Overall, I like Mike McCarthy as a coach, and I think he's done a terrific job this year fielding a competitive team week in and week out, when injuries could have completely decimated the season. But there's usually a couple of times each game where one of his decisions makes me scratch my head. This weekend was no exception.
First was to not challenge the call of incomplete pass on Jenning's catch. To me, that was the kind of situation where throwing the flag is almost mandatory.
Yeah, I know the replays were looking inconclusive and based on the initial ones it would not have been overuled. But we hadn't used a challenge all game to that point. The score was 0-0. If we had lost the challenge, what were we going to lose? One timeout.
We still had a 2nd challenge if we needed it later. It's not like they were going to back us up 5 yards are anything like that. If the call on the field is upheld, kick the FG.
IMO, a timeout would not have been a huge loss, and the potential gain is huge. As it turns out, it would have been 7-7 going into that last drive (if overturned), and we would only have needed a FG to win, not a TD.
The second decision: Personally, I would have liked a little higher percentage play on 4th-and-1. Going for a homerun ball put the game--and likely our entire season & the playoffs--on the line on a bomb with our #1 QB sitting on the sidelines with a concussion. One yard was all we needed to get four more shots.
If it had been the 3rd down play, I would have been thumbs up. I might also have scratched my head a little less if it had been Aaron Rodgers back there, but it was Flynn.
I know a backup is expected to be ready to play at a moments notice, but I doubt he had the same amount of reps as Aaron Rodgers throwing that route to Jennings.
In any event, I like Mike McCarthy, but wish he'd reduce these number of head scratching moments.