Rick Osentoski / Associated Press
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur defended his decision to have his team try a field goal rather than a touchdown and a two-point conversion that would have tied the game if it were successful.
The Packers were behind Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23, 2:05 to the end of the game. In the 4th for the goal at the Tampa Bay 8-yard line, LaFleur sent Mason Crosby, who made his second of two attempts to field a 31-26.
The Packers defense failed to recover the ball, setting the stage for Tom Brady and the Bucs to advance to the Super Bowl.
LaFleur explained the decision after the game, telling reporters (Rob Demovsky of h / t ESPN) that “it looked like it was the right decision”:
“Yes, whenever it doesn’t work, you always regret it, right? It was just the circumstance of having three shots and going without yards and knowing that you not only need the touchdown, but you need the 2 points [conversion]. The way I was looking, we basically had four timeouts with a two-minute warning.
“We knew we needed to make a stop and I thought we were going to make a stop there at the end, but we were called to [defensive pass interference] and it didn’t work. I think that whenever something goes wrong, do you regret it? Sure, but we’re always going to be guided by the process here, and the way our defense was fighting, the way our defense was playing, it seemed like the right decision to make. It just didn’t work. “
Prior to the kick, Aaron Rodgers had released three incompletions to cap a nine-yard 58-yard run that consumed just 2:37 off the clock.
The defense worked Tampa Bay up to 3rd and 4th on the Buccaneers ’37-yard line, but Packers’ cornerback Kevin King was alerted for interfering with the pass, resulting in a 15-yard penalty and a first down. In the next play, which came from the Packers’ 48-yard line, Green Bay committed a five-yard penalty for having too many players on the field.
The decision to kick raised doubts among many viewers, including those who bet on a Packers team that entered as a 3.5-point favorite:
Rodgers, who shot for 346 yards, three touchdowns and an interception and was fired five times in defeat, said he had nothing to do with the decision to kick:
“I didn’t have a decision on that … I understand the thought, over two minutes with all of our timeouts,” Rodgers said. “But it was not my decision.”
The Buccaneers await the AFC Championship winner between Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.