WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The premier of Manitoba says there’s a “lot of disappointment” from the Green Bay Packers–Oakland Raiders exhibition game that was played Thursday night on an 80-yard field because of safety concerns.
Premier Brian Pallister acknowledged during a campaign stop Friday that it “didn’t work out the way they wanted.”
“Organizers tried to do something that hadn’t been done before,” he added, “so let’s give them respect and credit for trying.”
The game was played on a shortened field because of the turf in the end zones. The league also eliminated kickoffs.
Oakland defeated Green Bay 22-21 on a field goal by Daniel Carlson with eight seconds left. The Packers did not dress 33 players, including Aaron Rodgers. The Raiders withheld most starters, including quarterback Derek Carr and receiver Antonio Brown.
Attendance was 21,992 at 33,000-seat IG Field. Canadian-based On Ice Entertainment Ltd. was the promoter.
This was the first NFL game in Canada since the Buffalo Bills completed a series of games in Toronto in 2013.