An incredible finish.
The Green Bay Packers hit a Hail Mary with the final play of the game for the second time this season but it wasn’t enough to beat the Arizona Cardinals.
Aaron Rodgers led a stunning last-gasp comeback to tie the NFC Divisional play-off game at the death, but the Cardinals picked themselves off the mat to win in overtime, 26-20, and advance to the next week’s NFC title game against either Seattle or Carolina.
The Cards led 20-13 when Chandler Catanzaro booted a field goal with less than two minutes remaining, and the game looked over when the Packers were forced into a fourth-and-20 on their own goal line.
But Rodgers, who was without primary receiver Randall Cobb, who left the game with an early injury, escaped the pocket and threw a huge 60-yard pass to Jeff Janis to keep the game alive.
https://twitter.com/GoodyCraig/status/688655377085427712
The Packers were unable to advance the ball further before the final play of the game, leaving Rodgers needing to deliver another 41-yard bomb to Janis as time expired to send the game into overtime.
Football is too easy for Aaron Rodgers, so he waits for hail mary attempts to score. https://t.co/JyXNNCnt71 pic.twitter.com/Rgs18K2Jo8
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) January 17, 2016
Aaron Rodgers just took GB 96 yards in 70 seconds, with no time outs and no pass protection and no top receivers.
— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) January 17, 2016
Cardinals fans won’t have been the only ones feeling distinctly uncomfortbale as the Detroit Lions will have had a shiver run down their spine at the memory of Rodgers’ Hail Mary pass which ended their play-off hopes.
Unlike the Lions, though, Arizona had the opportunity to bounce back and they did so superbly in OT, with Carson Palmer completing this pass to legendary receiver Larry Fitzgerald that set up the game winning touchdown for Fitzgerald moments later.
LARRY FITZGERALD ATE ALL THE CHEESE IN GREEN BAY https://t.co/SXBZfx2Mgo pic.twitter.com/5A8ubSS1yh
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) January 17, 2016
Earlier, the New England Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-20 as Tom Brady took advantage of his fit again receivers Rob Gronkowski (83 yards, 2 TDs) and Julian Edelman (100yards), and rushed for a touchdown of his own.
