How long the two are connected remains uncertain.

LaFleur said Sunday that he spoke briefly with team president and CEO Ed Policy on the flight back to Green Bay after the Packers’ 31-27 loss to the Chicago Bears in an NFC wild-card playoff game Saturday night. LaFleur expected to meet with Policy again either later Sunday night or Monday.

But he declined to comment on whether he expected to keep his job after the Packers (9-8-1) made their third straight playoff appearance but lost their final five games.

“That’s not the focus right now, to be honest with you,” LaFleur said. “We’re fresh off this loss. My sole focus is on our players, our team, and just trying to find ways to get better.”

Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love talks after Saturday's game against Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

The Packers became the fourth team in NFL history to lose a playoff game after leading by at least 15 points to start the fourth quarter. Green Bay led 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 after the third period.

LaFleur reiterated Sunday how much he wants to keep the job he’s had for the last seven seasons.

“This is one of one,” LaFleur said. “I love this place.”

LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst have one year remaining on their contracts. Policy said last summer he would prefer not to have his coach and GM enter the final year of their contracts without extensions, saying it “creates a lot of issues.”

That seemingly makes extending LaFleur’s contract or firing him the most likely options.

LaFleur was asked Sunday if he believed it could be feasible to return next season without an extension, or whether his contract status would cause too many distractions.

“That’s not my focus right now,” LaFleur replied. “Those conversations will be had in a very short period of time.”

LaFleur also was asked why he believes he’s the right coach to get Green Bay over the hump.

“I don’t think those are questions for me,” LaFleur said. “Like I said, I think my sole focus is just trying to find solutions to some of our issues and why things went awry yesterday. And you know, it’s disappointing. I’m as disappointed, obviously, as, as all you guys, as our fans, as everybody in our organization, because we had plenty of opportunities to slam the door shut and we didn’t get it done.”

Green Bay is 76-40-1 in the regular season but 3-6 in the playoffs under LaFleur. The Packers have made six postseason appearances in LaFleur’s seven seasons.

The Packers led by at least nine points in the second half of four of their eight losses this season, and they also squandered an early 13-0 advantage in a 40-all tie at Dallas. LaFleur said at his postgame news conference Saturday that “we’ve just got to do a better job of keeping our composure as a football team,” specifically in critical moments.

LaFleur clarified those comments Sunday by saying he believed Green Bay’s issues were more from a lack of execution than a lack of composure. He noted that the execution problems came from coaching decisions as well as from players’ actions.

He also discussed what the Packers could do differently to avoid a similar fate next season, assuming he returns.

“I think we have to look at everything, from how we train to how we practice,” LaFleur said. “These are conversations that I’ve already had with some of our people. Just trying to find maybe different ways to do things but those are all the conversations that are ongoing right now, just taking all the data that we have, comparing to other teams or whatever it may be.”

Saturday’s collapse included two big misses by Brandon McManus on an extra point and a 44-yard field goal, along with a delay-of-game penalty coming out of a timeout and a fumbled snap on the final play of the game.

It was the fifth consecutive loss for Green Bay (9-8-1), a season-ending slide that featured two dramatic losses at Chicago. The Packers blew a 16-6 lead in the final minutes of regulation in a 22-16 overtime loss to the Bears on Dec. 20.

Green Bay dropped to 33-3 in the playoffs when it led by at least 10 points. The other losses were against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2014 NFC title game and the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2003 divisional round.

“We had a game where we couldn’t finish it and let a team come back and beat us,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “So it’s very disappointing to end the season on a note like that. So, yeah, everybody is very disappointed. I’m very disappointed, and that’s it.”

LaFleur, 46, got a vote of confidence from his quarterback.

“I definitely think Matt should be the head coach,” Love said. “I’ve got a lot of love for Matt, and I think he does a good job.”

Love threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half. The Packers had a 21-3 lead when McManus missed a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.

Love’s 23-yard TD pass to Matthew Golden made it 27-16 with 6:36 left, but McManus was wide left on the extra-point attempt. His missed 44-yard try would have provided a 30-24 lead in the final minutes.

“It’s disappointing,” McManus said. “My role on the team is to make kicks and these guys pour in thousands of plays over the course of the season and I leave seven points on the board today. Like I said, it’s the most disappointing part of my career right now.”

A delay-of-game flag coming out of a Green Bay timeout played a role in the drive stalling ahead of McManus’ final kick of the night. LaFleur called the penalty “inexcusable.”

The Packers drove to the Bears 23 on their final possession, but offensive lineman Rasheed Walker was called for a false start before Love threw two incomplete passes. The timing on the final play was thrown off when Love dropped the snap.

“We had a play called to be able to take a shot to the end zone,” Love said. “And then, depending on the coverage they were playing, how soft they were, trying to pick up an easy couple yards to the sidelines, that’s what we went to. When I fumbled the snap, couldn’t get that, it kind of turned into last-second Hail Mary.”

Green Bay 7 14 0 6 — 27

Chicago 3 0 3 25 — 31

First Quarter

Chi_FG Santos 27, 7:02.

GB_Watson 7 pass from Love (McManus kick), 2:06.

Second Quarter

GB_Reed 18 pass from Love (McManus kick), 6:46.

GB_Doubs 1 pass from Love (McManus kick), 1:56.

Third Quarter

Chi_FG Santos 34, 10:07.

Fourth Quarter

Chi_FG Santos 51, 13:29.

Chi_Swift 6 run (Santos kick), 10:08.

GB_Golden 23 pass from Love (kick failed), 6:36.

Chi_Zaccheaus 8 pass from Ca.Williams (Loveland pass from Ca.Williams), 4:18.

Chi_Moore 25 pass from Ca.Williams (Santos kick), 1:43.

A_60,338.

___

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING_Green Bay, Jacobs 19-55, C.Brooks 1-16, Reed 1-14, Love 1-11, Wilson 1-3. Chicago, Swift 13-54, Monangai 8-27, Ca.Williams 4-20, Kmet 1-1, Burden 1-(minus 4), Moore 1-(minus 5).

PASSING_Green Bay, Love 24-46-0-323. Chicago, Ca.Williams 24-48-2-361.

RECEIVING_Green Bay, Doubs 8-124, Golden 4-84, Reed 4-43, Watson 3-36, C.Brooks 1-11, Musgrave 1-9, Whyle 1-7, Kinnard 1-6, Jacobs 1-3. Chicago, Loveland 8-137, Moore 6-64, Burden 3-42, Odunze 2-44, Swift 2-38, Monangai 1-22, Zaccheaus 1-8, Smythe 1-6.

MISSED FIELD GOALS_Green Bay, McManus 55, McManus 44.