Quarterback Aaron Rodgers delivered the turning point of the Green Bay Packers’ 31-13 win over the New York Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Even coach Matt LaFleur was impressed with the play.
The Packers, up 17-13 in the third quarter, were facing 4th-and-10 from the Giants’ 35-yard line. LaFleur wasn’t confident in kicking a field goal from that distance, but he was confident in his quarterback, and Rodgers paid off the aggressive decision with another Hall of Fame-caliber play.
His completion to Geronimo Allison went into the box score as a 15-yard play, but the difficulty of the situation and throw was off the charts.
“Aaron hung in the pocket, and then drifted and was getting hit as he released that ball. You don’t see many people that are physically capable of making that play,” LaFleur said Monday.
The throw traveled 25 yards in the air and had nearly perfect accuracy, despite Rodgers falling away from pressure and getting hit low as the threw the football. With no base to throw from, Rodgers used all arm to get the ball where it needed to go.
Allison, who was streaking across the field, made the catch in stride to extend the drive.
Afterward, Rodgers called it the “play of the game.”
The Packers scored a touchdown on the drive to extend their lead to 24-13 in the fourth quarter. They scored again a drive later to make it 31-13. Once again, Rodgers made another incredible physical play when he broke out of a sack attempt and threw another perfect ball to tight end Marcedes Lewis in the end zone for the score.
“There were so many plays in that game, you just don’t see guys make those types of plays,” LaFleur said.
Rodgers finished the afternoon with four touchdown passes and his third-highest passer rating of the 2019 season.
