Tom Brady, Bucs make Super Bowl after Packers settle for 3

The Green Bay Packers faced a fourth-and-goal from the 8-yard line in the closing minutes of the NFC championship game, needing a touchdown and two-point conversion from their MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to have a chance to play in the Super Bowl.

He never attempted another pass in the game as the Packers settled for a field goal and ultimately fell 31-26 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

“It wasn’t my decision,” Rodgers said of coach Matt LaFleur’s call not to try to score on that fourth down, hoping the defense could force a stop and give the offense the ball back. “I understand the thinking, but it wasn’t my decision.”

The field goal would have allowed the Packers to have a chance to win the game in regulation should the defense have prevented the Buccaneers from picking up a first down. But a pass interference call on a third-down play on the ensuing drive essentially sealed Tom Brady’s 10th Super Bowl appearance and first with Tampa Bay.

Green Bay never got the ball back, leaving LaFleur to try to explain the thought process of taking the ball out of the hands of one of the greatest quarterbacks the league has ever seen.

The second-year coach said the chance to eliminate the necessity of a 2-point conversion and win in overtime combined with the way his defense was playing and the fact they essentially had four timeouts played into his decision, along with the fact their previous three plays gained zero yards.

Rodgers appeared to have a running lane on the third-down play, but instead tried to force a pass to a well-covered Davante Adams.

“I’m kind of at a loss of words right now,” he said. “I think anytime something doesn’t work out, do you regret it? Sure. But … the way our defense was battling, we felt like it was the right decision. It just didn’t work out.”

The decision might not have been as egregious as the social media commentary may have one believe. Still, it shocked the Buccaneers.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Tampa Bay linebacker Shaq Barrett said. “I know if they could take that back, they probably wouldn’t do that next time.”

But there will be no next time this year as the Packers fell to 1-4 in conference championship games with Rodgers and lost in this round for the second straight year.

Early in the second half, it looked like Green Bay wouldn’t even make it close. Brady capitalized on a Rodgers’ interception with 34 seconds left in the second quarter with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Scotty Miller on the final play before halftime to increase their lead to 21-10.

Then after Packers’ running back Aaron Jones fumbled on the first play of the third quarter, Brady, who threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, found Cameron Brate for an 8-yard score to make it 28-10.

Green Bay’s defense keyed a rally, intercepting Brady three times in the second half and holding Tampa Bay out of the end zone the rest of the game.

The Packers scored just seven points off the turnovers, however, and the comeback fell short.

“I can’t say enough about (our defense),” Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians. “They’ve been great in the fourth quarter all year and we got some great stops. Took a couple chances on offense and tried to get more points – it didn’t work out, but they came back and got the ball right back for us.”

Tampa Bay now moves on to play in the Super Bowl, becoming the first team to do so in its home stadium when it takes on the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 7.

Green Bay faces an interesting offseason, particularly after Rodgers opened the door to Sunday being his last game in a Packers’ uniform during the post-game news conference. Green Bay selected quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft.

“A lot of guys’ futures are uncertain, myself included,” Rodgers said. “That’s what’s sad about it most. Getting this far. Obviously there’s going to be an end to it at some point whether we make it past this one or not. Just the uncertainty is tough and the finality of it.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.