Packers get a win, and actually looked pretty good doing it. It’s still an uphill climb, but at least it’s not a slog to the finish of the season (I’m looking at you Bears). The defense looked much better, although I think that could have a lot to do with a rookie QB than skills in the secondary. And I’m glad that the “Carson Wentz for God” train has slowed somewhat. I can see his athleticism, especially when he took off running, but he really struggles when faced with pressure (33.8 passer rating, lowest in the NFL, when facing pressure).
Then they run that play on 3rd down?
I think the Packers defense thinks the rules of the game are: let the opposing team’s receivers catch the ball, then they all have a footrace to the endzone. Someone should explain the idea of coverage to them. The Eagles’ defense understands - at least Rodgers can still thread the needle and get passes to his receivers.
I’ve been thinking a bit about this, and actually it seems like it might be smart to do this type of thing for several plays at the end of the game. On something like 3rd down with a minute left, run this (without going so far back as a safety) rather than a simple running play, and take some extra time off.
Anyway my idea for a solution is that a team accepting a penalty in the last 2 minutes can choose to reset the game clock to where it was when the play started. Baltimore’s play is the most blatant, but it’s far from the only situation where taking a penalty is worth the time that comes off the clock.