The Green Bay Packers, a flawed team for most of coach Mike McCarthy's 10th season, were exposed one final time Saturday night at University of Phoenix Field.
Staked to a three-point lead primarily by a rock-ribbed defense, the Packers couldn't do much of anything on offense in the last 1½ quarters and fell in overtime, 26-20, to the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC divisional playoff game.
When the Packers' pass rush, formidable in the first half, couldn't get to quarterback Carson Palmer in the second half, the Cardinals mounted scoring drives of 74 and 80 yards to carry the defensive struggle.
But then, after a stunning last-ditch Hail Mary pass forced overtime, the defense caved.
On the first play, Palmer somehow managed to escape the rush, then threw back across the field to the wide-open Larry Fitzgerald.
The veteran wide receiver and team leader broke tackles by Sam Shields and Damarious Randall on a 75-yard jaunt to the 5.
Then, on second down, Palmer pitched to Fitzgerald on a shovel pass for the winning touchdown.
Last year, Seattle eliminated the Packers in the NFC Championship Game with a touchdown on its first possession of overtime. The heartbreak continued against Arizona, another team from the NFC West.
Green Bay, with a quarterback capable of winning the Super Bowl for the seventh straight year, fell short for the sixth time.
The fifth-seeded Packers finished 11-7. McCarthy's teams have won two playoff games in a year just once and that was 2010, when the Packers won the Super Bowl as No. 6 seeding.
The second-seeded Cardinals (14-3) advanced to the NFC Championship Game next Sunday against the winner of Seattle-Carolina.
Green Bay was light-years more competitive this time than in its 38-8 shellacking on the same field three weeks ago.
"There's not too many times in life or in a season that you get to go back and retry something that obviously did not go very well last time," McCarthy said last week after the wild-card victory over Washington. "So we are really looking forward to this — going back to Phoenix."
Problems on special teams were a major reason why the Packers got off to such a poor start.
After winning the coin toss and deferring, the Packers forced a three-and-out and Micah Hyde returned the punt to the Green Bay 47. Linebacker Nate Palmer, however, was penalized for holding, and the 35-yard loss sent the Packers back to start from the 12.
Three plays later Tim Masthay's 37-yard punt hung for just 3.22 seconds and was returned 12 yards by Patrick Peterson to the Green Bay 42.
It took the Cardinals 11 plays to score the touchdown, but nothing came easily.
On third and 1, running back David Johnson had to fight hard around left end for a gain of 2. Then, on fourth and 1, coach Bruce Arians went for it and Johnson charged inside for 2.
After a 5-yard sack by the unblocked Nick Perry, Palmer hit Johnson for 5, then Michael Floyd for 8 and the touchdown. It took a perfectly thrown ball by Palmer and a great catch by Floyd to beat Morgan Burnett by a foot in the deep right corner of the end zone.
The Packers lost 17 yards on another punt when Hyde didn't run up to field Drew Butler's sideline boot and it rolled all the way to the 5.
On third and 5, Rodgers knew he had a free play because the Cardinals were caught subbing and were late getting off the field. He hurled a bomb to Randall Cobb, who made a tremendous catch at the 3 for 51 yards with cornerback Justin Bethel all over him.
The play, however, was brought back on Bryan Bulaga's penalty for an illegal shift.
Just as costly was the chest injury suffered by Cobb. It was his 15th and last play from scrimmage, leaving the Packers with James Jones (who was shadowed by Patrick Peterson), Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis at wide receiver. Cobb didn't catch a pass.
General manager Ted Thompson could have activated one of two wide receivers, Ed Williams or Jamel Johnson, from the practice squad Friday to replace tight end Andrew Quarless, who went on injured reserve.
Instead, Thompson promoted cornerback Robertson Daniel, an intriguing prospect who was among the team's six inactive players.
At this point, Rodgers just began to make do with the players available.
Abbrederis worked free against zone coverage for a 17-yard reception on third and 5, then Janis caught a slant for 11. That set up third and 4 at the 18.
For the first and only time in the first half, Rodgers attempted a throw to Peterson's man, Jones. Peterson intercepted, then high-stepped 100 yards for a TD and 14-0 lead that wasn't.
Defensive end Frostee Rucker was penalized for illegal hands to the face of Bulaga, wiping out the play and giving the Packers a first down at the 12. Mason Crosby followed with a 28-yard field goal and it was 7-3.
Starting this time from their 13, the Packers kept moving the ball on short passes and picked up another field goal by Crosby of 34 yards.
Abbrederis caught three balls for 30 yards and Janis snagged two for 19. The longest gain in the 17-play, 71-yard march was an 18-yard slant to Abbrederis on third and 5.
With a first down at the 12, James Starks lost 4 on a check-down and Rodgers threw twice into the end zone incomplete.
Rodgers, who had been sacked eight times in the Dec. 27 game, had ample time to operate behind an immensely more cohesive and experienced offensive line.
Meanwhile, Palmer was sacked three times in the first half and pressured several other times. The Cardinals had been outgained, 166-75, in the first 30 minutes.
Defensive end Calais Campbell deflected a pass at the line that was intercepted by safety Rashad Johnson on the third play of the third quarter. It gave the Cardinals a first down at the Green Bay 47.
On third and 11, Palmer went deep to Floyd but the ball was intercepted by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
The Packers covered the 81 yards in just six plays. Eddie Lacy, limited to 11 yards in seven first-half carries, charged for 11. On the next play, he slammed into left guard, cut back and was off to the races for 61 yards all the way to the 8.
After two plays failed to gain, Rodgers couldn't find a receiver and elected to run up in the pocket. As he did so, Janis slipped away from attempted plaster coverage by Bethel and caught the 8-yard TD pass for the Packers' first lead, 13-7.
Arizona, which had merely one first down in its previous four possessions, covered 74 yards in 10 plays for Chandler Catanzaro's 28-yard field goal.
Palmer went deep to Larry Fitzgerald, who beat Damarious Randall for 32. Then Palmer hit tight end Darren Fells for 11. When B.J. Raji lost discipline and hit Fells late for a 15-yard penalty, the Cardinals were at the Green Bay 27.
The initiative bogged down when Fitzgerald was penalized 15 yards for an illegal block on Burnett as John Brown was running a reverse.
Arizona marched 59 yards in seven plays, the longest a 22-yard strike to Fitzgerald on an out against Casey Hayward. But the Packers held when Randall made a sparkling interception in the end-zone corner on a ball to Brown that was badly underthrown.
When the Cardinals regained possession, they went 80 yards in 14 plays to take the lead, 17-13, with 3:44 remaining.
Brown caught a curl for 21 over a leaping Jake Ryan. Floyd gained 9 on a third-and-4 shallow crossing route. Brown worked inside for a 9-yard completion with Joe Thomas in coverage on third and 4.
On the next play, Palmer telegraphed a sideline route to Floyd that was undercut and should have been intercepted by Sam Shields, who dropped the ball at the 3.
Finally, on third and 10, Palmer found Johnson for 10 on an option route between Thomas and Quinten Rollins
Palmer gunned first-and-goal pass to Fitzgerald on a slant. Making a great play, Randall tipped the ball and it ended up in Floyd's hands next to Hayward for the 9-yard touchdown.
The Packers gained merely five yards in four plays, setting up a 36-yard field goal by Catanzaro.
Green Bay tied the score in miraculous fashion on Jeff Janis' 41-yard touchdown catch and Crosby's extra point as time expired.
On fourth and 20, Janis caught a 61-yard bomb behind Bethel. Three plays later, Janis went up and hauled in a Hail Mary bomb of 41 yards with Peterson and Rashad Johnson in coverage.
The Packers won in Detroit, 27-23, on Dec. 3 when Richard Rodgers caught a Hail Mary of 61 yards.
Staked to a three-point lead primarily by a rock-ribbed defense, the Packers couldn't do much of anything on offense in the last 1½ quarters and fell in overtime, 26-20, to the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC divisional playoff game.
When the Packers' pass rush, formidable in the first half, couldn't get to quarterback Carson Palmer in the second half, the Cardinals mounted scoring drives of 74 and 80 yards to carry the defensive struggle.
But then, after a stunning last-ditch Hail Mary pass forced overtime, the defense caved.
On the first play, Palmer somehow managed to escape the rush, then threw back across the field to the wide-open Larry Fitzgerald.
The veteran wide receiver and team leader broke tackles by Sam Shields and Damarious Randall on a 75-yard jaunt to the 5.
Then, on second down, Palmer pitched to Fitzgerald on a shovel pass for the winning touchdown.
Last year, Seattle eliminated the Packers in the NFC Championship Game with a touchdown on its first possession of overtime. The heartbreak continued against Arizona, another team from the NFC West.
Green Bay, with a quarterback capable of winning the Super Bowl for the seventh straight year, fell short for the sixth time.
The fifth-seeded Packers finished 11-7. McCarthy's teams have won two playoff games in a year just once and that was 2010, when the Packers won the Super Bowl as No. 6 seeding.
The second-seeded Cardinals (14-3) advanced to the NFC Championship Game next Sunday against the winner of Seattle-Carolina.
Green Bay was light-years more competitive this time than in its 38-8 shellacking on the same field three weeks ago.
"There's not too many times in life or in a season that you get to go back and retry something that obviously did not go very well last time," McCarthy said last week after the wild-card victory over Washington. "So we are really looking forward to this — going back to Phoenix."
Problems on special teams were a major reason why the Packers got off to such a poor start.
After winning the coin toss and deferring, the Packers forced a three-and-out and Micah Hyde returned the punt to the Green Bay 47. Linebacker Nate Palmer, however, was penalized for holding, and the 35-yard loss sent the Packers back to start from the 12.
Three plays later Tim Masthay's 37-yard punt hung for just 3.22 seconds and was returned 12 yards by Patrick Peterson to the Green Bay 42.
It took the Cardinals 11 plays to score the touchdown, but nothing came easily.
On third and 1, running back David Johnson had to fight hard around left end for a gain of 2. Then, on fourth and 1, coach Bruce Arians went for it and Johnson charged inside for 2.
After a 5-yard sack by the unblocked Nick Perry, Palmer hit Johnson for 5, then Michael Floyd for 8 and the touchdown. It took a perfectly thrown ball by Palmer and a great catch by Floyd to beat Morgan Burnett by a foot in the deep right corner of the end zone.
The Packers lost 17 yards on another punt when Hyde didn't run up to field Drew Butler's sideline boot and it rolled all the way to the 5.
On third and 5, Rodgers knew he had a free play because the Cardinals were caught subbing and were late getting off the field. He hurled a bomb to Randall Cobb, who made a tremendous catch at the 3 for 51 yards with cornerback Justin Bethel all over him.
The play, however, was brought back on Bryan Bulaga's penalty for an illegal shift.
Just as costly was the chest injury suffered by Cobb. It was his 15th and last play from scrimmage, leaving the Packers with James Jones (who was shadowed by Patrick Peterson), Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis at wide receiver. Cobb didn't catch a pass.
General manager Ted Thompson could have activated one of two wide receivers, Ed Williams or Jamel Johnson, from the practice squad Friday to replace tight end Andrew Quarless, who went on injured reserve.
Instead, Thompson promoted cornerback Robertson Daniel, an intriguing prospect who was among the team's six inactive players.
At this point, Rodgers just began to make do with the players available.
Abbrederis worked free against zone coverage for a 17-yard reception on third and 5, then Janis caught a slant for 11. That set up third and 4 at the 18.
For the first and only time in the first half, Rodgers attempted a throw to Peterson's man, Jones. Peterson intercepted, then high-stepped 100 yards for a TD and 14-0 lead that wasn't.
Defensive end Frostee Rucker was penalized for illegal hands to the face of Bulaga, wiping out the play and giving the Packers a first down at the 12. Mason Crosby followed with a 28-yard field goal and it was 7-3.
Starting this time from their 13, the Packers kept moving the ball on short passes and picked up another field goal by Crosby of 34 yards.
Abbrederis caught three balls for 30 yards and Janis snagged two for 19. The longest gain in the 17-play, 71-yard march was an 18-yard slant to Abbrederis on third and 5.
With a first down at the 12, James Starks lost 4 on a check-down and Rodgers threw twice into the end zone incomplete.
Rodgers, who had been sacked eight times in the Dec. 27 game, had ample time to operate behind an immensely more cohesive and experienced offensive line.
Meanwhile, Palmer was sacked three times in the first half and pressured several other times. The Cardinals had been outgained, 166-75, in the first 30 minutes.
Defensive end Calais Campbell deflected a pass at the line that was intercepted by safety Rashad Johnson on the third play of the third quarter. It gave the Cardinals a first down at the Green Bay 47.
On third and 11, Palmer went deep to Floyd but the ball was intercepted by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
The Packers covered the 81 yards in just six plays. Eddie Lacy, limited to 11 yards in seven first-half carries, charged for 11. On the next play, he slammed into left guard, cut back and was off to the races for 61 yards all the way to the 8.
After two plays failed to gain, Rodgers couldn't find a receiver and elected to run up in the pocket. As he did so, Janis slipped away from attempted plaster coverage by Bethel and caught the 8-yard TD pass for the Packers' first lead, 13-7.
Arizona, which had merely one first down in its previous four possessions, covered 74 yards in 10 plays for Chandler Catanzaro's 28-yard field goal.
Palmer went deep to Larry Fitzgerald, who beat Damarious Randall for 32. Then Palmer hit tight end Darren Fells for 11. When B.J. Raji lost discipline and hit Fells late for a 15-yard penalty, the Cardinals were at the Green Bay 27.
The initiative bogged down when Fitzgerald was penalized 15 yards for an illegal block on Burnett as John Brown was running a reverse.
Arizona marched 59 yards in seven plays, the longest a 22-yard strike to Fitzgerald on an out against Casey Hayward. But the Packers held when Randall made a sparkling interception in the end-zone corner on a ball to Brown that was badly underthrown.
When the Cardinals regained possession, they went 80 yards in 14 plays to take the lead, 17-13, with 3:44 remaining.
Brown caught a curl for 21 over a leaping Jake Ryan. Floyd gained 9 on a third-and-4 shallow crossing route. Brown worked inside for a 9-yard completion with Joe Thomas in coverage on third and 4.
On the next play, Palmer telegraphed a sideline route to Floyd that was undercut and should have been intercepted by Sam Shields, who dropped the ball at the 3.
Finally, on third and 10, Palmer found Johnson for 10 on an option route between Thomas and Quinten Rollins
Palmer gunned first-and-goal pass to Fitzgerald on a slant. Making a great play, Randall tipped the ball and it ended up in Floyd's hands next to Hayward for the 9-yard touchdown.
The Packers gained merely five yards in four plays, setting up a 36-yard field goal by Catanzaro.
Green Bay tied the score in miraculous fashion on Jeff Janis' 41-yard touchdown catch and Crosby's extra point as time expired.
On fourth and 20, Janis caught a 61-yard bomb behind Bethel. Three plays later, Janis went up and hauled in a Hail Mary bomb of 41 yards with Peterson and Rashad Johnson in coverage.
The Packers won in Detroit, 27-23, on Dec. 3 when Richard Rodgers caught a Hail Mary of 61 yards.
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