Matt Flynn discovers that there is no place like "home"

It had all the makings of a fairy tale ending. Scott Tolzien, starting for the injured Aaron Rodgers, was leading the Green Bay Packers offense nowhere, while the defense was allowing the mediocre Minnesota Vikings to look like one the NFL’s elite teams. Unlike the previous two weeks, there wasn’t even the impressive passing numbers to justify keeping Tolzien in the game. So in came Matt Flynn—yes, that Matt Flynn, broken and discarded by three different teams, even now relegated as the backup to the backup on the team he left less than two years ago with such high expectations. Here he was, at last called upon to weave his magic once again. 

This was no dog with his tail between his legs, sheepishly returning home after failing to make good in the world. This was Flynn’s chance to vindicate himself in front of open-minded fans willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Early in the third quarter, Rodgers told Flynn to “get warm,” and after a three-and-out with Tolzien and the Packers down 20-7 midway in the third quarter, Flynn stepped out on Lambeau Field once more, no doubt heartened by the warm response of the crowd. After one series to “warm-up” and a Vikings field goal that extended their lead to 23-7 early in the fourth quarter, the table was set for Flynn to erase a year-and-a-half of shame and frustration.

Flynn came as close to doing so without actually winning the game. He led the Packers on three long scoring drives in the quarter to tie the game in the last minute; the 2-point conversion attempt after the first score was in retrospect a mistake, but the Packers still had overtime to correct it. For the fourth consecutive possession Flynn led the Packers the length of the field, although for the second time, only a field goal resulted. But the Packers had the lead and a chance to pull off what seemed to be a miraculous recovery from the depths of despair. 

Unfortunately the defense could not hold, and an off-sides and holding penalty snuffed out a promising drive on the Packers last possession of overtime, and the game ended in a rare 26-26 tie. Perhaps if Coach Mike McCarthy had not been keen to be “fair” and give Tolzien his “shot,” he would have realized the Packers best chance to win was with a quarterback who lived and breathed his offensive “system” for four years, rather than with a quarterback who literally just came off the practice squad. 

Since leaving the Packers, Flynn has certainly learned some hard lessons. I thought he was headed for creating a name for himself, but fate had other plans for him. The Packers “made” him, and apparently nowhere else can this be replicated. I suspect that McCarthy now knows this, and Flynn is the back-up who can be trusted to hold the ship steady. I frankly never expected it, but it appears that Flynn and the Packers have come full circle to where they belong.