Green Bay Packers Press Conference: Matt LaFleur Gets 100 Percent Real on Jordan Love and Missed Chances – “It Stings”

The Green Bay Packers’ season came to a close with a knockout in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers. It was a close matchup that ended 24-21 in favor of the Niners, who clinched victory in the last quarter. It was a game Matt Lafleur & Co. “fully believed” they could win. So, when the time came to assess the night, LaFleur provided the ground reality on where QB Jordan Love and the entire team missed out.

The Packers were leading the game with 21-14 in the third quarter. But then, the 49ers fought back from a fourth-quarter deficit, and Brock Purdy led a heroic late drive that changed the entire script. His easy shots did the job for the Niners in the game. And the Packers missed the advantage of their lead, falling into the trap of the 49ers. Coach Fleur revealed the biggest factor that went wrong for the Packers.

In the post-game press conference, LaFleur addressed the team’s emotions. He said, “I think any time there’s a finality to a season, it’s always tough unless you’re the last team standing. For us to lose this game, it certainly stings. I’m sure it’s going to sting for a long time. I told the guys [that] part of the reason it stings so bad right now is that we fully believed and fully expected to win this game.” But where did they lose out?

The Packers HC believes, “We had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of reach, and unfortunately, just didn’t do enough. It’s never one play because I’m sure a lot of it is going to come down to the missed field goal. But there were plenty of opportunities.” When asked about Jordan Love’s intercepted pass, LaFleur didn’t pin the blame on his quarterback. “I’ve got to go back and look at it, but that’s only fair. We just didn’t make enough plays, and I’m mad about a couple of play calls,”  he revealed. However, Love did hold himself accountable for what went down.

Addressing questions about his play, Love said, “I haven’t looked at any pictures. Looking back on it, yeah, [I would’ve] thrown it away. I don’t know if I had an opportunity to be able to run, maybe get out of bounds, force it across the middle late, which is a mortal sin. It cost us.” While there certainly were things the Packers could’ve done differently, Matt LaFleur didn’t hold back on the praise for the Niners.

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“Give San Francisco credit. They made more plays in some of those critical situations down the stretch. It’s a tough football team.” Purdy and his squad were the better team when it came to critical points in the game, and that was the determining factor between win and loss. So, where exactly did the Packers falter?

Here’s how the Packers-49ers game witnessed a crazy ending

The Green Bay Packers had an opportunity to even the score or take the lead in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. However, QB Jordan Love made a risky pass over the middle to Christian Watson, resulting in an interception by 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Arguably the MVP of this game, Greenlaw picked off Jordan Love, which sealed the 24-21 deal for the San Francisco 49ers.

Not only this, but Brock Purdy had his most effective drive of the night when the 49ers needed it the most. He completed six passes in a 12-play drive, including a crucial one on third-and-5 to prolong the Niners’ series.

Besides Jordan Love’s ‘game-sealing’ interception, a missed field goal by rookie kicker Anders Carlson combined with 10 unanswered points by the 49ers gave Brock Purdy and his squad a late advantage. The game-leading touchdown was scored by the star player of the 49ers, Christian McCaffrey, with a 6-yard run up the right side, occurring with only 1:07 left in the fourth quarter. And the Packers couldn’t come back from there.

The Niners will now host Sunday’s winner of the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions on January 28 at 6:30 pm. ET.

Read more: NFL Incentive Tracker: Jordan Love in Line for a $1 Million Payout if Packers End Decade-Long Wait for NFC Championship