The Green Bay Packers stunned many by kicking a field goal on 4th and goal down 8 late in their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That includes the Buccaneers themselves.
Tampa Bay defensive lineman Shaq Barrett admitted that he was stunned by the Packers’ decision to kick, and even thanked them for doing it and giving the ball back to the Buccaneer offense to run out the clock.
I asked Shaq Barrett if he was surprised the Packers kicked a field goal. “100% surprised. Hey, thank you. There’s no guarantee you’re going to get another shot at it.”
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 24, 2021
The field goal decision is going to be the subject of heated debate for some time to come. Giving the ball back to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers down 5 with the knowledge that one first down would seal the game never made much sense. Barrett knew that as well as anyone.
The Packers made a lot of really bizarre decisions that contributed to their defeat. Barrett would probably thank them for that, too.
