But Palmer’s professional career had called to mind a long drive that peters out inside the red zone. The interception was upheld upon review and Eddie Lacy broke free for a 61-yard run up the middle two plays later to set up Janis’ score.
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The Cardinals got the ball to start overtime, and opened with a short pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald who took it 75 yards down to the Packers five-yard line. “They are freakish when you lose them”, Arizona head coach Bruce Arians said. And the way he played in the second half, it was again proved that it money well spent.
The extra point with no time remaining in the fourth quarter sent the game to overtime – but after a controversial coin-flip and a huge play by Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals would advance to the NFC title game anyway with a 26-20 victory. It’s possible that maybe he had planned to use the same strategy on the second toss.
Last season, the Seahawks bested the Packers after they scored a touchdown on their first drive in overtime.
In the ninth, however, Palmer, back and playing well after missing three games with a shoulder injury, was sidelined with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, suffered while being sacked.
Saturday’s NFC divisional game between the Cardinals and Packers was an instant classic.
GB – Janis 8 pass from A.Rodgers (Crosby kick), 10:17. That he came back better than before, with a stronger core and sounder mechanics, is a testament to his passion for the game.
Rodgers had a feeling the Packers would be returning to this stadium after their 38-8 road loss to the Cardinals in December. “Most teams would have probably played prevent and that’s what [defensive coordinator James Betcher] was going to play and I said, ‘Hell no, let’s blitz him.’ And he made a great throw”.
As for the Packers (11-7), they gave a valiant effort that was supported by a big performances from the likes of quarterback AARON RODGERS (24 of 44 for 261 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 pick) and second year receiver JEFF JANIS who was out of his mind in terms of production tonight. He was intercepted once.
Damarious Randall, who moments earlier had made a key interception in the end zone, deflected a pass intended for Fitzgerald inside the 5-yard line and the ball sailed into the end zone into the hands of Michael Floyd for a 9-yard TD catch.
The Packers followed with a season-ending loss to Minnesota, but bounced back quickly, rolling to a 35-18 wild-card victory over Washington last week.
The Cardinals thought they had won until Rodgers, in a play reminiscent of Green Bay’s win over Detroit this season, took the snap with 5 seconds to play, scrambled and threw to the end zone.
The Cardinals countered with a 28-yard field goal from Chandler Catanzaro toward the end of the third. The pass play would have put the Packers at the Cardinals’ 4-yard line.
Of course, it was Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’s incredible Hail Mary touchdown pass to receiver Jeff Janis as time expired that put the Cardinals in that position in the first place.
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Fitzgerald appeared just as at ease when he caught the ball from Carson Palmer in overtime and then took off. It was nearly as if he was faster in overtime than he had been for the entire 60 minutes before.
