NFL defends face-mask call allowing Packers’ Hail Mary TD

Taylor only momentarily got his hand on Rodgers’ face mask, and though he grabbed the quarterback’s collar, was flagged anyway. Setting up the last of seven catches on the night for the second year tight end, and the Hail Mary to win the game.

“In that situation we have a couple different things that we do”, Caldwell said, via the Detroit Free Press.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell echoed this, saying, “Didn’t think it was, but because you don’t think it was or I don’t think it was, it was called”.

Last night, the Packers stunned the Lions by rallying back from a late 23-14 deficit and winning on a 61-yard Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary touchdown pass to Richard Rodgers on the final play of the game. That gave the Packers another play with time expired.

The Packers’ decimated offensive line, which started the game without right tackle Bryan Bulaga and right guard T.J. Lang, lost center Corey Linsley to a reinjured ankle in the first half and left tackle David Bakhtiari briefly in the fourth quarter because of a reinjured knee.

Two-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers passed for 273 yards and two touchdowns and also scored on a 17-yard run as Green Bay improved to 8-4.

“It’s a close play, but even looking at the replay, the hand is up near the mask, the finger looks like it gets caught in the mask and the head gets turned”.

From the MarketWatch archive: Are Green Bay Packers shares a good investment?

Just like there are a lot of Rodgers’s in this story, there have been plenty of Hail Marys before.

For much of the game, that sentiment proved accurate. More important, he appears to have overcome his bout with fumble-itis.

The Rodgers-to-Rodgers completion gave the Pack an improbable 27-23 road victory over the divisional rival Lions. “In other words, don’t get into the end zone”. However, Johnson was otherwise held in check after his three-touchdown performance against Philadelphia on Thanksgiving. “He hit him for 29 yards”, said Larrivee. He was listed as questionable after missing two days of practice with an illness.

A bad call, to be sure, but not one that doomed the Lions.

With the understanding that one play has accounted for such a drastic swing in the Packers’ season, it’s easy to identify with Mike McCarthy’s effusive praise on Friday. I mean, they had that game won at halftime for Pete’s sake. “I didn’t believe I touched it”. Taylor had two sacks as part of a Detroit front that was overwhelming at times. That said, the Packers were in position to steal a victory because their offense came to life in the second half. While it was an iffy call, it’s not like it set up Mason Crosby for a chip shot field goal.