Having been with the Green Bay Packers for five years, QB Jordan Love and head coach Matt LaFleur know each other too well. So much so that the Packers’ QB did not even have to convince his head coach before going for it on fourth down late in the fourth quarter of the Green Bay Packers’ 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Just one look at Love was enough for LaFleur to pull the field-goal unit and trust his QB to seal the game. During the postgame presser, HC LaFleur opened up about the exact moment with high praise of his QB.

“Scared money don’t make money,” LaFleur said afterward. “Sometimes you’ve got to shoot. And those guys made a hell of a play.”

The Packers’ head coach then explained what drove him to trust his signal caller when the game was on the line and the Cardinals were ahead by 23-20. “When our quarterback is coming off and I can see the disdain on his face…no matter what we call, this guy is going to make it work,” he clarified.

At the 2:32 mark in the 4th quarter, Jordan Love was on a 4th and down three points on the 29-yard line. They could have gone for the field goal, which would have equalized the score. But the HC-QB duo did not panic. Love threw a pass to his left, where TE Tucker Kraft caught it, and they got a fresh set of downs.

They moved to Arizona 14 and at the 1:50 mark, RB Josh Jacobs scored a 1-yard touchdown. Kicker Lucas Havrisik got the extra point, meaning the Cardinals needed a touchdown to win or even draw, which they couldn’t. Matt LaFleur’s decision could also be forced from their week 4 game draw against the Dallas Cowboys, which ended in a draw, even after overtime.

With a 4-1 win-loss record, they moved to the top of the NFC North again.

Jordan Love praises Matt LaFleur after Week 7 win

“It’s gonna suck if you don’t get it,” the Packers QB revealed his fear about a mistake at such a crucial point in the game. Love then revealed that they had 3 plays designed for the scenario, but he went to Kraft.

However, Matt LaFleur discussed the situation with his quarterback during the timeout. In the end, they went ahead with the decision to play instead of kicking a field goal. “It’s a tough decision…I’m glad that Matt made the decision to go with offense…we went out there and executed it,” the QB said while thanking his coach for the confidence. However, it took more than their QB.

Their big-time running back, Josh Jacobs, also returned to the game. He had 13 carries for 55 yards but had 2 touchdowns. Jacobs was listed as questionable on the Packers’ injury report because of illness and a calf problem. But Matt LaFleur didn’t make a final call and waited until the ultimate time of 90 minutes before the kickoff. Everyone would be glad that he waited.

Not only the 4th down pass, Kraft recorded 5 receptions for 58 yards. He also scored the game-equalizing touchdown on the opening down of the 4th quarter. So, it took an overall team effort to win the game. The Packers also battled the fatigue factor as their flight landed 5 hours late. A technical issue forced them to arrange an alternative plane.

Overall, it was one of those games that they won purely with confidence.