GREEN BAY, Wis. – Rashan Gary said the surging Green Bay Packers are a team “that’s going to fight for 60 minutes.” Against the Kansas City Chiefs, 59 minutes would not have been enough. Sunday night’s game came down to the final 1:19. Clinging to a 27-19 lead, could the Packers’ rag-tag defense stop two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes? Yes, in one of the craziest endings to a game at Lambeau Field in years. Starting at their 30, the Chiefs faced a second-and-10. His first reads shut down, Mahomes scrambled to the right. Just as he got to the first-down marker but with both feet inbounds, he was clocked by Packers safety Jonathan Owens.
Owens was flagged for unnecessary roughness. All the way across the field, Packers coach Matt LaFleur was furious, perhaps as irate over a call as he’s ever been in his five years on the job. Yelling at an official who had nothing to do with the call, LaFleur directed her attention to the enormous Lambeau Field replay board and erupted again. “I just wanted to hit him before he went out of bounds to try and knock him back to keep the clock rolling,” Owens said. “It was under a minute, I believe, so just keep the clock running, just try to make a team play. If you can get a legal hit on a quarterback, take it every chance you get. It was unfortunate for a flag, but we got the win.” “I knew it was legal,” he added. Just like that, the Chiefs had a first down at the Packers’ 45 with 57 seconds remaining. That set the stage for the next bit of calamity.
Mahomes threw a receiver screen to Rashee Rice that gained 10 yards, thanks in part to a head-hunting block by Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco against Packers defensive back Keisean Nixon. As Rice was tackled by defensive tackle Karl Brooks, linebacker Quay Walker ripped the ball loose. When cornerback Corey Ballentine scooped up the loose ball and started racing toward the Chiefs’ end zone, Nixon pancaked Pacheco. After some additional shoving, Pacheco got up and threw a punch at Nixon. When the play was sorted out, Rice was ruled down after a gain of 10 yards but Pacheco was penalized and ejected.
You can’t do that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “You need to be more composed in that even though the guy shoved his head into the dirt. You have to stay composed on it.” On the next play, which was first-and-10 at the 50 with 50 seconds to go, Mahomes took a deep shot to former Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling against rookie cornerback Carrington Valentine. Maybe the official was letting the two play. Maybe he missed the call. Maybe it was a makeup call following the egregious penalty on Owens. Whatever it was, it was apparent Valentine contacted MVS early. Interference would have given the Chiefs a first-and-goal at around the 8. Instead, the pass fell incomplete. Pass interference or great coverage by Carrington Valentine?Photo by Mark Hoffman/USA Today Sports Images Photo by Mark Hoffman/USA Today Sports Images “On every play where there may or may not be pass interference, either offensive or defensive, the covering official has to rule whether contact materially restricts the receiver,” referee Brad Allen said in a pool report. “And in this case, the covering officials were in good position and ruled that there was no material restriction that rose to the level of defensive pass interference.” Valentine, obviously, agreed.
“I don’t know what you talking about,” a jovial Valentine said. “I saw a PBU, so I don’t know what you talking about.” Mahomes blamed himself for missing on the throw. “It is what it is, man,” he said. “Obviously, the guy was probably a little early but, at the end of the game, they’re letting guys play. I’m kind of about that. I’d rather you let the guys play and let the guys win it on the field. It’s a hard job, man. When we’re in that situation, I can’t be wanting a flag. I have to go out there and win the game myself and with the rest of my teammates.” The Chiefs weren’t dead yet. Mahomes completed back-to-back passes to running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Valdes-Scantling for a first down at the 33 with 19 seconds to go.
