The Green Bay Packers loss to the Las Vegas Raiders could have gone so much differently. There were several plays that, had they been just slightly different, could have changed the course of the game in favor of Green Bay. For instance, if Christian Watson had not let a five-foot-nine cornerback body him on a 50/50 ball on the Packers’ last drive of the game, he probably would have caught a touchdown instead of Jordan Love being credited with an interception.
However, the play that sticks out the most in terms of game-changing plays was Love’s 77-yard pass to Watson that should have been a touchdown. Instead of a touchdown, though, Raiders cornerback Marcus Peters used a horse-collar tackle to bring Watson down short of the goal line.
Horse-collar tackles, of course, are illegal. Peters was appropriately flagged and the Packers got the completion yardage plus half the distance to the goal. At the time, the score was tied 10-10. Green Bay could not find the end zone despite the short field and kicked a field goal to go up 13-10.
Las Vegas ended up winning 17-13, and many point to that tackle as one of the turning points in the game.
The NFL Fined Marcus Peters for His Horse-Collar Tackle on Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Christian Watson
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Peters was assessed a fine of $13,378 for his illegal tackle on Watson:
The NFL fined #Raiders CB Marcus Peters $13,378 for unnecessary roughness — a horse-collar tackle on #Packers WR Christian Watson that saved a touchdown in Monday night’s win. pic.twitter.com/WBvIzHYT6Y
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 14, 2023
Of the tackle, and how it saved a potentially game-changing touchdown, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote:
“Marcus Peters used an illegal horse-collar tackle to save a TD. It possibly altered the outcome of the game. The league should at least have a conversation as to whether, moving forward, a TD should be awarded when this happens.”
Had Watson been allowed to score, Green Bay would have gone up 17-10 and could have at least played more in overtime.
The Green Bay Packers Are 2 Plays Away from Being 4-1
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, Watson scored the touchdown. Green Bay goes up 17-10. Let’s also say Las Vegas scores the tying touchdown, and the score is 17-17 going into the Packers’ final drive.
Instead of throwing the interception with seconds remaining, Love and the offense get into field goal position. This would have allowed Anders Carlson to hit the game-winning field goal.
Back in Week Two, the Packers offense stalled in the second half while running back Bijan Robinson cut up their defense. The Falcons stormed back and won the game 25-22.
Earlier in the game, Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder threw a pass right to Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander. He had a clear field ahead of him, and would have easily returned the would-be interception for a touchdown. But he dropped it. The extra score would have made the Packers’ score unreachable for Atlanta.
Two plays. Two losses. Two should-have-been wins. Packers fans may be upset at being 2-3 right now, but just think of how close this team has come to being 4-1. And what would the narrative be if they went into the Bye Week 4-1?
We’d be talking about them as potential contenders in the NFC. It truly has not been pretty; but this team is good enough to win games. They just need to put it all together.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
