Heading into Sunday Night Football, many thought the Green Bay Packers would blow out the Dallas Cowboys. That prediction appeared to be true until the Cowboys changed the momentum heading into halftime and took a 16-13 lead. Once the dust settled, the game ended in a 40-40 overtime tie.
While losses are a part of the NFL experience, Green Bay had a chance to win it if they managed the clock correctly on its final drive. Following the game, head coach Matt LaFleur spoke to the media about the sloppy execution on the final drive and wasn't afraid to take the blame.
"The operation was way too slow. Obviously, the play calls sucked; they weren't good enough," LaFleur said (h/t @TheGameMTE).
Matt LaFleur Takes Responsibility for Packers' Tie vs. Cowboys
LaFleur taking responsibility for Green Bay's failure to score a touchdown on the final drive was the right course of action. The Packers began the final minute of the game with a run play. Instead of calling a timeout after a seven-yard run by Emanuel Wilson, the clock ran down to 32 seconds before running another play, which is inexcusable on its own.
The next play was a pass that lost three yards to rookie wideout Matthew Golden. LaFleur would then take the final timeout, leaving the Packers 28 seconds to score a touchdown. The final two plays were a one-yard loss on a check-down to Wilson and an incomplete endzone shot that left one second left for the field goal.
LaFleur's poor clock management made Packers fans angry. If he had taken the final timeout after the seven-yard run, Green Bay would have had 52 seconds to score a touchdown from the 12-yard line. This would have allowed the Packers' offense to run anything they wanted as long as they had urgency in the hurry-up offense.
That said, the Packers' failure to execute on their final drive isn't the only reason they failed to come away with a win. Green Bay’s defense was porous all night, and for the first time all season, the pass rush was ineffective. As a result, the Cowboys racked up 436 total yards of offense.
Moreover, the Packers' penalty issues continued. Green Bay was penalized seven times for 53 yards. Although the play calling in the final minute of the game was terrible, these issues were an even bigger factor in the result of this game, highlighting that changes must be made.
Luckily, Green Bay has a Week 5 bye, which should allow LaFleur & Co. to rest and recalibrate going forward. If the Packers come out of the bye looking like they did against the Cowboys, fans have every right to be upset with any lack of urgency.