The Green Bay Packers trailed by 14 points — or two touchdowns and two extra points — before Jordan Love’s 1-yard touchdown run with 6:58 left in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Matt LaFleur’s decision following the touchdown helped fuel the Packers’ incredible comeback win.
Buy Packers TicketsInstead of kicking the extra point to make the score 17-10, LaFleur heeded the advice of assistant quarterbacks coach Connor Lewis and went for two.
“I’ve got this guy Connor Lewis in my ear, non stop, saying ‘Go for two, go for two,'” LaFleur said.
Why? The theory of the idea is simple.
Love’s touchdown run cut the Saints’ lead to 17-9, or eight points. Regardless of whether the Packers kicked the extra point or failed the two-point conversion, they’d be down one score and would have a chance to tie the game on the next possession. However, if the Packers converted the two-point conversion and then trailed by six points, a touchdown and extra point on the next drive would take the lead and possibly win the game.
LaFleur’s decision paid off in a big way.
Although LaFleur didn’t love the playcall and the timing of the motion and snap wasn’t right, his quarterback made it happen. Love bought time on a busted play and appeared ready to take off running before collecting and firing to Samori Toure to his left. Marshon Lattimore didn’t realize the ball was coming before it was too late, and Toure made the catch for two points.
“I didn’t feel great about the playcall. The execution definitely wasn’t how we practiced it. But I had a lot of belief in the way our quarterback was playing. He was making off schedule plays,” LaFleur said. “If the initial read isn’t there, we have a guy who can go off schedule. That’s what happened.”
At 17-11, the stage was set. Of course, that’s exactly what happened. Love and the Packers got the ball back and then drove 80 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and extra point. Instead of the game being tied at 17, the Packers took a one-point lead, which held up after the Saints missed a field goal.
“There was a lot of belief that we were going to find a way,” LaFleur said. “Everything broke right for us.”
