Crockett reacts to Packers improbable win

Green Bay are now 8-4 on the season, half a game behind the NFC North leading Minnesota Vikings.

What has to be galling for Lions fans is that this wasn’t like so many other Hail Marys.

The Lions (4-8) had won three straight and blew a chance to sweep the season series for the first time since 1991.

Meanwhile, in Detroit, the Lions had real reason to complain. “We’re inconsistent on offense”. The undrafted rookie had been with the team since the start of the season but played sparingly as its No. 3 halfback. It was Rodgers, backpedaling, who jumped up and hauled in the pass in front of Lions defenders who didn’t put a body on him. In particular, substitutes made up over half of the Packers’ offensive line due to injuries.

It comes down to a poor decision by Taylor, and poor coaching for whoever on the Lions taught him to tackle. They’re weren’t prepared to cover the “Rebound Pass” like they normally would. They were down 17-0 at halftime…

With the clock at:00 prior to the last play, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had to move the ball 61 yards on one last play.

“You sat there and said, ‘There’s no way, ‘ but the untimed play, the fortuitous face mask penalty gave the Packers one more shot, and they got it done”. M.D. Jennings appeared to have made the interception for Green Bay, but the replacement refs ruled that Golden Tate had possession as the two players both had their hands on the ball when time expired.

Before the stunning outcome, the Packers needed a big break just to have a final chance. The unusual touchdown got the Packers on the board with 5:44 left in the third quarter. However, the impact came from two surprising players in particular. He ran for 15 yards on nine carries and caught five passes for 45 yards.

After the touchdown, the Packers took a knee rather than kick an extra point. He threw for 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Following a defensive stand, the Packers had had just:23 seconds and no timeouts to score. He pinned the Packers at their own 21-yard line without a timeout. Running back James Starks fumbled at the Lions five-yard-line but the ball bounced forward and wide receiver Randall Cobb landed on it in the end zone.

Following the Thursday game, the Lions have Friday through Sunday off, but Stafford didn’t say anything about how he’d overcome the emotional pitfalls of the game, instead pointing to the necessary rest period for the team to get healthy. “You want to get the ball into the end zone and you want to get people around it. However you orchestrate that, I mean you don’t want to throw it short and you don’t want to throw it out”, Belichick said. When he caught it I blacked out. Yes, that’s right, the best strategy against the Packers is to hope the reigning MVP throws the ball. On Thursday night, he engraved himself forever in the Packers history books.

The reaction to the Packers’ dramatic win depended on your viewpoint.

In a tweet issued immediately after the game, National Football League vice president of officiating Dean Blandino defended the face-mask foul by saying an official “is going to make that call nearly every time”.