Both Green Bay Packers kickoff returner Keisean Nixon and coach Matt LaFleur believe Nixon recovered his own fumble on the opening kickoff of Sunday’s playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The play was reviewed but the call on the field — a recovery by the Eagles at the 28-yard line — stood, and Philadelphia scored the game’s first points three plays later.
“I got the ball back for sure,” Nixon said Monday, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “Should have been targeting, helmet to helmet, but can’t dwell on it. I’ve never been hit that hard.”
Nixon fumbled after being hit hard by former Packers linebacker Oren Burks. After losing the ball, Nixon did appear (at least from the overhead view) to momentarily regain possession before the ball was battled for in the mass of bodies within the pile. But the NFL stuck with the call on the field.
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The controversial turnover — creating a jarring start for the underdog Packers — gift-wrapped the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
Nixon’s coach also believed the call would be reversed after review, especially after LaFleur saw the replay in the stadium and got an opinion from assistant quarterbacks coach Conner Lewis in the booth.
“I thought we recovered the ball,” LaFleur said, via Mike Spofford of Packers.com. “Just what they showed on the big board, what I was hearing from our guys upstairs … they all thought it was our ball. Obviously the league felt differently.”
Jalen Hurts threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson on the third play of the Eagles’ ensuing drive.
The start was a sign of things to come for the Packers, who turned the ball over four times and lost the turnover battle 4-0 in the 22-10 loss to the Eagles.
