{"id":138049,"date":"2026-01-11T12:12:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T12:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049"},"modified":"2026-01-11T12:13:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T12:13:49","slug":"138049","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049","title":{"rendered":"HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex w-full max-w-[980px] flex-col px-4 pt-4 font-secondary lg:px-0\">\n<p class=\"dek prose mb-2.5 italic text-secondary\">Green Bay Packers faithful are not going to let Brandon McManus live this one down, as he missed a late field goal against the Bears.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full max-w-[980px] flex-row gap-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col lg:max-w-[660px]\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aspect-video w-full max-w-full object-contain object-center px-4 lg:px-0\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Journal-Sentinel.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"Green Bay Packers place kicker Brandon McManus (17) reacts after missing an extra point during the fourth quarter of their wild card playoff game Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers 31-27.\" \/><\/figure>\n<article id=\"article-3663573\" class=\"article-body prose max-w-none pb-7 pt-5 prose-figure:max-w-full prose-ol:pl-10 prose-img:max-w-full prose-video:max-w-full md:prose-ol:pl-6 [&amp;_iframe]:m-auto [&amp;_iframe]:block [&amp;_iframe]:max-w-full\">The\u00a0Green Bay Packers\u00a0saw their season crumble\u00a0at Soldier Field on Saturday night, surrendering an 18-point lead to fall 31-27 to the\u00a0Chicago Bears. While Caleb Williams\u2019 fourth-quarter heroics stole the headlines, the math tells a more painful story for the Cheesehead faithful. The Packers lost by four points. Their kicker,\u00a0Brandon McManus, left seven points on the field.It was a nightmare performance for the veteran specialist. McManus missed two field goals and botched an extra point,\u00a0mistakes that ultimately doomed Green Bay in a tight contest. In a playoff atmosphere where every yard is a struggle, handing away seven points is a death sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Packers fans wasted no time venting their frustration on social media, pointing to the special teams unit as the primary culprit for the Wild Card exit.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThat\u2019s brutal. You cannot leave 7 points out there in a game like this,\u201d one fan\u00a0posted\u00a0on X. \u201cSpecial teams completely flipping the script.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col items-center gap-5 px-5 pb-5\">\n<div class=\"relative w-full overflow-hidden h-[300px]\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2010204136655192220&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fnfl%2Fgreen-bay-packers%2Fpackers-fans-out-for-blood-brandon-mcmanus-misses-late-field-goal&amp;sessionId=744c5d62e2f2235be834127dddd7998aaf997454&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=500px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2010204136655192220\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\">The criticism grew sharper regarding the front office&#8217;s decision to stick with McManus despite shaky performances down the stretch.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"6\">\u201cWillingly keeping one of the worst kickers in the league for the playoffs is an interesting decision,\u201d another observer\u00a0noted.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\"><em>The most biting\u00a0commentary came after a crucial miss from 44 yards out that could have stemmed the Bears&#8217; momentum. \u201cApparently, a 44-yard FG is a hoax these days. Kick it if you dare. And it will be funny if 44-yarder turns out to be the axe for two respectable head coaches\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col items-center gap-5 px-5 pb-5\">\n<div class=\"relative w-full overflow-hidden h-[300px]\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-4\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-4&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2010204123619307726&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fnfl%2Fgreen-bay-packers%2Fpackers-fans-out-for-blood-brandon-mcmanus-misses-late-field-goal&amp;sessionId=744c5d62e2f2235be834127dddd7998aaf997454&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=500px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2010204123619307726\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col items-center gap-5 px-5 pb-5\">\n<div class=\"relative w-full overflow-hidden h-[300px]\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-5\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-5&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2010210104562643293&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fnfl%2Fgreen-bay-packers%2Fpackers-fans-out-for-blood-brandon-mcmanus-misses-late-field-goal&amp;sessionId=744c5d62e2f2235be834127dddd7998aaf997454&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=500px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2010210104562643293\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_6_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-sticky-container adthrive-content adthrive-content-6 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,120193976\/AdThrive_Content_6\/5e90daf19f500876e949a3d9_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col items-center gap-5 px-5 pb-5\">\n<div class=\"relative w-full overflow-hidden h-[300px]\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-6\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-6&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2010209112492290406&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fnfl%2Fgreen-bay-packers%2Fpackers-fans-out-for-blood-brandon-mcmanus-misses-late-field-goal&amp;sessionId=744c5d62e2f2235be834127dddd7998aaf997454&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=500px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2010209112492290406\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col items-center gap-5 px-5 pb-5\">\n<div class=\"relative w-full overflow-hidden h-[300px]\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-7\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-7&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2010204391199109349&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fnfl%2Fgreen-bay-packers%2Fpackers-fans-out-for-blood-brandon-mcmanus-misses-late-field-goal&amp;sessionId=744c5d62e2f2235be834127dddd7998aaf997454&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=500px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2010204391199109349\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">Head coach Mtt LaFleur now faces a long offseason full of \u201cwhat-ifs.\u201d While the offense put up points and the defense had its moments, the margins in January are razor-thin. For Green Bay, those margins were wide left and wide right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Packers Fans Erupt After Brandon McManus\u2019 Misses Doom Green Bay in Playoff Loss to Bears<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Green Bay Packers fans are not going to forget \u2014 or forgive \u2014 Brandon McManus anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>What began as a promising night at Soldier Field ended in heartbreak for the Packers, as they surrendered an 18-point lead and fell 31-27 to the Chicago Bears in a devastating Wild Card playoff loss. While Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams earned national headlines for his fourth-quarter comeback, the box score reveals a far more painful truth for Green Bay: the Packers lost by four points, and their kicker left seven points on the field.<\/p>\n<p>In a postseason game defined by razor-thin margins, those seven missed points proved fatal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Nightmare Night for Green Bay\u2019s Kicker<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Brandon McManus endured one of the worst performances of his career on the biggest stage. The veteran kicker missed two field goals and failed to convert an extra point \u2014 a stunning collapse for a unit that is expected to be automatic in playoff football.<\/p>\n<p>Special teams mistakes are magnified in January, and McManus\u2019 errors loomed large as momentum repeatedly swung toward Chicago. Every missed opportunity drained confidence from the Packers sideline and energized a Bears team that refused to go away.<\/p>\n<p>In a hostile road environment, where sustained drives are rare and points are precious, leaving seven points on the field is essentially a self-inflicted wound. Green Bay didn\u2019t just lose \u2014 it gave the game away.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fans Unleash Their Frustration<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It didn\u2019t take long for Packers fans to make their feelings known. Social media erupted almost immediately after the final whistle, with McManus becoming the focal point of a fan base searching for answers.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThat\u2019s brutal. You cannot leave seven points out there in a game like this,\u201d one fan posted on X. \u201cSpecial teams completely flipping the script.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Others questioned the organization\u2019s decision-making, wondering why Green Bay continued to trust McManus despite inconsistent performances late in the season.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWillingly keeping one of the worst kickers in the league for the playoffs is an interesting decision,\u201d another fan wrote.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The criticism intensified after McManus missed a crucial 44-yard field goal \u2014 a distance that is typically routine for NFL kickers. Instead of stopping Chicago\u2019s momentum, the miss opened the door for the Bears to mount their comeback.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cApparently, a 44-yard FG is a hoax these days,\u201d one particularly sharp comment read. \u201cKick it if you dare.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Math That Tells the Story<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Packers offense scored enough points to win. The defense had stretches where it looked capable of closing the game. But the final math is unforgiving.<\/p>\n<p>Two missed field goals.<br \/>\nOne missed extra point.<br \/>\nSeven lost points.<br \/>\nA four-point defeat.<\/p>\n<p>In playoff football, teams don\u2019t recover from mistakes like that. Not against a division rival. Not on the road. And not when the opposing quarterback finds his rhythm late.<\/p>\n<p>McManus\u2019 struggles overshadowed otherwise solid performances and turned what should have been a controlled win into a cautionary tale about complacency and risk management.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Brutal Ending to a Collapsing Season<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Saturday night\u2019s loss didn\u2019t exist in a vacuum. It was the final chapter in a troubling trend for Green Bay, which closed the season on a five-game losing streak after once appearing destined for a deep postseason run.<\/p>\n<p>The collapse against Chicago felt symbolic \u2014 a team that repeatedly failed to close games finally paying the ultimate price.<\/p>\n<p>For head coach Matt LaFleur, the offseason will be filled with uncomfortable questions. While the offense moved the ball and the defense made plays at times, the Packers once again faltered when execution mattered most.<\/p>\n<p>Special teams, often overlooked when things go right, became the difference between advancing and going home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where Do the Packers Go From Here?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The fallout from this loss will linger. McManus\u2019 future in Green Bay is suddenly very much in doubt, and the organization will be forced to reexamine how much value it places on consistency at the kicker position.<\/p>\n<p>For a franchise with Super Bowl aspirations, margins must be tighter. Mistakes must be minimized. And reliability \u2014 especially in critical moments \u2014 cannot be optional.<\/p>\n<p>For Packers fans, the frustration is raw and understandable. They watched a winnable playoff game slip away not because of a lack of talent, but because of preventable errors.<\/p>\n<p>As one fan summed it up perfectly: in January football, games are decided by inches. For Green Bay, those inches went wide left \u2014 and wide right.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s a memory Packers faithful won\u2019t soon forget.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Green Bay Packers faithful are not going to let Brandon McManus live this one down, as he missed a late field goal against the Bears. The\u00a0Green Bay&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":138050,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat. - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat. - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Green Bay Packers faithful are not going to let Brandon McManus live this one down, as he missed a late field goal against the Bears. The\u00a0Green Bay...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-11T12:12:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-11T12:13:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3-32-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MsThao\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MsThao\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049\",\"name\":\"HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat. - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3-32-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-11T12:12:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-11T12:13:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3-32-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3-32-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":2560},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat.\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731\",\"name\":\"MsThao\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MsThao\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=3\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat. - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat. - NEWS USA","og_description":"Green Bay Packers faithful are not going to let Brandon McManus live this one down, as he missed a late field goal against the Bears. The\u00a0Green Bay...","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2026-01-11T12:12:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-11T12:13:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":2560,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3-32-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"MsThao","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MsThao","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049","name":"HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat. - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3-32-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-11T12:12:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-11T12:13:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3-32-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3-32-scaled.jpg","width":1920,"height":2560},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138049#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"HOT NEWS: Packers fans erupted in outrage after Brandon McManus missed a late field goal that could have flipped the game\u2019s outcome. Frustration poured across social media as the miss instantly became the defining moment of the loss. For many fans, it wasn\u2019t just a kick\u2014it was the breaking point in a crushing defeat."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731","name":"MsThao","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MsThao"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=3"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=138049"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138052,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138049\/revisions\/138052"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/138050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=138049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=138049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=138049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}