2. LaFleur Regrets Final Play Call
In a daring move, the Green Bay Packers went for a deep shot on third-and-20, trailing by two points and with less than two minutes left on the clock. However, the play didn’t go as planned. Quarterback Jordan Love’s pass intended for receiver Samori Toure was intercepted by Broncos safety P.J. Locke, effectively shutting down their late rally.
Similar to a disappointing outcome in Vegas, the Packers once again fell short when they went all-in.
“I take full responsibility for that last play,” admitted LaFleur. “I should have opted for a safer play to gain half the yardage and set up a more manageable situation on the next down.”
“We took a risk, and unfortunately, it didn’t pay off.”
Love expressed surprise at Broncos safety Locke’s ability to intercept the pass, as he didn’t anticipate it coming from that direction. This interception turned out to be the only turnover of the game.
“The play was designed for that specific coverage,” Love explained. “We were trying to connect with Samori deep, but the safety on the backside made a great play on the ball.”
“Looking back, we could have made different decisions… it’s hard to say. It’s one of those ‘what if’ situations.”
Ultimately, the focus should be on finding ways to make necessary changes.
“Everyone is incredibly frustrated,” Love expressed. “We need to figure out how to win, how to come out on top in these games.”
“On offense, we’ve been in these game-deciding situations multiple times, but we haven’t been able to capitalize on them. These end-of-game scenarios will continue to arise.”
3. Two Costly Mistakes Stand Out
This game highlighted two particular mistakes for the Packers. Firstly, rookie kicker Anders Carlson missed his first kick of the season, failing to convert a 43-yard field goal attempt when the Packers desperately needed points on the board before halftime.
Secondly, during the final drive, the Packers faced a third-and-20 situation due to a holding penalty on Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins. The offense had executed a successful quarterback draw on the previous touchdown drive, but this time it led to the costly penalty.
The Packers were positioned at the Denver 44-yard line, and Love’s run up the middle seemed to get them inside the 40. However, the penalty nullified the play, pushing Green Bay back to their side of the midfield with a long-yardage situation.
Although the offense may not have needed another first down for kicker Carlson to attempt a long field goal and regain the lead, the penalty took them out of range, ultimately preventing their comeback.
“That was a critical mistake, another one of those crucial penalties at the end of the game,” lamented LaFleur. “It seems like these costly errors keep recurring. They are the things that end up costing you.”
