Matt LaFleur comments on Bengals premature celebration

Matt LaFleur watched helplessly as the Green Bay Packers were at the mercy of Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson. As he lined up for a game-winning field goal, McPherson came as close as you can to winning the game.

As LaFleur watched the kick miss by inches, McPherson began to celebrate. The kick was so close he thought he made it — but his joy turned to shock as the referees made their signal.

Afterwards, LaFleur’s Packers gutted out a victory on the leg of Mason Crosby — who missed his own fair share of field goals on the day. The Packers moved on to 4-1, while the Bengals took their crushed hopes to 3-2.

After the victory, LaFleur commented on the premature celebration that McPherson must be regretting.

“I did not see their kicker celebrating, to be honest with you,” said LaFleur. “All I was doing was watching the kick … and then I looked at the officials. And I thought I saw a miss, but you’re never quite sure until you see the officials. It depends on the angles where you’re sitting, but no — I didn’t see him celebrate.”

After a reporter described McPherson’s celebration to LaFleur, he mentioned that it may be part of a comedy compilation somewhere.

“That’s going to be on the football follies video,” joked LaFleur.

Luckily, LaFleur’s kicker made his final attempt at a game-winning kick — or else Crosby might’ve ended up being the goat of the joke.

LaFleur: ‘I could see the look in his eyes’

While LaFleur was a hopeless bystander for Crosby’s misses, he deserves credit for going back to the well — even if it was seemingly dry. When contemplating whether or not to give Crosby another shot, the Packers coach asked the man himself.

“I walked over, [and] he was at the kicking net,” LaFleur said. “He was coming back towards the field, and I said, ‘Hey, what do you think?’ He’s like, ‘I got this.’ And so I was like, ‘All right.’

“I could see the look in his eyes. There was zero flinch from him. If I would’ve felt anything, we would’ve gone for it.”

Luckily, LaFleur’s faith was rewarded. After the victory, the Packers coach mentioned that you can throw away the misses — the only kick worth remembering was the last one.

“I couldn’t be happier for him,” LaFleur said. “I told the team afterwards [that] the only kick I’ll remember is that last kick.”