Green Bay Packers-Arizona Cardinals in divisional round playoff

Sports concludes its coverage of the 2015 National Football League playoffs this Saturday, Jan. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC with an NFC Divisional round matchup, when Aaron Rodgersand the Green Bay Packers (NFC North, 10-6) visit Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals (NFC West, 13-3), at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Arizona dominated Green Bay in every facet of the game, especially on defense: The Cards sacked Packers QB Aaron Rodgers eight times and returned two fumbles for touchdowns. He played well – 29 of 46 for 329 yards and one touchdown passing and another running – but it’s uncertain if he played his last game with the team. That includes a pair of losses to the San Francisco 49ers, one to the Seattle Seahawks in last year’s NFC Championship Game and one against Arizona in overtime the year after the Cardinals went to the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner under center.

The Cardinals sacked Aaron Rodgers eight times, clinching a first-round playoff bye with the win.

Green Bay’s offensive explosion in its 35-18 playoff victory over quick-starting Washington at FedEx Field won’t erase the memories of those 10 games where it was stuck in the mud, nor will it guarantee a similar offensive outburst in the Packers’ do-over Saturday night at Arizona, but it did make everyone happy for a while.

“I want to be where I am wanted”, said Cousins via ESPN, “and you want to be with people who believe in you and we are going to find out – because we haven’t discussed it much yet – how much I am wanted and where that’ll go”.

They have also played extremely well in the role of underdogs during the month of January with an 8-1-1 mark against the spread in their last 10 games under that scenario.

The Packers were so good, they scored on five straight possessions, four touchdowns and a field goal over the final three possessions of the first half and first two of the second half.

Rodgers, who had struggled down the stretch of the regular season, found his touch and confidence as the Packers ran off 17 points to head into intermission leading 17-11. The offensive line performed well, running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks each had touchdown runs, and the receivers created big plays.

Or a defense runs the risk of Rodgers taking advantage of a free play if a team can’t substitute in time before a penalty flag is thrown. A battered Pittsburgh (11-6) goes to Denver (12-4), which it beat 34-27 in Week 15 at Heinz Field.

“You don’t have to talk about the regular season no more”, McCarthy said.

Before Sunday’s Wild Card showdown in Washington, the Green Bay Packers were, to some observers, doubtful contenders for any hope for a Super Bowl title, and left for dead by others. “And I thought he definitely did that today”.

Next up, the Arizona Cardinals who pummeled Green Bay just two weeks ago. “When we get a good tempo going, we’re hard to stop”.