The Green Bay Packers season may have been saved by one play Thursday night; a play that came down to an Aaron Rodgers hail mary pass with no time remaining on the clock. “I really didn’t know what was going on around me, I just locked in on the ball and tried to make a play”. I know how he feels, and I think actually, if I’m correct, he had like two sacks the first half.
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Packers tight end Richard Rodgers reaches to catch the winning pass Thursday night against the Lions.
It’s a play Mike McCarthy says the Packers practice every Saturday – because they’ve been victimized by this type of desperation heave in the past and want their defense to be prepared to stop it. “It feels like more”. The Lions (4-8) had won three straight and blew a chance to sweep the season series for the first time since 1991. “Those are the ones that eat at you”. For a swath of football fans, he always will be known for his part in one play. “It is never over in this league”. Prior to the second touchdown, the Detroit Lions were ahead by two points – an advantage that could have sealed their win.
“Not an easy pill to swallow”, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said afterward.
Calvin Johnson caught his 15th career touchdown pass against Green Bay, a record for a Packers’ opponent, while Matt Prater added three field goals.
“Usually we have a back in there who kind of helps block”, Aaron Rodgers said. “I ran down there, saw the ball, made sure I was in the endzone and went up and caught it”, said Richard Rodgers. His father, Richard Sr., meanwhile, threw two of the five laterals during the famous 1982 “Stanford band” play, in which his Cal Bears returned a kickoff for a game-winning touchdown that was so improbable the Stanford pep band had already spilled onto the field, thinking the game was over. It looked like he was going for the tackle, missed Rodgers as Rodgers dodged him, then got a piece of the facemask before bringing Rodgers down. And it came down a few yards deep in the Lions end zone.
“It’s the complete scenario”, Rock Rodgers said, explaining his stance.
“We had plenty of guys back there”, Caldwell said. Following a defensive stand, the Packers had had just:23 seconds and no timeouts to score. He also lost a fumble.
It wasn’t a big enough cushion.
After the touchdown, the Packers took a knee rather than kick an extra point.
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The Lions on the other hand, were playing like one of the best teams in the conference. Lions defenders were simply not in the right area of the football as it neared the end zone.
