The Green Bay Packers played well but fell short against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night. With the final score tied at 24-21, Matt LaFleur and company saw an opportunity to pull off their second straight major upset due to frequent late-game errors. The most notable of them was Anders Carlson. . Carlson’s rookie NFL campaign was rough to say the least.
That’s because they’ve missed six touchdowns and five extra points all season. Carlson hit a 41-yard field goal that gave Green Bay a 24-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter and allowed San Fran to drive down the field and score the game-winning field goal. During the game, Matt LaFleur criticized Anders Karlsson’s comments on social media, saying he prays every time he hits.
It’s not a solid endorsement from Matt LaFleur, and every coach hopes his player changes his field goals, but it’s a pretty nice accolade. Fans were quick to criticize him, commenting on whether it was due to Carlsen’s struggles, the decision to stick with a player who has struggled all season, or just how coincidental it was.
Ironically, LaFleur’s prayer didn’t help Carlson overturn a big opportunity against San Francisco, and while that’s not the only reason they lost that game, it’s certainly a big one. Carlson enters the offseason on a bad note and it will be interesting to see if he sticks with the team in the coming months after these comments from LaFleur.
