. “You’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to have a great week of preparation and you’ve got to go earn it on the field. So that’ll be our mindset and that’s how we’ll approach it,” per FOX Sports.

The Packers got off to a 10-0 start in that game against Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers shut down Rodgers and company for the remainder of the game. Don't expect that to happen this time around.

The stakes are at an all-time high for both teams, and Green Bay will have the benefit of home field on Sunday. Will the Packers reach the Super Bowl in just their second season with LaFleur, or will Brady reach yet another Super Bowl?

Whatever happens, LaFleur needs to be commended for getting the most out of Aaron Rodgers even at his advanced age. It was clear the Rodgers-McCarthy relationship had run its course, and the future Hall of Famer is rejuvenated under Matt LaFleur.