Packers punished for bizarre goal line trick play attempt

The Green Bay Packers’ struggling offense looks more desperate with each passing week, and may have hit rock bottom Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

The Packers struggled against the Lions in the first half despite Detroit’s status as the league’s worst defense. Green Bay was stopped three times at the 1-yard line to end the first quarter, setting up a big 4th and goal to open the second. Bizarrely, the Packers tried something of a trick play, lining up offensive lineman David Bakthiari as an eligible receiver and making him the target.

In fairness, the play might have worked if Aaron Rodgers did not badly underthrow the pass. Rodgers was instead intercepted by rookie defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson, who showed off excellent play recognition to get his first career interception.

He was ruled down at the one for first and goal.#Lions then went on to stop the #Packes the next 4 plays to prevent any points.

The 4th play? was a Hutchinson INT of Rodgers passing to Bakhtiari, that's back to back INTs for Rodgers in the endzone.pic.twitter.com/gwQYS7vXj6

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 6, 2022

Credit to Hutchinson for an excellent play here, but this is the definition of getting too cute. The Packers tried to run it up the middle on third and goal and got stuffed, so the reluctance to try again is somewhat understandable. Drawing up a trick play for an offensive lineman just feels a touch desperate.

At the very least, this sequence might demonstrate why the Packers were apparently so desperate to find an experienced receiver before the trade deadline. Ultimately, they failed to seal any deals, and now they’re trying to pull plays like this.