The Green Bay Packers' untimed touchdown overshadowed the biggest mystery in Thursday night's dramatic victory over the Detroit Lions.
Why was Eddie Lacy an afterthought coming off the first back-to-back 100-yard games of his NFL career?
Lacy didn't enter the game until the final seconds of the first quarter and didn't touch the ball after he lost three yards on a second-quarter pass.
Coach Mike McCarthy insisted Friday morning that Lacy's reduced role "had nothing to do with practice."
"Leading up the game, frankly, there's an internal football decision that was made," McCarthy added. "That's what resulted in Eddie's [limited] reps."
Although McCarthy stressed handling the matter internally, we now know why Lacy landed in the doghouse.
Lacy and third-string tailback Alonzo Harrismissed curfew Wednesday night in Detroit, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, via a source close to the situation.
Lacy got off easy with the benching. Harris was cut in favor of undrafted rookie John Crockett, who was Green Bay's leading rusher Thursday night, just hours after being promoted from the practice squad. Rapoport added that the Packers worked out free agent back Montee Ball on Friday as well.
"It's always tough, but you have to be supportive," Lacy said, via the Green Bay Press Gazette. "It's not just about you. You have to go out and assume your role whatever that role is."
This has been a rocky third season for Lacy, who is left to wonder if he will get his starting job back.
"That's something I don't know about," Lacy conceded. "We'll see as the season goes on."
