Matt LaFleur may have made some bettors upset on Monday night.
In general, there are two schools of thought of winning in the NFL: Run it up until the clock hits all zeroes, or practice grace and know when to let off the gas pedal. The Packers did the latter in their win over the Rams.
Green Bay drove to the Rams' 1-yard line with 1:39 remaining and a 24-12 lead and LaFleur had Aaron Rodgers kneel down three consecutive times to end the game rather than trying for another score, drawing the ire of those who had more than a casual interest in the final score.
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LaFleur explained his decision to kneel in that spot, when a touchdown would have helped some people — and the Packers — out.
Matt LaFleur on kneeling on the goal line at the end: “I just think there’s a way you handle winning in this league. I got a lot of respect for those guys you’re competing against.”
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) December 20, 2022
"I didn't think about that. I just think there’s a way you handle winning in this league," LaFleur said following the game. "I've got a lot of respect for those guys we're competing against."
Also adding into matters is the fact that NFL counts net points as one of the 12 tiebreakers for playoff seeding. The Packers are teetering on the edge of the playoffs as it is, so they might not have to worry about making it to point differential, which would be the seventh tiebreaker in the NFL's formula.
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LaFleur's decision, though, ruffled some feathers in the sports betting community: With the over/under set at 40.5 points heading into Monday night, 60 percent of bettors took the over. The game finished at 36 points total, but a touchdown would have pushed the score over 40.
While smashing the over with Rodgers at the helm may have been a smart bet, expecting Green Bay to make the playoffs may not be.
