Packers Draw Weak Flag on Cowboys With Big-Time Flop

The Green Bay Packers got off to a stellar start against the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the 2023 NFL playoffs. The Packers received the ball and proceeded to march down the field to score a touchdown on the opening drive, burning eight minutes of clock in the process. Then they forced the Cowboys to punt after giving up only one first down, a huge win for a defense that is clearly the biggest weakness of the team. And then, to fully complete the picture of how well things were going in the first quarter for Green Bay, they managed to draw a flag on the ensuing punt thanks to a flop.

Dallas punted to returner Jayden Reed. Reed waved for a fair catch at his own seven-yard line, which is an interesting decision on its own but not why we find ourselves here today. Cowboys linebacker Sam Williams raced down the field and ended up very close to Reed as he was receiving the punt. The Packers returner (wisely) sensed that Williams was, in fact, too close and threw himself backward to draw a flag for illegally touching him on a fair catch.

What a sell job. A heads-up play by Reed. Especially since Williams did actually touch him, but the contact was minimal enough that there probably wouldn't have been a flag without a touch of exaggeration from the returner. One of those weird sweet spots where it was actually a penalty, so Packers fans are vindicated, but Cowboys fans can rightfully be mad that Reed flopped.

It's not a great sign for Dallas that weird stuff like this is happening. Weird stuff can lead to weird outcomes. And given the Cowboys threw an interception at their own 20-yard line on their ensuing possession we may very well be on our way to a weird outcome.