Packers lose to Arizona Cardinals, final score 20-26

The sequel is hardly ever better than the original.

It was Green Bay’s second straight disheartening exit from the playoffs, too. Cardinals lead the Packers 7-6 at halftime. After the Cardinals won the toss, Palmer connected with Larry Fitzgerald on a 75-yard play to set up the winning score, a flip pass to Fitzgerald for a 5-yard score.

Fitzgerald finished with eight catches for 176 yards.

So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he overcame a rough start, including two costly interceptions to throw the two decisive touchdowns to win the game.

The Packers forced overtime Saturday with a Hail Mary pass from Aaron Rodgers to Jeff Janis for a game-tying 41-yard touchdown. I would guess it was words of encouragement after some tough moments for Bethel, not the least of which being Jeff Janis getting behind him to convert that fourth-and-20 play at the end of the game. After the Packers failed on a fourth down late in the fourth quarter, the Packers held the Cardinals to a field goal.

Two incompletions followed and with:05 to play, the Packers were down to the hail mary and just like in Detroit, it was answered by Janis.

The Cardinals took a 17-13 lead on a deflected touchdown pass to Michael Floyd and then extended their advantage to 20-13 with a Chandler Catanzaro field goal following a failed fourth-down conversion attempt by the Packers.

Green Bay was certainly better than on its last trip to Arizona.

Green Bay dominated statistically for much of the game, taking a 13-7 lead on Rodgers’ pass to Janis with 10:17 left in the third quarter.

Carson Palmer, who hit Michael Floyd on two touchdown passes, rolled right on Arizona’s first play and threw back left to Fitzgerald. The catch didn’t count, either – it was called back by offsetting penalties. Replays showed Rucker’s left hand in up in the facemask of right tackle Bryan Bulaga.

The coin came up heads and the Packers immediately began to complain.

The defenses traded interceptions to start the third quarter.

The current overtime format was permanently modified in 2012 to allow both teams to receive the football in overtime, unless the team that receives the football first scores a touchdown. The Packers retained possession and Peterson’s fulfilled premonition vanished.

The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers broke open a tight, nervy, mistake-filled game with the strangest of shootouts that ended in an absolutely classic finish. The Packers’ Eddie Lacy had 90 yards, 61 on a ramble to set up the first Green Bay TD. While Saturday night’s Division Round Playoff game wasn’t as high scoring as many expected, no one can say this game lacked entertainment.

The end of every season is disappointing, save for one team and again in 2015, that team won’t be the Green Bay Packers after an incredible night in the desert. If the Steelers win, the Patriots will host the conference championship game. Green Bay gets it after the punt and they go three and out.

It’s Sunday, Jan. 24.

It’s only the second time the (St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona) Cardinals franchise has reached the NFC title game; 2008 was the first.

The Cardinals and Seahawks split the regular-season series with the road team winning both matchups.

Kansas City (12-6) had won a franchise-record 11 consecutive games, including 30-0 at Houston last week in the wild-card round.

But it’s not only Larry’s athleticism that has fans hoping Fitzgerald takes home a Super Bowl ring for the first time, it’s Larry’s overall character.

Overall, Carolina lead 9-5 in a series that dates back to 1995.