Jeff Janis catches Hail Mary pass for Green Bay Packers

On the first play of overtime, Carson Palmer spun away from a defender and throw across his body to an uncovered Larry Fitzgerald.

Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald ran in for the winning touchdown in overtime to give the Cardinals a 26-20 victory over Green Bay on Sunday after an extraordinary finish to an National Football League playoff game that will be remembered as one of the classics.

Arizona’s Michael Floyd (15) celebrates with teammates after catching a deflected pass for a touchdown to give the Cardinals…

On this night, Rodgers, who seconds earlier had completed a 61-yard pass on fourth-and-20 from the Green Bay 4-yard line, scrambled around and heaved the ball toward backup receiver Jeff Janis, who was surrounded by Cardinals defensive backs Patrick Peterson and Rashad Johnson. On the first play of overtime, Carson Palmer threw across his body to a wide open Larry Fitzgerald near the opposite sideline, and Fitzgerald turned it into 75 yards.

How remarkable was that final minute? And the way he played in the second half, it was again proved that it money well spent. Arizona would’ve won the first toss, too.

Fitz had a game for the ages. Arizona drove 74 yards after Janis’ touchdown catch but bogged down once it hit the red zone. That he came back better than before, with a stronger core and sounder mechanics, is a testament to his passion for the game.

“He went to flip it and it went straight up and straight down, then it bounced, and it never flipped”, said Cardinals long snapper Mike Leach, one of the team captains who was on the field for the flip.

Rodgers had a feeling the Packers would be returning to this stadium after their 38-8 road loss to the Cardinals in December.

“I don’t know if anybody could make that throw”, McCarthy said. Fitzgerald had 8 catches for 176 yards and 1 touchdown. He was intercepted once.

Fitzgerald then scored on a 5-yard shovel pass to send the Cardinals to a 26-20 win over the Packers in the NFC divisional playoffs Saturday night.

If Palmer looked overeager in the early going, it was understandable.

With this win, the Cards (14-3) advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time since the 2008 season which is also the last season that they went to the Super Bowl.

Still, if the Packers could hold Arizona to a field goal, Rodgers would get another chance with the ball in his hands.

Rodgers finished 24-of-44 for 261 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, including the game-tying Hail Mary on the last play of regulation. Rodgers found Randall Cobb for a 51-yard gain late in the first quarter but it was wiped off because of an illegal shift on tackle Bryan Bulaga (to add injury to insult, Cobb hurt his chest on the reception and never returned). Were it not for one of the unlikeliest gift-deflection touchdowns you may have ever seen, the Pack might have sealed the win before all those dramatics.