Clay Matthews leaves Carson Palmer hanging, Cards QB gets last laugh

Well, that was rude.

Packers linebacker Clay Matthews laid a hit on Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and extended his hand, as if he was offering to help the fellow USC Trojan off the turf. But as Arizona’s signal-caller reached for Matthews’ hand, the Green Bay linebacker rescinded the offer, leaving Palmer grasping for nothing.

“I mean, it’s part of the game, you know?,” Palmer said of what happened with Matthews. “It is what it is.”

Palmer, however, got the last laugh after that second down incompletion by throwing a touchdown pass on the next play.

The 7-yard strike to John Brown put the Cardinals ahead 17-0 seconds before the first half ended and capped a 7-play, 80-yard drive.

Arizona would quickly score a touchdown in the second half after safety D.J. Swearinger forced a fumble by Packers running back James Starks. Jerraud Powers recovered, and the Cardinals quickly moved down the field and scored on a touchdown run by rookie running back David Johnson for a 24-0 lead.

Defensive lineman Cory Redding’s fumble recovery and rumble into the end zone soon after gave Arizona a 31-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

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