In return to Green Bay, McCarthy’s 4th-down name goes mistaken

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — In his first sport again in Green Bay as Dallas’ coach, Mike McCarthy didn’t precisely go away Packers followers pining for the great ol’ days.

Instead, McCarthy made an important choice that backfired, going for it on fourth-and-3 on the opening possession of additional time when he might have despatched Brett Maher out to strive an extended, go-ahead discipline purpose.

The Cowboys had been stopped, McCarthy’s former quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the Packers down the sphere, and Green Bay beat Dallas 31-28 on Sunday.

“I’m fine with the decision,” stated McCarthy, who was fired as Green Bay’s coach in 2018. “Obviously, I know we didn’t convert. Fourth-and-3, we just didn’t convert.”

McCarthy was extra upset concerning the penalties that led to that pivotal fourth down. He threw his headset to the turf in frustration after Dak Prescott was pressured by Jarran Reed and threw a desperation cross to Tony Pollard that fell incomplete.

Dallas’ last offensive play capped a irritating day for McCarthy in his return to the town that has a avenue close to Lambeau Field named in his honor.

McCarthy coached the Packers to their most up-to-date Super Bowl title after the 2010 season and went 125-77-2 with Green Bay from 2006-18.

This wasn’t how he envisioned his return.

The Cowboys (6-3) entered Sunday with a 195-0 document, together with playoffs, once they led by not less than 14 factors heading into the fourth quarter.

Now they’re 195-1.

“I’m very frustrated with the end of the game, obviously,” McCarthy stated. “I think just the biggest thing for us is we need to just go out here and just learn from these games. I love these kind of games. That’s what I told these (guys), ‘You need these tight games to get to where you want to go.’

“I thought we were in total control and then in overtime the penalties and things were very, very, very frustrating. But you’ve got to overcome those things.”

The Packers (4-6) rallied to tie the sport on a pair of landing passes from Rodgers to rookie Christian Watson, who completed with 4 catches for 107 yards and three scores.

Penalties then prevented Dallas from placing it away in additional time.

An offensive offsides name on huge receiver Jalen Tolbert worn out a 9-yard run by Pollard and compelled Dallas into second-and-8. The Cowboys recovered to get a primary down.

The second additional time penalty proved costlier.

A holding name on guard Connor McGovern nullified a 16-yard run by Malik Davis. Rather than having a primary down on the Green Bay 26, the Cowboys confronted second-and-19 from their very own 49.

“It was big play, penalty,” McCarthy stated. “Big play, penalty. Big play, penalty.”

Prescott threw a 16-yard completion to Dalton Schultz on the subsequent play, however the Cowboys adopted that with two incompletions, together with the fourth-down play.

Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb believed Green Bay ought to have been known as for cross interference on third down.

“They don’t ever give us any explanation,” stated Lamb, who had 11 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns. “They just call flags on us and not on the opposing team.”

The Cowboys’ collapse spoiled what had been a big day for McCarthy.

Before the sport, he shared hugs with a variety of Packers he’d coached, together with Rodgers.

Although the connection between McCarthy and Rodgers soured late within the coach’s Green Bay tenure, they traded compliments this previous week. Rodgers stated the passage of time had given him a larger appreciation for the years he spent with McCarthy.

The four-time MVP quarterback stated after the sport that he and McCarthy additionally had a for much longer dialog earlier within the day.

“That was really, really meaningful I think for both of us,” Rodgers stated.

McCarthy acquired emotional within the days main as much as the sport as he spoke at size about what his years in Green Bay meant to him. But after the loss, McCarthy wasn’t in a lot of a temper to speak about what his return meant personally.

“I’m not trying to be rude, (but) I’m humble pied out,” McCarthy stated.

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