Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur thought it was a trick. Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs must have thought it was a catch. Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen?no way. “That’s what you get when you play the Packers,” Thielen, a longtime Minnesota Vikings star, said of Daub’s controversial catch that set up the game-winning yardage in Green Bay’s 33-30 victory Sunday .What does Thielen mean?
“He usually gives the benefit of the doubt on some calls.”With the score tied 30-30 with 2:30 left, the Dubs’ third and fourth shots were tough to beat. After a 36-yard drive to Carolina’s 33, Tucker Kraft’s 20-yard field goal set up Anders Carlson’s game-winning field goal. But was that the catch?”It was a catch because the ball hit the ground about three times before it moved,” Dubs said. In a catch report between NFL referee Walt Anderson and Panthers beat writer Joe Person, Anderson said he saw the ball hit the ground, but “I also saw him control the ball with his left hand. His left hand never left the ball, and although the ball hit the ground, there was no possible hit to indicate that he lost control of the ball with his left hand. If there is no evidence that he lost control, the ball is allowed to hit the ground, and I did not think his shot was clear and distinct.
The Packers were considered lucky given how their defense collapsed.On third and fourth down, the Panthers applied the pressure. Running back Patrick Taylor was the unsung hero who shut down the offense and gave Jordan Love time. He scored down the left field line as Dubs safety Troy Hill went up and intercepted the ball. The Dubs hit the turf. As he rolled toward the sideline, the ball dropped. It was an extremely close situation.”He always attacks the football. He played his last game,” LaFleur said. “I know it was a tough game, but to be honest I think they did a good job. I think there’s an element of timing when you get the ball and you’re on the ground, so it’s definitely satisfying. “I know it was a difficult decision, but I think it was the right one,” he said.Tell that story to Panthers interim coach Chris Tabor. “I saw the ball fly,” Tabor said.Or cornerback Jacey Horn: “I think that was the straw. That’s great. “I thought it was just a drop.”Thielen analyzed the game from the receiver’s perspective. “I’ve seen it all,” he said.
“After I saw the catch, the ball moved. On its way to the ground, the ball moves, checks again, hits the ground, and then gets lost again. I think the ball moved twice, two different times. So there was not enough time to control the ball. It says: control, then football movement; There was no football movement. And then it goes out of bounds.”A big game to cap off a big day for the Dubs. With the big-play ability of Christian Watson and the emergence of rookies Jaden Reed and Dontaivion Weeks, the Packers needed the Dubs, with Watson (ankle) and Reed (toe) inactive and Weeks sitting on the bench. Half had chest wounds. Daubs caught four passes for 79 yards, snapping a four-game hitting streak.His first score came early in the drive and led to a pass interception that set up a first down. His first catch, a 13-yarder, sparked a drive that led to Carlson’s 53-yard field goal for a 16-10 lead in the second quarter.A 25-yard catch late in the third quarter set up a 5-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Daubs went for a third-and-goal and threw the ball into the seats after the catch.“He made big plays for us,” LaFleur said. “I love his energy and enthusiasm.
It was a brilliant throw after he hit the ball. I think I dropped it to level 2. I like his competition.”His fourth and final catch was a controversial 36 yards.“If I make a play, it’s game over. I made the play and the game was over,” Dubs said.Game over. There was no argument.The Panthers started at their own 25-yard line with 19 seconds left and no timeouts. The Packers didn’t waste as long as they could beat the Panthers’ receivers.They failed on the first try. On first down, Bryce Young hit DJ Chark 70 feet with 13 seconds left. On the next play, Young hit Thielen for 22 yards, but was tackled up the middle of the field. Young ran for a layup with one second left, but his shot was ruled to have come as the clock expired.Tabor “absolutely” believed the Panthers could have attempted a 49-yard field goal with one second left to force overtime. “I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed in the people in that room. They put everything on the line there,” Tabor said. “They called time. We are doing better.
There is no doubt. This is evident in the way we play. I don’t like to lose. Nobody likes to lose. You don’t like to lose when you drive. And then I lost and now it hurts. It breaks my heart because you care about the men who fight and think you love them to death. It just hurts.”Of course, LaFleur looked the other way after his team escaped with a season-saving win. A decision confirmed by Anderson’s team in New York.
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