The Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers played a memorable Divisional Playoff game on Saturday. Arizona won the game, 26-20 in overtime, but that does not begin to tell the entire story.
Two receivers, one for each team, were front and center with the key plays of the game. Few have heard of Jeff Janis, but he had 145 yards receiving and two touchdowns for the Packers.
Most football fans have heard of all-pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald. All he did was catch 8 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown, including the game winner for Arizona.
Three weeks ago, these two teams met at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Arizona throttled the Packers, 38-8 and sacked Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 times. He was sacked once on Saturday.
Heading into Saturday’s game, the spin was not to expect a similar game. The spinners could not have been more correct.
After the Cardinals posted a 7-6 lead at the half, Rodgers hooked up with Janis on an 8-yard scoring pass with 6:21 remaining in the third period to put the Packers ahead 13-7. Arizona regained the lead with 7:09 remaining in regulation when Michael Floyd hauled in a deflected pass in the end zone.
After a Chandler Catanzaro field goal put the Cardinals on top 20-13, Rodgers and Green Bay took over on their 14-yard line. On fourth and 20 from the 4, Rodgers connected with Janis for 60 yards to the Arizona 36.
With 5 seconds remaining, Rodgers avoided a blitz and heaved an off-balance Hail Mary throw from the 41 out. Somehow, Janis hauled it in for the tying touchdown.
On the first play of overtime, quarterback Carson Palmer avoided a sack, then hooked up with Fitzgerald on a 75-yard catch-and-run that took the ball to the Green Bay 5. Two plays later, Fitzgerald took a shovel pass and sprinted into the end zone with the winning score just one minute into overtime.
Janis, a second-year player out of Saginaw Valley, had not caught a pass since week 6 against San Diego. He had only two catches the entire season.
Janis became more of a focus after fellow receiver Randall Cobb left the game with in injury the first half. Veteran receiver James Jones did not catch a pass all night, but Rodgers still managed to throw for 261 yards and the two touchdowns to Janis.
Packers’ coach Mike McCarthy tried to cope with the loss.
“It’s tough to swallow,” he said. “We know these games come down to big plays. Arizona made one more big play than we did.”
Palmer had 349 yards and three touchdowns for Arizona. Arizona managed on 40 yards rushing, but Palmer, Fitzgerald and the passing attack more than made up for it. It was Palmer’s first playoff victory of his career.
Cardinals’ coach Bruce Arians knew he had been in a crazy game.
“I’ve been in some really crazy ones,” said Arians. “They’re really bizarre when you lose them. They’re not too bad when you win them.”
The Packers finish the season with an 11-7 record. Arizona improved to 14-3 and will either play at Carolina for the NFC Championship next Sunday or will host the Seattle Seahawks.
