The Green Bay Packers got the short end of the stick in September in Seattle after the most unforgettable moment of this NFL season. "The Inaccurate Reception" (or "Fail Mary") put the Packers in an early season hole from which they have successfully recovered.
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Packers have clinched the NFC North. And they now find themselves rooting for the Seattle Seahawks.
A Seahawks win Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers gives Green Bay a chance at a bye in the NFC playoffs.
"Without looking in the past, we have to root for a team we fell short to," Packers linebacker Clay Matthews told The Associated Press on Thursday. "So that's how it goes. We'll control our own destiny by winning these out, and hopefully we can get some help along the way."
After the Packers take care of business against the Tennessee Titans at Lambeau Field, they can go home and root on their beloved Seahawks.
"We'd love to have that bye, be sitting there at the 1 or 2 seed," Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "So at this point, we're trying to have a short memory, kind of rooting for the teams that you need to win."
"That's one thing you worried about at the time, if we're sitting here the last week of the season and have to win to get in, or maybe win and get some help," Rodgers said. "That would have been probably talked about more. It's going to probably affect (Seattle) more. They're in a position right now to, I believe, clinch a berth with a win this week. It's not on our minds anymore."
A Seahawks win ultimately would make the Fail Mary almost irrelevant. The Packers would be in no better position than the No. 2 seed had the correct call been made that Monday night. At this rate, the Seahawks could have been a playoff team even without the botched call. The 49ers still should win the NFC West.
Considering the referee lockout ended so soon after the controversial play, you almost could argue it was a good thing that it happened. Just be prepared to duck if you argue that in Wisconsin.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
