The game-ball, however, has to be awarded to career-long Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald, who finished the game with one touchdown and 176 yards on eight receptions, none bigger than his final two in over-time that led his Cardinals to victory.
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After the Cardinals won a wacky coin toss, they set up operations at their own 20-yard line, needing to journey 80 yards to win their playoff game against the Packers on Saturday night.
Arizona won the overtime coin toss – after the referee declared the first toss hadn’t flipped – took the ball and scored a touchdown, denying the Packers a chance to touch the ball in the extra period.
Palmer already had thrown two interceptions, including one in the back of the end zone earlier in the fourth quarter in which he hurled it off his back foot, as carelessly as anything he’d thrown all game. The tight end pulled that one down, the 61-yard reception giving the Packers an improbable 27-23 victory. ARI, C.Palmer 25-41-2-349.
Larry Fitzgerald is in his 12th season at wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals.
“I saw Aaron throw it, ” said Janis, who was playing because the Packers’ top receiver, Randall Cobb, had been lost for the game in the second quarter with a chest injury.
“Aaron recognized it, bought himself some time and slid to his left and made it”, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.
Arizona faces the victor of today’s Seahawks-Panthers at Carolina on January 24 in the NFC Championship Game.
“I think he was trying to avoid the embarrassment of what just happened and flip it quickly”, Rodgers said.
He changed all that Saturday, catching two passes for 101 yards on the final drive alone, including the Hail Mary that is sure to endure him to Packers fans across the globe.
The Cardinals, who mismanaged the clock on their last possession enabling Rodgers late-game miracle, found themselves in overtime against a team that had more than just momentum on their side Saturday night.
It wasn’t until 3:44 left in the game before the Cardinals regained the lead 17-13.
After winning a game against Detroit with a Hail Mary, Rodgers made another last-second touchdown pass to set up the tie.
“When you get to the nitty gritty, you’re going to run your prize horse”, Sendlein said. And then it suddenly ended for Green Bay, just another gut-wrenching playoff loss.
It’s only the second time the (St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona) Cardinals franchise has reached the NFC title game; 2008 was the first.
The Packers (11-7) then turned the ball over on downs, setting up Chandler Catanzaro’s 38-yard field goal that put Arizona up 20-13 with 1:55 to play.
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For a few moments, this looked as if it might turn out to be a win for the ages for a Packers team that has had quite a few of them in their storied history.
