Matthew Golden flex draws taunting flag vs. Cowboys

It happened on the Packers' first drive on Sunday Night Football at Lambeau. Golden went down the left sideline for 37 yards, got up, flexed both arms at the Dallas defender, and the flag came out.

Barstool Sports

@barstoolsports

Matthew Golden got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct… All he did was flex

That's the whole crime. No finger in anybody's face, no dance, no football spiked off a helmet. Just a guy who caught a deep ball showing off his arms. CBS Sports' live blog called it a really weak penalty call, and the stoolgambling crowd went with the usual verdict: No Fun League strikes again. What should have been a big gain inside the Dallas 10 got pushed back to the Cowboys' 24 instead.

Green Bay handled it fine. Facing 3rd-and-13 after the walk-off, Pierre Strong took a checkdown 14 yards for the first down. 2 plays later, on 3rd-and-6, Jordan Love hit Golden on a slant for a 9-yard touchdown. So the guy who got flagged scored the touchdown, and he did it with a Lambeau Leap.

Barstool Gambling

@stoolgambling

Matthew Golden first TD (+1400) ✅

If you took Golden to score first at +1400, the referee basically set up the drama for you. The flag cost the Packers field position, then Golden scored anyway and your ticket hit. The opening drive went 14 plays and 90 yards over 6:30, Green Bay converted 4 third downs, and it was 7-0 with 4:43 left in the 1st quarter.

Coming in, the Packers offense was already rolling. On VSiN's opening-line show the week before, when they got to the Sunday night matchup, the host read off Love's last game.

VSiN

@UCTZVetvz6GVreC_N4fp92VA

“Sunday night football, Cowboys at Packers. Jordan Love 25 of 31 for 367 against the Bears.”

0:44

That's the frustrating part. Golden is a young receiver whose role keeps getting bigger, and the moment fans will remember from his big night is a flag for flexing. The league keeps saying it wants personality, then throws 15 yards at a guy for showing his arms after a catch. Watch for a fine letter this week. If one shows up, the No Fun League jokes will keep going.