Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said if given another opportunity, he’d still go for a touchdown in an end-of-the-half scenario, but he’d want to call a different play.
The Packers got stuffed by Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Gerald McCoy on the final play of the second quarter when McCoy blew into the backfield and stopped Jamaal Williams for a loss.
The missed opportunity didn’t end up costing the Packers, but LaFleur still regrets calling that play in that situation.
“Just going back to that, I don’t like the playcall,” LaFleur said Monday. “We didn’t practice it for that situation. I put that on my shoulders. I have to do a better job of making sure that we’re well prepared for whatever they may show, and I don’t think I did a good enough job in that regard. Still would go for it again, if that opportunity presented itself.”
The Packers got a penalty to get to the 2-yard line with two seconds left, decided to forego the easy field goal and used a timeout to help provide time to find the right play.
McCoy said after Sunday’s game that he picked up on a few pre-snap keys and knew when to jump the snap. That advantage allowed him to blow past left tackle David Bakhtiari and stuff Williams just as he was getting the football on an inside run.
LaFleur said the Packers had been getting significant push up the middle in the first half, and he was confident the offensive line could open up enough room for Williams to get three feet.
“I thought we could cram it up for a yard and it didn’t work,” LaFleur said Sunday.
Aaron Jones, who scored three touchdowns on Sunday against the Panthers, wasn’t on the field.
Packers want to specialize role for MVS: Second-year receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has just one catch for 4 yards over the last three games, and he was on the field for just 11 snaps during Sunday’s win over the Panthers.
LaFleur said Valdes-Scantling is still recovering from an injury suffered in a win over the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 20. But he also wants to refocus on finding specialized ways of best using his unique skill set.
“Number one, he has battled through a little bit of an injury, which definitely has slowed him down,” LaFleur said. “But we also have to look critically at ourselves and what we’re asking him to do and making sure we’re putting him in position to get some of those balls. He does have a great talent. He’s a guy that, when he rolls off the ball, he is tough to defend because he runs so well. We have to put him in position where he can use that to his advantage. You can’t coach or teach that speed.”
Valdes-Scantling’s one target against the Panthers was a deep shot from Aaron Rodgers on third down. It was thrown into double coverage, and Valdes-Scantling was unable to go up and make a play on the ball in the air.
Although there’s risk of tipping their hand with personnel, it’s possible the Packers will use Allen Lazard, Jake Kumerow and Geronimo Allison as intermediate receivers and Valdes-Scantling as the designated vertical threat over the final six games.
Sternberger earns trust: Rookie tight end Jace Sternberger might have earned himself a bigger role on offense after impressing coaches during a 15-play cameo against the Panthers on Sunday.
The Packers’ third-round pick didn’t have a catch or a target, but he handled his business as a blocker. At least twice, he cut off the backside on a split zone run. He also got to the second level and blocked Shaq Thompson on one explosive run from Jamaal Williams.
“We definitely had the intent to put him in the game. We had a couple of plays that were specifically for him. Some of the cross sifts and inserts. He did a nice job. He earned our trust. I’m excited about him for the future,” LaFleur said.
Sternberger could give LaFleur and the Packers offense an athletic move tight end to use over the final six weeks of the season.
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