Arizona Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald Win in OT over Packers

The win marks the second time that Arizona defeated Green Bay in a playoff game on the third play of overtime – Karlos Dansby had the game-winning fumble return in 2009 – and Saturday night’s win made the Cardinals the first team to win two playoff games on an overtime touchdown.

A scrambling Palmer earlier eluded Green Bay defenders to find an unguarded Fitzgerald on a 75-yard pass play that set up the winning score, but only after the Packers forced overtime with two of the most unbelievable plays ever made. After the game, Rodgers said he would have called heads on the second toss.

But credit to the main official, he immediately noticed his mistake, picked up the coin and tossed it again like it was nobody’s business.

Aaron Rodgers to Jeff Janis, tying the game at 20.

“It was just tossed in the air and did not turn over at all and landed on the ground”, he said. You’d think we would have learned by now.

That’s because the coin never actually flipped after the Packers called tails. Smart call. Defensively, Aaron recognized it, bought some time and slid to his left and, shoot, I don’t know if anybody could make that throw.

Two plays later, Palmer flipped a shovel pass to Fitzgerald, who streaked from the left and bulled his way into the end zone.

Everybody thought the loss of Davante Adams was a crushing blow for the Packers offense considering they struggled passing the ball even with him healthy.

Carson Palmer was having a rather sub-par game with just 23-of-39 passes completed before overtime hit. At the goal line Jeff Janis jumped up between Patrick Peterson and Rashad Johnson and somehow came down with it on the “Z” of the end zone.

Janis, who had only four career catches before Saturday, then followed with another miraculous grab for an equaliser touchdown.

After the kick-off Rodgers had 1:50 to go 86 yards to try and tie the game at 20.

“Oh, hell no”, the York High graduate said. “I never saw that before”.

“I would rather play Seattle in Seattle”, he said. On the first play of overtime, Palmer rolled to his right, then threw across his body and across the field to Fitzgerald, who was alone on the left side. They got ready for overtime and prepared for at least another 15 minutes against the Green Bay Packers for the chance to advance to the Conference Round of the 2016 NFL Playoffs.

Arizona won the coin toss for overtime and quickly put the Packers away. “My eyes lit up in the huddle”.

The Cardinals will await the victor of Sunday’s game between the Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks, who are the defending NFC champions.

For Arizona fans, Saturday’s win was a case of delayed gratification.

Palmer threw for 349 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on 25-of-41 passing. Edelman returned from a broken foot and had 10 receptions for 100 yards.

History of weirdness: Maybe this weirdness is just what happens in big games at University of Phoenix Stadium.

And just this past week, Alabama used an onside kick to pull off a wild victory over Clemson for the college football national championship.