All things considered, it’s probably not what the Packers should have done. And it was not coach Matt LaFleur’s first instinct, not with this team trailing by three points and facing a fourth-and-two from the Arizona 29-yard line with 2:32 to play. In fact, LeFleur had sent out the field-goal unit for a try of about 46 yards.
But as he sent out kicker Lucas Havrisik, the fill-in for the injured Brandon McManus who set a franchise record by making a last-second 61-yarder at the end of the first half, LaFleur caught sight of quarterback Jordan Love.
Then he called a time out and called Havrisik back in, deciding to be aggressive and go for the first down there. After the game, LaFleur was asked why.
“I saw the disdain on the quarterback’s face,” he said.
Jordan Love felt the Packers could convert the first and push for the go-ahead touchdown. He was right. The Packers completed a 15-yard pass, and three plays later, they scored a touchdown to take a 27-23 lead, the final score of the game in Arizona.
Jordan Love Found Tucker Kraft
The key play was the 15-yard throw from Love on that fourth down just before the two-minute warning. It went to Tucker Kraft, who beat Dadrion Taylor-Demerson on the left sideline for the 15-yard catch.
Kraft, Love said was not the first option. But he was the open one, and Kraft made his fifth catch of the day (for 58 yards)
“We had two plays called, and the play we called really wasn’t designed for Tuck but we got three options right there,” Kraft said. “The first two they did a good job, and Tuck did a great job going up and being able to win. It’s all one-on-one, it’s all man across the board. Someone’s gotta win there, and Tuck did.”
The Packers ran three plays to Josh Jacobs to punch in the touchdown.
Packers Now 4-1-1
But while the Packers looked sloppy and overmatched for much of the game, the fourth-down decision was the talk of the postgame.
“It’s a tough one,” Love said. “You’re sitting there and you’re thinking what the situation is. Three points ties it up, but you sit there and you’re like, man there is a lot of time left. They can go down there and kick a field goal with that for the win with that much time and the time outs.”
For the 4-1-1 Packers, it was a major decision, Love said.
“It’s big time,” he said. “Obviously I think for Matt to go for that in that situation, and to have confidence in us to go make a play and for us to go out there and do it, that’s one of those decisions that is gonna suck if we don’t get it but when you do, it made us able to go out there and get the win. It’s big time, big-time play by Tuck to go out there and get that. And obviously to finish it off with the touchdown is huge.”
Packers’ Jordan Love Credits Coach
Love said he loved the decision and while LaFleur credited Love’s disdain for the Packers’ aggressiveness, Love said the choice belonged to LaFleur.
“It was quick. I could see us deciding what we were gonna do, obviously sent the kick team came out and we were still thinking about it,” Love said. “Matt ultimately decided we were gonna go for it, so he called that time out. But that’s really all Matt having that confidence.”
LaFleur explained the willingness to gamble.
“Scared money don’t make money,” the coach said.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jordan Love ‘Disdain’ Led to Packers’ Controversial Call appeared first on Heavy Sports.