A couple of days on, the dust still hasn’t quite settled after the Packers’ not-quite-loss to the Cowboys. Once again, the Packers played not quite badly enough to lose, but not good enough to win, either.
The phrase “playing not to lose” has popped up a lot in the online discourse I follow, and I think that’s a pretty apt description of how the Packers handled a lot of the time with the Cowboys. In overtime especially, it seemed like the team had no urgency to get the ball into the end zone, settling
instead for running a few safe plays that could have resulted in a score if everything went right, but ultimately only got the Packers close enough to kick a game-tying field goal.
To be fair, had the NFL not shortened its overtime period to 10 minutes from 15 minutes just a few years ago, the Packers would probably have had all the time they needed. But the Packers can only play with the rules they have, and the rules say overtime is 10 minutes long.
The Packers’ consistent game-management issues invite unfortunate comparisons for Matt LaFleur. No coach is perfect, and even ultra-aggressive coaches like Dan Campbell have had their tactics backfire on them. But it’s hard to imagine Campbell’s Lions handling the game-ending situation as poorly as LaFleur’s Packers did, and until LaFleur can start getting better results, he’s going to face the same questions again and again.
What happened on Packers’ final sequence of overtime during tie with Cowboys? | Packers Wire
I’m still trying to wrap my head around this sequence. How did it go this badly?
Packers Daily: Processing a tie | Packers.com
Packers players weigh in on a game where nobody won but it feels like everyone lost.
Packers’ history with overtime ties is brief but memorable. Here’s a look | Packers News
The Packers’ Sunday night fiasco was their third tie since 2013.
Saints-Packers Trade Speculation Heating Up; DT Could Fit In Green Bay | Sports Illustrated
The Packers could use some defensive line help and a Saints blogger has a solution.
How NFL quarterbacks and refs approach their in-game convos | ESPN
Working the refs is part of the game. Here’s how big-name quarterbacks handle it.
Vietnamese man earns record with more than 19 feet of fingernails | UPI
I suddenly feel a very strong urge to cut my fingernails.
