Packers’ push for first Super Bowl trip since 2010 comes to an end

The Green Bay Packers run to Super Bowl LV came to an end Sunday with a 31-26 loss to Tampa Bay at Lambeau Field.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns but was able to only take advantage of one of the three interceptions thrown by counterpart Tom Brady in the second half. Trailing 28-23 in the fourth quarter, the Packers defense gave Rodgers and the offense ball back twice. They proceeded to go three-and-out.

After a Buccaneers field goal made it 31-23, the Packers moved down the field but three-straight incompletions from inside the 10-yard line left them facing a fourth-and-8. Instead of going for it, coach Matt LaFleur decided to kick a field goal to make it a 31-26 game with 2:05 left, putting the onus on his defense to get a stop.

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s unit got it to third-and-4 and forced an incompletion only to see a late flag on cornerback Kevin King for pass interference. The Buccaneers were able to run out the rest of the clock and punch their ticket to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years.

“Anytime it doesn’t work out you always regret it, right?,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of the decision to kick the field goal instead of going for it. “It was just circumstance of having three shots and coming away with no yards. And knowing that you not only need the touchdown but you’d need the two-point. The way I was looking at it is we essentially had four timeouts with the two-minute warning, we knew we needed to get a stop.”

Brady threw for three scores, including a shocking one to Scotty Miller just before halftime that turned a one-score game into a two-score game. Things got even worse for the home team on its first possession of the second half as Aaron Jones fumbled after a third-down catch and the Buccaneers recovered. One play later Tampa Bay led 28-10 following an 8-yard Cameron Brate touchdown catch.

Green Bay’s offense answered with back-to-back touchdown drives, finished with Rodgers touchdown passes to Robert Tonyan and Davante Adams. But that would be the last time they’d reach the end zone.

The game represented Rodgers greatest chance to get back to the Super Bowl. After winning his first trip to the NFC title game in 2010, the future Hall of Fame quarterback has now lost his last four.

“I’m just pretty gutted,” Rodgers said. “It’s a long season. You put so much into it to get to this point. We had our chances.”

For some, it could be their last chances. Jones and fellow running back Jamaal Williams are free agents. So is All-Pro center Corey Linsley, cornerback Kevin King and tight end Marcedes Lewis. Fresh off a crushing loss, Rodgers acknowledged the uncertainty moving forward, including for himself.

“I don’t know,” Rodgers said. “I really don’t know. There’s a lot of unknowns going into this offseason now. I’m gonna have to take some time away, for sure, and just clear my head and just kinda see what’s going on with everything. It’s pretty tough right now, especially thinking about the guys that may or may not be here next year. That makes the finality of it all kind of you hit you like a ton of bricks.”