Postgame
I may have a stroke.
It’s one of those games that makes you remember why you stay home to watch sweaty men play with a ball on a Saturday night.
In sports, it’s a rare moment when a team throws away an opportunity to win a huge game, and somehow still finds a way to win. That happened tonight.
The Cardinals survive horrendous clock management and a Hail Mary miracle, thanks to another insane play by Palmer, spinning out of pressure, bouncing off his own man, before finding Fitzgerald, who made the run of his career down to the five-yard line.
So Palmer has his playoff win and the Cardinals are in business. They’ll head to Carolina or host Seattle depending on what happens Sunday.
The Packers? Well, I mean, what can you do right? You’re part of history, and for them, that has to be enough.
Me? I need a drink. Thanks for reading. More live NFL blogs tomorrow, but until then, good morning, good afternoon and goodnight.
Updated
TOUCHDOWN! Packers 20-26 Cardinals, Final
Palmer, a little flick to Fitzgerald, and he’s in the endzone! It’s over! The Cardinals survive this crazy game!
ICYMI
Aaron Rodgers did it again: Packers down to 1 last play... Rodgers finds Jeff Janis for the HAIL MARY #Touchdown 💯 https://t.co/nqOSTI5eUG
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2016
Packers 20-20 Cardinals, 14:00 overtime
The Cards call timeout because they can’t believe what happened either.
Then Palmer looks for Fitzgerald again in the corner of the endzone but it’s incomplete.
Packers 20-20 Cardinals, 14:04 overtime
OK, here we go. We are still playing, amazingly.
Palmer, in traffic spins off one of his own players and fires complete for Fitzgerald! He’s running across the field, through everybody! He’s possessed! He’s still going, left, right, across!
HE IS TAKEN DOWN FINALLY ON THE FIVE!
Updated
Clock management 101
A Cardinal fail. That game was over 45 seconds before that happened. But Arizona threw the ball incomplete, for reasons that may never be clear.
Horrible.
More crazy s*&t, the coin toss: the referee threw it up and it didn’t flip, because that happens all the time also.
They re-flipped it. Is that a word? Cards won, they’ll take the kick, although nothing is a given in this game.
TOUCHDOWN! Packers 20-20 Cardinals, end of 4th quarter
It counts, and the kick is good.
Oh man, we are tied. it’s a tie game.
My eyes are bleeding.
Janis, yes it was Janis. That looks good to me. I think that is six, and if so, that would mean Crosby on for a pressure-packed extra point, or perhaps...
No. They wouldn’t right?
TOUCHDOWN? Packers 13-20 Cardinals, end of 4th quarter
Pressure, throws it up - endzone - Janis is there - HE HAS IT! THAT’S A TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!
I THINK IT’S A TOUCHDOWN!
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?
Let’s go to the video tape...
Updated
Packers 13-20 Cardinals, :05 4th quarter
Arizona call time as their defensive set up was all over the place. Sloppy. But in this game, that makes sense.
Will Richard Rodgers catch lightning in a bottle, again?
Packers 13-20 Cardinals, :05 4th quarter
Here we go - shotgun, Rodgers, facing pressure, backpedaling, and fires out of bounds.
This is it!
Packers 13-20 Cardinals, :12 4th quarter
It’s llegal motion on the offense, the TE Rodgers, on a mess of a play where Green Bay looked like they were going to spike it, then they didn’t.
Pack on the Arizona 40 - a long way to go.
Timeout Arizona.
Hail Mary, full of grace...
Packers 13-20 Cardinals, :22 4th quarter
4th and 20? NBD. Aaron Rodgers find Jeff Janis for 61 yards! #GBvsAZ https://t.co/hJZphQ0WK8
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2016
It’s 4th & 20 and season. Rodgers is running to his left - he fires way downfield and HAS JANIS!!! That’s a 61-yard gain.
Updated
Packers 13-20 Cardinals, :55 4th quarter
Rodgers, off his back foot, throws out of bounds. Second & 10.
Now he’s sacked! It’s Dwight Freeny! Or it’s Rodgers running into David Bakhtiari!
Rodgers on 3rd & 20, he guns it way down field in search of Janis, and that looks like it could have been interference, but there are no flags.
Fourth down. Timeout Cardinals.
Packers 13-20 Cardinals, 1:50 4th quarter
Janis is hit hard, shy of the 15. Good special teams play for Arizona to start off this final phase.
And away we go...
FIELD GOAL! Packers 13-20 Cardinals, 1:55 4th quarter
It’s good.
Rodgers and the Packers need a touchdown or their season is over. They have just one timeout.
You ready?
Packers 13-17 Cardinals, 2:00 4th quarter
All the Cardinals have to do is what Cincinnati didn’t do, and that’s hold on to the football, run that clock down, and kick a field goal possibly.
Johnson runs for two yards.
Now Palmer throws the ball! Why is he throwing the ball?
It’s incomplete!
What are these people doing? This is not a video game! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A VIDEO GAME!
3rd & 8 - Johnson runs and is short of the first down.
They run the clock to the two-minute warning, but that move saved Aaron Rodgers, say, 40 seconds or so.
It’s McCarthy v Arians in the Brain Bowl.
Here’s the warning. When we return, Arizona will attempt a 36-yard field goal.
Packers 13-17 Cardinals, 2:38 4th quarter
Remember, Green Bay have just one timeout because people are stupid.
Little pass to Kuhn for four yards. Little run by Lacy for a yard.
3rd & 5, and the Arizona crowd are going a bit bananas.
Rodgers is looking for Abbrederis - incomplete! He wants a flag and gets zilch.
They’re going for it!!
Rodgers back to pass and skips it off the turf into the hands of Jones, and that’s a turnover on downs!
McCarthy knew he had to gamlble, partially because he has just one timeout.
Now the Cards are in field goal territory. Genius stuff.
Wait, THAT HAPPENED?! #GBvsAZ pic.twitter.com/2bTbMU3gbQ
— Andrew Joseph (@AndyJ0seph) January 17, 2016
Exactly. Now what?
TOUCHDOWN! Packers 13-17 Cardinals, 3:44 4th quarter
Palmer throws towards the endzone - Damarious Randall gets a hand on it - the ball is in the air, behind the intended receiver, it’s misdirected into the hands of Floyd, and that’s a touchdown!
Palmer was looking for Fitzgerald, and somehow found Floyd, via Randall! And that really happened!
That is one lucky quarterback.
Updated
Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 4:00 4th quarter
Palmer nearly connects with Fitzgerald in the endzone but it’s incomplete.
Now he hits Johnson underneath, in major rush hour traffic, and the RB rolls towards a first down on 3rd & 10!
They measure and it’s a first down by a nose!
Cards on the 19!
Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 4:32 4th quarter
Another third down conversion - John Brown needs four, gets nine.
Now Palmer is looking for Floyd and it’s another floater SAM SHIELDS NEARLY PICKS IT OFF - he dropped an easy pick!
This is crazy - what’s up with these throws?
Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 5:41 4th quarter
Under six minutes remaining, and a big 3rd & 4 here. Palmer in the shotgun, pump fakes once, twice, almost into a helmet, before finding Michael Floyd, who came across the field towards the near sideline to make a first down catch to the 34.
Now they’re on the 26 after Johnson finally gets his wheels turning for a gain of on the ground of eight.
Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 8:30 4th quarter
Palmer looking for Ellington, who doesn’t bother turn around when he is supposed to turn around, incomplete.
But then AZ’s QB fires to Brown for a gain of 21.
Ellington again, on the ground this time, and he’s wrapped up for a loss! This Ellington, maybe he doesn’t come out again?
On 2nd & 13, Palmer hits Fitzgerald who is four yards short, but he stutter-steps, jukes, beats tacklers and somehow squeezes out a first down. Tremendous play by Fitzgerald who has really come alive here in the second half.
Ball on the GB 49 now...
PLAY UNDER REVIEW! Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 11:01 4th quarter
OK, it’s incomplete, and then they added a few seconds to the clock. That means Green Bay have to punt, and they do, down to the 20, where Arizona will begin.
How the refs missed that one is unreal.
PLAY UNDER REVIEW! Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 10:54 4th quarter
Green Bay pick up a first down, and then on 2nd & 10, Rodgers looks way way downfield for Jones, incomplete.
Big 3rd & 10 here from the GB 42 - Rodgers fires over the middle complete to Rodgers. But was he down on contact? Rodgers didn’t think so and he ran way down the field.
Now, Arizona are challenging whether Rodgers was down by contact, but the replay shows Rodgers never actually made the catch at all and it’s incomplete.
So, if they are challenging down by contact, and the ball is incomplete, and they challenge the wrong call, what happens? Probably that it is incomplete.
Please stand by.
INTERCEPTION! Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 14:10 4th quarter
Palmer throws the kind of pass that makes you wonder if your grandmother could have done better, and it lands in the hands of the Packers Randall.
That’s just the kind of mistake he made during the 2009 loss v the Jets, when he guided the Bengals to defeat in an early round match-up. I mean, who loses to the Jets in the playoffs?
I guess Arizona need a stop...(how is that for analysis)?
Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 14:20, 4th quarter
Suddenly there’s lots of space in the Packers secondary - John Brown has plenty of room in making the 18 yard catch on the far side. Cards down to the 10.
Packers 13-10 Cardinals, end of 3rd quarter
Two tiny runs and a defensive holding call help Arizona to another first down.
Now David Johnson is out of the backfield and has himself a first down catch - it’s a 10-yard gain that parks Arizona on the Green Bay 28-yards line as the third quarter comes to a close.
Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 2:21 3rd quarter
The rhythm is a dancer, and that dancer is Larry Fitzgerald, who runs a filthy route during his 22-yard reception.
Now Mike McCarthy is challenging whether or not it’s a catch because he alleges the ball came loose when he hit the ground.
Damn it, this is a catch. This is dumb football replay horse patootie, and now McCarthy pays the price. Why did he challenge that? Now they have just a single time out left.
SO STUPID!!!!! I HATE STUPID FOOTBALL!
Cards on the GB 47, first down.
Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 2:50 3rd quarter
The Pack start from the 35 thanks to a healthy return by Janis from the endzone - and how about that Janis?
After a penalty a pair of short runs and an incompletion, it’s 3rd & 13.
Rodgers in the shotgun, he finds Rodgers for a short gain, and Arizona force GB to punt: important play right there.
JustNow the punt is just 34-yards. That’s short, and it puts Arizona on their 31 instead of being buried deep in their own territory.
This stuff matters!
FIELD GOAL! Packers 13-10 Cardinals, 5:05 3rd quarter
Catanzaro pops it through from 28 and the Cards have their first points since the early first quarter.
Packers 13-7 Cardinals, 5:09 3rd quarter
Palmer has Johnson open on the near side, about a yard outside the endzone, but he misfires incomplete. That’s a terrible job by Palmer there - he has to hit the open Johsnon, and so the Cards have to settle for the field goal unit.
Packers 13-7 Cardinals, 5:14 3rd quarter
Palmer is feeling pressure and fires incomplete looking for the running back David Johnson.
3rd & goal....
Packers 13-7 Cardinals, 5:41 3rd quarter
Fells gets done for hammering Burnett while running towards his own endzone (you follow) - that’s not allowed and costs the Cards 15 yards and momentum.
So now it’s 2nd & goal from the 15.
Then the Packers are called for having 12 men on the field, which is not allowed, so it’s 2nd & goal from the 10.
Some dumb yard trading going on right now.
Packers 13-7 Cardinals, 6:45 3rd quarter
Cards have a little something something going on, an offensive rhythm that’s been missing for some time.
Fells, a catch over the middle for 11 yards, and you can tack on 15 more thanks to a silly unnecessary roughness call on Raji, who was aggressive with Fells after the catch.
Two plays later and Palmer has found Fitzgerald for a third time on this drive, this time in the middle of the field for a 19-yard gain.
Cards have 1st & goal from the seven.
Packers 13-7 Cardinals, 8:38 3rd quarter
Fitzgerald on the far side, a little quick out that quickly goes for four yards.
Now he’s looking for Fitzgerald again, this time down the far sideline - a perfectly thrown ball that lands in the safe hands of the Cards wideout. That’s 32 yards.
Then a buzzkill, a delay-of-game call. Now the Cards are on their own 47.
TOUCHDOWN! Packers 13-7 Cardinals, 10:17 3rd quarter
Rodgers on the run again - he fires while moving forward - he has Janis! Jeff Janis! He’s in the middle of the endzone with the football - it’s a touchdown catch that puts the Pack on top!
That’s 81 yards on just six plays for seven points, in stark contrast to the pair of 17-play first-half drives that earned just six points.
Cards in trouble - they need to figure out a way to penetrate GB’s re-tooled secondary...pronto.
Packers 6-7 Cardinals, 10:25 3rd quarter
On second down, Rodgers is buying all kinds of time, running here, there, everywhere, but it’s not enough to find a receiver. He throws it away, setting up 3rd & goal from the eight.
Now Rodgers has to burn a timeout.
Packers 6-7 Cardinals, 11:04 3rd quarter
Here’s more good news for Packer fans - Lacy has back-to- back big runs.
The first is for 14 yards.
The second is for 62! Glendale is arm-tackle town USA as Lacy motors down to the Cardinal eight - first and goal to go for Green Bay!
REVIEW! INTERCEPTION! Packers 6-7 Cardinals, 13:22 3rd quarter
Of course they looked at it, because they look at every turnover: the ruling on the play stands. There was some question as to whther or not the ball hit the ground when Dix hit the turf. It did, but the ball did not move, and that means it’s a catch...
Stupid NFL time wasting.
INTERCEPTION! Packers 6-7 Cardinals, 13:22 3rd quarter
Palmer lofts a pass down the far sideline looking for Floyd but it’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix who makes a remarkable interception in traffic!
So we begin the half with back-to-back picks - who had this one as low scoring?
Updated
Packers 6-7 Cardinals, 13:34 3rd quarter
Packers blitz on second down and Palmer overthrows John Brown down the far sideline.
Palmer is exceptional at picking up the blitz, but didn’t look it there.
INTERCEPTION! Packers 6-7 Cardinals, 13:50 3rd quarter
Rodgers is looking for Abbrederis but the throw is way short - Rashad Johnson has an easy pick for the Cardinals who will take over on the Packers 47!
Updated
Packers 6-7 Cardinals, 14:33 3rd quarter
Lacy, desperate to get something going, runs into the line for no gain.
Then Rodgers hits Rodgers (roger roger) on a post play for a first down - that’s a 15-yard gain to the GB 35.
We're back!
Packers have it to start the half - Janis chooses to take the touchback, and Green Bay will start at their 20.
Halftime
So if not for two flags on two very big plays, who knows how this game would look right now. One thing we can say confidently, there would be more points on the board.
Palmer and the Cards came out strong, but Green Bay managed to find their defensive footing, and more importantly, played the possession game to a tee. The Packers recovered from a pair of three-and-outs in the first quarter to put together a pair of drives that soaked up much of the ensuing play. That kept Palmer, who looks a bit jumpy in the pocket, on the sideline, which is the best place for him to bee if you’re a cheesehead.
Here are some numbers...
Palmer was 8/14 for just 74 yards, Rodgers 16/26 for 121 yards. He wasn’t sacked, which was kind of amazing since he was eight times by Arizona just three weeks ago.
Rodgers was also the Packers leading rusher - true story - with 21 yards, mostly because big Eddie Lacy hasn’t gotten it going yet.
David Johnson’s wheels are hardly turning for the Cards: he has just 16 yards on six carries.
John Brown has 34 yards receiving for AZ, Abbrederis and Janis have combined for 91 yards as they try to make up for the loss of Randall Cobb.
Second half action coming soon. Please stand by.
Packers 6-7 Cardinals, end of half
What can the Cards do with 57 seconds?
Palmer hits Floyd, who has it, then doesn’t have it, has it again, and doesn’t have it, bobbles it some more and it’s incomplete.
Then Palmer is sent to the turf! Thats’ defensive tackle Mike Daniels with the sack for GB’s defense which has, rather stunningly, allowed just 75 yards so far to this high-octane Cards offense.
I say stunningly, because it looked like Palmer and the Cards were going to run over the Packers early on...but no.
Now it’s 3rd & 19 and Johnson runs the ball so the clock runs out. Half over.
FIELD GOAL! Packers 6-7 Cardinals, 1:01 2nd quarter
Here we go. Rodgers is blitzed and has to chuck it away again! So here comes the field goal unit after the Green Bay drive stalls again.
Crosby has another easy one - 34 yards this time, and it’s good.
That’s 17 plays, 71 yards and 7:55 for three points.
That means six points from 34 plays in 15:26...if keeping Palmer off the field was their goal, well, so far so good.
Updated
Packers 3-7 Cardinals, 1:07 2nd quarter
Rodgers throws a screen to Starks on the far side but he goes nowhere.
Now Rodgers pump fakes and then wanders to his right before throwing it away out of the endzone. He doesn’t have a lot of options back there without Cobb.
Big 3rd & 14...and Rodgers wants to talk it over with head coach Mike McCarthy. That’s their second time out.
Packers 3-7 Cardinals, 2:00 2nd quarter
Rodgers hits Janis, who is streaking across the middle and has first-down yardage.
Then the 13th play of this GB drive is a Eddie Lacy run for a one-yard loss.
Now Rodgers hits Janis, AGAIN! Another first down, this time the play is to the far sideline.
We’ve hit the two-minute warning where the Packers are threatening on the Cards 12...
Packers 3-7 Cardinals, 3:25 2nd quarter
So spotlight on Jared Abbrederis who has an 18-yard catch on this drive, which has now moved well into Cardinals territory.
Big 3rd & 4 from the Cards 30.
Randall Cobb
Already without Jordy Nelson all season, Randall Cobb, who replaced him in the top slot, has been ruled out of the game by Packers training staff.
So now if GB can pull this off it will be one for the ages.
Packers 3-7 Cardinals, 6:05 2nd quarter
Janis sweeps left after the catch, near side, and runs out of bounds - it’s another Pack first down up to their 35.
Packers 3-7 Cardinals, 7:10 2nd quarter
The Cards punt, GB start at their 13, and are quickly facing a 3rd & 5.
Rodgers in the shotgun, he runs to his right and throws sideline towards Richard Rodgers who is there has a first down catch! That’s a drive-saving 11-yard grab up to the Packers 29!
Packers 3-7 Cardinals, 9:23 2nd quarter
Cards start from their 20 as the wild, game changing Penalty Bowl continues.
John Brown gets his feet down on the near sideline for a nimble first down play for 19 yards.
Then two great defensive plays on the trot - Johnson is wrapped up by Jones for no gain then Palmer is sacked by Julius Peppers!
On 3rd & 18, Palmer recover to find Brown on the far sideline but he’s stopped short of the first down.
Micah Hyde took a blow on the play and trainers rush out...when we return it’s 4th & 3 on the Cards 46.
FIELD GOAL! Packers 3-7 Cardinals, 11:22 2nd quarter
OK, so after Rodgers fails to link up with Janis on the far corner of the endzone, Crosby kicks the chip-shot through the uprights from 28 yards out.
Points on the board for the Pack, which is significantly better than what could have been.
The Parallel Earth version of this game is really great, is what I'm saying. @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) January 17, 2016
There have been two amazing plays in this game and they have both been wiped out by penalties! This is the What If Bowl. @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) January 17, 2016
NO INTERCEPTION! NO TOUCHDOWN! Packers 0-7 Cardinals, 12:46 2nd quarter
Unsportsmanlike conduct on the Packers, and then during the play, illegal hands to the face by Frostee Rucker of the Cards mean that play never happened, and, somewhat amazingly, the drive continues.
Now it’s 3rd & 8...
INTERCEPTION? TOUCHDOWN? Packers 0-7 Cardinals, 13:40 2nd quarter
Meanwhile, the Packers drive continues. Steady progress has them near the red zone, but now they face a key 3rd & 4 from the 24.
Rodgers, steps to his left, faces pressure, moves left some more, fires near side and is PICKED OFF AT THE GOAL LINE! And there goes Patrick Peterson ALL THE WAY!
But there are flags...
Randall Cobb
After that ridiculous catch, non-catch, he’s heading to the lockers in so the training staff can have an x-ray on his chest - if the Pack loose him, they’re in trouble. He’s questionable to return at the moment.
Packers 0-7 Cardinals, end of 1st quarter
On 2nd & 4 from the 46, Rodgers is going for it - he chucks it way down field looking for Randall Cobb on the far side, and he a ridiculous one-handed catch! WOW! How did he do that...
...except offsetting penalties neutralize that highlight, so instead of being mere yards from pay-dirt after a 51-yard catch, it’s 3rd & 5. Ho hum.
The consolation prize? A 14-yard first down catch by Abbrederis on the right side which means this drive continues just as the quarter ends.
When we return, 1st & 10 and the Cards 40-yard line.
Packers 0-7 Cardinals, 1:40 1st quarter
GB continue to try and establish the run, and they’re persistence has them a first down, thanks to James Starks’ eight-yard run on second down.
Starks is good for another strong carry, this time for six, and an incompletion later, Rodgers is on the run - taking off for a first down on 3rd & 4 with everyone covered downfield!
So after no first downs in their first two possessions, GB have a little something going here.
Packers 0-7 Cardinals, 3:53 1st quarter
There’s pressure and there’s an incomplete pass - Palmer was looking for John Brown in the middle of the field but Caey Hayward was there and so GB do what they need to do to stop, at least temporarily, momentum that was steadily building for Arizona.
But then the punt takes a major Cardinal bounce, meaning the Packers have work to do - they start at their five.
Packers 0-7 Cardinals, 4:30 1st quarter
Andre Ellington, a five-yard gallop before it’s Ellington again, up the middle for a single yard.
Big down here for GB who need a stop (who doesn’t). It’s 3rd & 4.
Packers 0-7 Cardinals, 5:26 1st quarter
How will the Packers respond?
Jeff Janis dances out of the endzone some 25 yards an that’s where GB begin.
Rodgers hands off to Lacy who goes nowhere, maybe a yard.
Then Rodgers is under pressure and shovels it to the tight end Richard Rodgers (no relation) for five more.
Now, that means it’s 3rd & 4, Tony Jefferson sticks out his hand and bats it away from Rodgers (the tight end)! That’s back-to-back three-and-outs for Green Bay, which is not good.
Bright side? Rodgers hasn’t been sacked yet.
Arizona start from their 34.
Packers 0-7 Cardinals, 6:48 1st quarter
Palmer throws towards the far side corner of the endzone - Michael Jonson leaps with both hands up and comes down with the pill: it’s a Cardinals touchdown!
The extra-point is good, the icing on the cake of an 11 play drive that went 42 yards in 6:21.
Packers 0-0 Cardinals, 7:30 1st quarter
Johnson bullies his way for a fresh set of downs.
Now Palmer is hit hard by Nick Perry and the ball comes loose momentarily! Palmer and Arizona maintains control!
Packers 0-0 Cardinals, 9:05 1st quarter
On third and short, Johnson take s the scenic route, running wide to his left on his way to another Cardinals first down - they’re in the red zone for the first time tonight.
Now Sam Shields breaks up his second pass of the night with Palmer looking for John Brown. His return from injury has already brought a boost to the GB secondary.
Johsnon has another catch out of the backfield, but it’s just for a yard, and on second down Palmer hits J.J. Nelson, who is just short of the first down.
Cards are going for it...
Packers 0-0 Cardinals, 11:07 1st quarter
David Johnson with a grab out of the backfield on the near sideline is good for 12.
Then Jonson again, this time on the ground for three yards.
Now Larry Fitzgerald, who is trying to avoid a trip to the Pro-Bowl, has his first catch of the night for six yards, and that sets up a 3rd & 1.
Green Bay can’t get it together so they burn timeout no1...
Packers 0-0 Cardinals, 13:09 1st quarter
Josh Sitton jumps for the Packers on their first play from scrimmage, then big Eddie Lacy rumbles for five yards.
Now Rodgers looks for Abbrederis, not once but twice and comes up empty on both occasions: his second toss is a floater thrown weakly off of his back foot and so they’ll kick it away.
Tim Masthay’s kicks a 37-yard punt and a 14-yard return from Patrick Peterson means Arizona will begin on the GB 42, which is excellent of course.
Packers 0-0 Cardinals, 13:47 1st quarter
Carson looks for Fitzgerald and fires far sideline incomplete, and now he’s looking for Michael Floyd over the middle but here comes Sam Shields to break it up!
So the high flying Cardinals offense is welcomed rudely, three and out on their first possession.
A hold on the Packers mean they squander a decent return and start at their own 22.
Kickoff
The matinee of part one of the best weekend of the NFL season is underway. Cards have it at their 35, and David Johnson runs ion to the GB line for a few yards to get us going. How will it end?
Prediction?
It’s close, tight, and a lot of fun, but the Cards win 27-20. And that’s all I have to say about that because...
...I like the Packers. I like a team that overcame a slow start the week prior before crushing their Wild Card opponent in Washington, gaining a bit of momentum while the Cardinals sat home eating, farting and playing with their Xboxes.
Here’s what else I like - the Packers clearly are the worse team here - there’s a reason the Cards are giving away a TD and change in the Vegas point spread. Except there’s something good about getting completely pummeled by your opponent three weeks before a playoff game. Just ask the Vikings, who were hammered by the Seahawks in the regular season and then should have walked out of the freeze in Minnesota with a win. Yeah, weather was a factor, but still, lessons were learned.
Have the Pack figured out how to keep their QB upright against the swarming Cardinal defense over the past three weeks? Quite possibly. One thing I know is that they aren’t going to get their faces crushed like that again.
This is a team with Super Bowl pedigree, even after an uneven season. Count them out at your peril.
So what about tonight?
Let’s talk about it...but first, in case anybody has been wondering if the Cardinals, like the Los Angeles Rams, will ever head back to their former city, this fan has an answer:
No, St. Louis...you can't have the @AZCardinals back. #Rams #RamsToLA #AZCardinals #BirdGang #RiseUpRedSea #GBvsAZ #NFLPlayoffs
— Scot Stecher (@ScotStecher) January 13, 2016
So, yes, the Cardinals: how good are they? Well, from a historical perspective, at least when it comes to their own franchise records, they’re the best of all-time.
Of course, these Cards come from St Louis, and before that they were from Chicago, and, during their time in the Windy City, they even spent some time in Pittsburgh (true story). So they’ve been around for a long, long time - some 95 years in fact.
So having said all that, it’s kind of ridiculous that the 2015 Cards’ 13 wins are the most ever for a team with a red bird on their helmet. That’s how bad the franchise has been.
Today they’re good, very good. Only the Panthers had a better point differential, and these days, folks are comparing Carson Palmer to some guy called Troy Aikman, who won some three Super Bowls himself.
They’ve dominated offensively this season - and their defense is in the top five in yards allowed. One thing though, Palmer is 36 years old and has never won a playoff game. He lost back in 2009 against the Jets, and that’s been it.
This is his moment to rise up and break through, except...
Let us all put our hands together and issue a warm applause in salute of the New England Patriots who have delighted NFL fans everywhere by advancing to yet another (fifth straight) AFC Championship game. I’m sure I speak for everybody when I say that looking at Bill Belichick’s forearms never gets old.
If Denver knocks off Pittsburgh tomorrow, New England will head out west to play at Mile High Field at Sports Authority. If the Steelers mash up Manning Pittsburgh will head for a shave at Foxboro.
Also tomorrow is Seattle at Carolina (1:05 EST), where we’ll see what the Panthers 15 regular season wins add up to.
Updated
Hello everybody and good evening, or morning, or, well, you get the gist.
We’ll have a bit of pre-game leading up to kickoff of Packers Cardinals, but in the meantime, I strongly encourage you to check out the bitter end of Kansas City and New England over on Guardian Sports 1. Back soon...
David will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what NFL writer Paolo Bandini has to say about this weekend’s game:
Arizona still have reasons to feel confident. No quarterback can orchestrate a victory when he’s lying flat on his back. If the Cardinals’ pass rush is even 50% as productive as it was in the last meeting, that would still be a significant upgrade on what Washington managed.
Green Bay are hopeful of having starting left tackle David Bakhtiari back in their line-up for the first time since week 15, which would be a major boost. I do think that this game is going to look drastically different to the previous meeting, and likely will be decided by one score. But I am still inclined to give the edge to the home team.
