Skip to main content

After the dust settled from NFL Championship Sunday, fans and media pundits alike reflected on Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur’s decision to kick a field goal late in the fourth quarter instead of going for the tie. The Packers never got the ball back, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers advanced to Super Bowl 55.

But the Packers wouldn’t have even been in that situation had they not allowed Bucs’ slot receiver Scotty Miller to sneak past the defense for a 39-yard touchdown with one second left in the first half. NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter had an interesting take about that game-changing play, saying Miller got behind the defense mainly because he’s white.

Scotty Miller scores crucial touchdown in the NFC Championship

The first half of the 2021 NFC Championship was a fairly even battle between two deserving teams. The Buccaneers led the Packers 14-10 with eight seconds left in the half and the ball on the 39-yard line.

At that point, Tampa Bay was still likely out of field goal range with no timeouts left to stop the clock. Any completion short of the end zone and in bounds would’ve ended the half with the Packers trailing by just four points.

But with little to no options left for the Bucs, Tom Brady decided to take a deep shot with time winding down in the second quarter. He spied slot receiver Scotty Miller isolated on Packers’ cornerback Kevin King and gave Miller a chance to make a play one-on-one. And that’s exactly what he did.

Miller scooted behind King down the left sideline and hauled in the perfectly thrown pass for a 39-yard touchdown with just one second remaining in the half. Green Bay’s four-point deficit shockingly ballooned to 11 just like that.

The Packers went on to lose by five.

Cris Carter believes Scotty Miller got open because he’s white

On Monday afternoon, NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to give his thoughts on Championship Sunday, and he offered an interesting take about Scotty Miller’s crucial touchdown to end the half.

“My man Scotty Miller, white guy,” Carter said. “He’s white. I’m black. I’m going to say this. The defensive back underestimated that white kid. If that had been Antonio Brown he would have been backed off of him. Never disrespect the talent level of anyone in the National Football League. The only way they can hurt you is if he gets behind you, and he underestimated the wheels on my man…

“He disrespected the Caucasian, man.”

Co-host A.J. Hawk agrees with Cris Carter

A.J. Hawk, the longtime Packers linebacker and part-time co-host on The Pat McAfee Show, later offered his own thoughts on Cris Carter’s comments. Hawk said his former teammate Jordy Nelson got the same treatment when he was in Green Bay because he was white.

“The DB coach in Green Bay would tell the young guys. Hey, I’m just telling you don’t sleep on Jordy Nelson,” Hawk said. “Back off of him. Do not take him at the line. He’s going to run by you. And Jordy said that was a real thing.”

Best in NFL
Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.