The Green Bay Packers prevailed 17-14 in an ugly win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
Playing a team led by a lame-duck coach and a rookie undrafted quarterback making his first start, Green Bay refused to put away a team looking for someone, anyone, to put them out of their misery.
And while the Packers got the win, questionable decisions almost turned that reality into an alternate one.
The Packers' late-game turnovers almost lost the game
This goes beyond the third-down ineptitude. I question the need for the Packers to be in a situation where one of their two fourth-quarter turnovers happened.
I won't fault Matt LaFleur for Kaleb Johnson's fumble at the Bucs' 3-yard line with just over nine minutes remaining in the game. Head coaches are hardly to blame for execution errors such as those. But on Green Bay's ensuing drive, it's fair to question LaFleur's decision-making as bordering on the irresponsible.
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The fumble did little to improve Tampa Bay's chances of taking a lead. Stuck on their own 4-yard line, the Bucs used six plays and almost four minutes of clock to travel all of eight yards. Punting back to the Packers, Green Bay took over with less than five minutes left and already in field goal range.
A made kick would put Green Bay up by six. Still a one-score game. But the difference in types of scores could fill the Grand Canyon. The Bucs' offense had looked anemic all game. Their passing attack generated less than 150 yards.
LaFleur's two priorities to start that drive should have been 1) get no less than three points out of the drive and 2) kill time. Every play used by Green Bay was one less opportunity for the Bucs to the run the ball. And their running game had been the only semi-decent part of their attack.
But LaFleur came out aggressive. He asked quarterback Jordan Love to drop back and pass on first down, finding MarShawn Lloyd short right for a 12-yard gain down to the Bucs' 21-yard line. After a false start on Lloyd put the Packers at 1st-and-15, LaFleur called another pass.
Interception. Jacob Parrish stepped in front of a pass intended for Matthew Golden and breathed life back into the Bucs' hopes of stealing the game from Green Bay.
Even considering the down-and-distance and how the false start put them behind the sticks, the argument to run the ball was still strong. Despite the earlier fumble, running the ball came with a lower probability of turnover. But at this point, time was almost as valuable as points.
Three runs would have taken close to a minute-and-a-half off the clock, while setting up a chip-shot field goal at worst. Another three points would have felt like 100 for the Bucs. Putting them in a position to need a touchdown.
The call just seemed to miss the moment. The execution was obviously regrettable. But even having Love pass there just felt unnecessary. That falls on LaFleur.
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