Packers' McCarthy: Montgomery was supposed to take touchback
The Green Bay Packers were denied one last shot to slay the giant.
Trailing 29-27 with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, Packers returner Ty Montgomery received the kickoff 1 yard into the end zone and opted to return it. He fumbled on the play and the Rams recovered, clinching the victory.
The fumble deprived the Packers a chance of driving for a game-winning field goal with one timeout and the two-minute warning in their back pocket.
"The plan was to stay in (the end zone) and give the ball to Aaron Rodgers," head coach Mike McCarthy said in his postgame press conference.
Rodgers had given Green Bay a 27-26 lead earlier in the fourth quarter with a 40-yard strike to Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
After the game, Rodgers tried to take some of the blame off of Montgomery.
"That play didn't lose the game, but it definitely took away an opportunity for us to go down and win it," he said.