Facing a one-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein pushed through a 34-yard field goal to put his team ahead of the Green Bay Packers with 2:05 remaining in regulation.
If you’re a Chicago Bears fan, you should be quite familiar with how this story is supposed to end: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers eludes pass-rushers and picks apart the opposing secondary en route to a game-winning score. But that’s not what happened. Not this time.
In what turned out to be the ultimate plot twist, kick returner Ty Montgomery took the ensuing kick-off out of the end zone … and fumbled it away. The decision was a costly one as the Rams hopped on the fumble, squeezed out one last third-down conversion, and snatched victory in a game when defeat seemed inescapable.
So what happened? Well, let Mr. Montgomery tell his side of the story:
Packers KR Ty Montgomery gives his full explanation on bringing out the final kickoff in yesterday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. pic.twitter.com/TnzoLqbazf
— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) October 29, 2018
Fair explanation, right? From the sound of his comments, alone, Montgomery was going to stay in the end zone – if that’s, indeed, where it was kicked – to give Rodgers a chance at the comeback, but a borderline kick forced a last-minute audible. So not wanting the refs to incorrectly mark him down just outside the end zone, Montgomery attempted the return.
The only problem is … it’s not really all that close:
https://twitter.com/DFSBBallGuy/status/1056694947598893056
He’s pretty firmly in the end zone there and could have DEFINITELY taken a knee (though we’re glad he did not), per the plan. And, yeah, Head Coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that strategy after the game: “The plan was to stay (in the end zone) and give the ball to Aaron Rodgers,” McCarthy said, via the Los Angeles Times. He even added an “obviously,” given the apparent inevitability of his team’s devil magic in the waning moments of the game.
McCarthy didn’t throw him entirely under the bus though, as he would go on to say that Montgomery was just trying to make a play. But still … that decision, at that time, knowing who you have as your quarterback, and with a direct order from the head coach is inexplicable and indefensible. And wonderful for the now, first-place Bears.
That misstep wasn’t the only important play to happen that day, but it was one of the lucky bounces that helped the Bears go from worst to first in the NFC North. And after the last few years of misfortune, Chicago’s football team will take all the fortunate bounces it can get.