The Packers scored a much-needed win over the Dallas Cowboys as the 31-28 overtime win ended the club’s five-game loss. While Aaron Rodgers helped bring offense onto the field to set up the game-winning field goal in overtime, that win didn’t come without the quarterback briefly clashing with coach Matt LaFleur.
With less than two minutes left in regulation time, the Packers defense was able to force a three-and-out from the Cowboys and returned the ball to their offense at their own 33-yard line with a chance to win the game. After two running plays put them in a third-and-1 at their 42-yard line, Green Bay called a timeout and LaFleur called a passplay that was incomplete.
After that game, Rodgers was seen expressing frustration to LaFleur at his decision to pass on the football rather than lead it. Had they kept the ball on the ground, they probably would have had a better chance of not only moving the chains but it wouldn’t have stopped the clock giving Dallas time to possibly go down the field and win it for themselves.
“I felt like we were like 30 yards from actually finishing the game,” Rodgers said after the game via PackersNews.com, “and also felt like it was 2 minutes so I wanted to name these. And I was in a pretty good rhythm. Obviously I didn’t have a lot of tries tonight but I felt like I was in a pretty good rhythm. I felt like I threw the ball exactly where I wanted to go tonight and I wanted a chance to win the game.”
While Rodger’s displeasure at that play call was evident in that clip, he and LaFleur were seen working on play calls together on the sidelines immediately afterwards, and it didn’t seem like either of them held too many grudges.
“They had three timeouts and I knew it took us about 30 yards to possibly get within range of the field goal,” LaFleur said. “So we called these run pass cans and when we looked for the pass, we called the pass. We drove him down first and then down and then down as they played we tried to play a shot again, another pass can and it didn’t work – at least at that moment. But of course it worked out that we prevailed.
“Often when we get into situations like this, we give Aaron the freedom to run the show. And I would say he usually does such a great job with it. So, you know, it’s 20-20 in hindsight, but that was entirely up to me. The decision didn’t prove fatal either, as the Cowboys could only rush 19 yards that way to ensure possession before the ordinance ended.
In overtime, the Green Bay defense halted Dallas’ offense after Mike McCarthy himself made a questionable decision by choosing to keep his offense on the field and backing it up with fourth and third tries from the 35-yard Line the Packers out to try. Dak Prescott’s pass was incomplete, the Packers won the ball and Rodgers put the offensive 55 yards down the field to set up Mason Crosby’s game-winning field goal.