Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur was highly scrutinized after deciding to kick a field goal with just over 2 minutes of play in the NFC championship against Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A touchdown and a two-point conversion would have tied the game. A field goal would still have forced the Packers to score a touchdown if they took the ball back. LaFleur chose the field-goal route among the eight of the Buccaneers and reduced Tamp Bay’s lead to five points.
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On the surface, the Packers only need a defensive stop and they basically had four timeouts, as the 2-minute warning had not yet gone off. Green Bay never made that stop and it looked like LaFleur had taken the ball out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands with a risky move that didn’t work out in the end.
LaFleur tried to explain the move after the game, according to the team’s website.
“I was seeing that we basically had four timeouts with the two-minute warning,” he said, adding that the prospect of a two-point conversion was a factor in his decision making.
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“Whenever something goes wrong, do you regret it? Sure.”
Rodgers also made it clear that it was not his decision.
“It wasn’t my decision. I understand the thought over two minutes with all of our timeouts, but it wasn’t my decision,” said Rodgers.
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The Packers lost in the NFC championship for the second consecutive season. Rodgers’ future as a Green Bay defender is also obscure, even though he appears to be a right choice for MVP.