The Green Bay Packers faced third down and 12, and Matt LaFleur thought he dialed up a touchdown reception for rookie UDFA J. Michael Sturdivant. Sturdivant was called for offensive pass interference, which the Packers coach did not agree with.
So, on third down with 22 yards to go, LaFleur dialed up a deep ball again, this time to Christian Watson. Green Bay scored a 53-yard touchdown and went up 20-7. The game was effectively over after that point.
LaFleur noted that he was still annoyed about the pass interference call on the play prior, which led to what he called a rage call.
“Well, I was still pissed off for the first play,” admitted LaFleur. “So, it was a rage call, I guess. You’re sitting there third-and-22, and I was like, all right, might as well take another shot.”
The Packers threw three straight downfield shots in that situation. LaFleur admits that there are few calls to make on third down with that many yards to go, so while he was mad, it was still a smart call.
Green Bay Packers HC Matt LaFleur Rage Called Touchdown Pass
LaFleur later defended his play by saying that Sturdivant was not doing anything more than defending himself from typical hand fighting with a cornerback.
“When guys are grabbing, how do you want him to get off of the guy?” questioned LaFleur. “I get it. He did get him in the face, but he is getting grabbed too. So it is just hand fighting that goes on. You can’t expect it to get called, but you have to have some recourse as a wide receiver to get their hands off of you.”
Jordan Love had a quick quip about the penalty after the game. He noted that the ball doesn’t lie, referring to the idea that the Packers scored a touchdown on the very next play anyway.
Packers Beat Chicago Bears
Sturdivant ended the game with zero catches due to the penalty. However, their star receivers had plenty of production for the team. Watson added six receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the win. His teammate, Matthew Golden, added six receptions for 123 yards.
The duo was responsible for the majority of the production for the Packers against the Bears. Quarterback Jordan Love was 25-for-31 as a passer and had 367 yards through the air. What was more impressive was what he did with the deep ball. Love was 6-for-8 throwing the deep ball for 258 yards and two touchdowns. The Packers were consistently testing the Bears down the field and finding success.
So, it makes sense that they would continue to try to push it, even after a pass interference pushed them back.
LaFleur made a rage call, but given the state of the game, he also knew what he was doing.
Matt LaFleur Admits to ‘Rage Call’ in Packers Win