Notes from the Nest: Cardinals vs. Packers, NFC Divisional Round

The Arizona Cardinals are back in action after a couple weeks off, facing the Green Bay Packers for the right to go to the NFC Championship Game.

BY ADAM GREEN

Jan 16, 2016, 6:19 PM Updated: 9:39 pm

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GLENDALE, Ariz. — Wow, here we are.

The Arizona Cardinals are back in action after a couple weeks off, facing the Green Bay Packers for the right to go to the NFC Championship Game. The Cards are touchdown favorites and beat this same Packers team 38-8 less than three weeks ago, but those points do not carry over so they’ll have to do it again.

The Cards are pretty healthy heading into this one, with Frostee Rucker and Josh Mauro back, though they lost Alex Okafor to a mysterious toe injury so it will be interesting to see how that impacts the pass rush.

The Packers, too, are healthier than they were when last these teams met, with cornerback Sam Shields and tackle David Bakhtiari back in the fold.

The very pro-Cardinals crowd was given white towels, and folks waving them in unison is a pretty cool sight.

The Packers won the coin toss and chose to defer. The Cardinals will get the ball first.

Here we go.

Game over

After misfiring to Fitz in the corner the Cards go with a shovel pass to the receiver, who takes it in from five yards and the Cardinals win 26-20.

14:04 left in overtime

First play from scrimmage sees Palmer scramble, bounce off a lineman and find a wide open Larry Fitzgerald, who runs all the way to the Green Bay five. Timeout on the field to settle down, and the Cardinals are five yards away from a miraculous escape.

15:00 in overtime

Cards will begin at their 20.

Overtime

Cardinals win the coin toss and elect to receive. If they score a touchdown, the game is over. If they kick a field goal, Packers get a chance to respond. If they punt or turn the ball over, well, that wouldn’t be good.

0:00

There are few words. Rodgers rolls out away from the rush and seems to have hit Janis in the end zone for a touchdown. Play is under review, but wow. This place is stunned. So much wrong in this last couple minutes for Arizona. So much wrong.

Now it’s up to the PAT.

:04 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals get some pressure and force Rodgers to throw it away. Smart play, gives his team one more shot.

It’s second and 15 from the Arizona 41, though the only number that matters is the last one. One play, 41 yards. Packers are clearly going for the end zone.

:12 left in fourth quarter

Of course Rodgers rolls out and hits Janis for 61 yards. Packers get to the Arizona 36 with the clock running, and on the first play Rodgers throws incomplete to the end zone while the Packers are flagged for illegal motion.

It’s now first and 15 from the 41. Well within Hail Mary range. This game ain’t over, though it probably should be.

:55 left in fourth quarter

A sack of Rodgers on second down led to a third and long, and on that play Rodgers went deep and it looked like Justin Bethel got away with a pass interference. Ball fell incomplete, no flag, and it comes down to one play now.

1:50 left in fourth quarter

Jaron Brown makes a great tackle on the kick return and the Packers will take over at their own 14. They need 86 yards in 1:50 with no timeouts.

1:55 left in fourth quarter

Catanzaro is good from 36 yards out and the Cardinals are up 20-13. They’ll take it but again, the clock management was no bueno. Cards will have to get one more stop.

2:00 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals line up for a field goal facing a fourth and four after one of the more curious play calls you will ever see works against the Cardinals. No risk it, no biscuit is nice, but a second down throw to Fitz that went incomplete was probably not the right move given that you are working the clock here.

Catanzaro connecting would help, as the Cards would be up seven, but they could have settled for the field goal anyway and run another 40 seconds or so off the clock.

2:38 left in fourth quarter

Cards catch a break when it looked like Jerraud Powers may have pass interfered on third down, and on fourth Rodgers skips a pass so Arizona takes over at the Green Bay 24. This game isn’t over yet — see Cincy/Pittsburgh last weekend — but the Cardinals are very, very close to putting this one away. Somehow.

Still 3:44 left in fourth quarter

Catanzaro’s kick goes for a touchback. Rodgers and the Packers will take over at their 20 needing a touchdown. They have one timeout and plenty of time. Arizona’s defense should be well rested, and the pass rushers Freeney and Golden have yet to bring the QB down. There’s no better time than this drive for plays like that.

Drama, thy name is NFL playoffs.

3;44 left in fourth quarter

Palmer tries to force the ball into Fitzgerald. The ball is batted up in the air and magically lands in the arms of Michael Floyd in the back of the end zone. The PAT is good and the Cards retake the lead, 17-13. Does the defense have one more stop left in it?

4:17 left in fourth quarter

Palmer hits David Johnson on a short pass, he breaks a tackle and falls just barely to the first down marker. It’s now first and goal from the nine and, well, this game…

4:40 left in fourth quarter

Cards once again moving the ball down the field, with Palmer showing excellent accuracy on some tough throws. First and 10 from the 19 he looks for Floyd on a ball that should have been intercepted but wasn’t. Wow, that would have been rough. As it is, the Cards have new life with the ball.

9:12 left in fourth quarter

Cards pick up 21 when Palmer drops a dime in between coverage to John Brown, then after an Ellington run goes nowhere, finds Larry Fitzgerald for a 13-yard gain in which the receiver did most of the work late to stretch for the first. The offense seems to be finding itself some, but needs to cash in. Ball is at the Green Bay 49.

10:53 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals give up some yards but force a punt when the refs correctly (after replay challenge) rule that Aaron Rodgers did not complete a pass to Richard Rodgers. Punt is fair caught at the Arizona 20, where Palmer and the offense go to work.

14:10 left in fourth quarter

Cards get deep into Packers territory with a pass to John Brown, then Palmer is picked in the back of the end zone looking for Smokey once again. It was a good play and an even better pick by former ASU star Damarious Randall.

Packers take over at the 20 and Cards waste a great opportunity.

End of third quarter

It was a catch, and the Cards continued to move the ball via the air. The third quarter ends with Palmer hitting David Johnson out of the backfield for 11 yards and a first down. Though they trail 13-10, Arizona is driving at the Green Bay 28.

2:21 left in third quarter

Palmer hits an open Fitzgerald for 22 yards, but the ball did come loose some as he went out of bounds and the Packers are challenging the ruling on the field. May be close, but I’m thinking catch.

2:50 left in third quarter

Cardinals force a three-and-out and the punt sails out of bounds at the Arizona 31. The defense did its job on that drive in getting the ball back to the offense. The Cards seemed to find themselves some in the last drive, can they keep it going? Would help if they got something out of the running game.

5:05 left in third quarter

The penalty for the most part killed any momentum the Cardinals had going. They moved the ball a little closer, but had to settle for a 28-yard Catanzaro field goal when Palmer’s pass to David Johnson fell incomplete. He was open for what could have been a TD with a good pass, and at the same time it looked like he may have had Floyd in the corner of the end zone, too. Kind of threw it between them both.

Anyway, points are points and the score is Packers 13, Cardinals 10. Not what anyone expected and while not pretty, certainly not over.

6:45 left in third quarter

Cardinals wise up and start looking for No. 11, as a few passes to Fitzgerald have put the Cardinals at the Green Bay 7. However, on a reverse, Fitz is called for an illegal blind side block — it was quite a hit — and the ball moves back to the 20 where it is now first and goal from there.

10:17 left in third quarter

Rodgers scrambles and at the last second finds Janis open in the end zone. Bethel was on the coverage and looked like he was in good shape but hesitated when it appeared the QB might make a run for it. The PAT is good and the Packers are now up 13-7.

Needless to say, few thought the game would go this way.

10:25 left in third quarter

Eddie Lacy decided to show up, at least for a couple of plays, ripping off a 14-yard run and then a 61-yard run. The latter jaunt got the Packers to the Arizona 10, but now it’s third and goal from the eight. The Packers burned their first timeout of the half getting ready for what seems to be a big play.

13:32 left in third quarter

No, they cannot. A run goes nowhere and then Palmer throws incomplete deep, and on third down he is picked off by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix looking down the field for Floyd. Ends up being a short punt as the Packers will take over at their own 19.

Arizona’s offense just does not look right at all.

13:50 left in third quarter

Packers get a first down on a wide open play and then on the very next play Rodgers throws a duck that is picked off by Rashad Johnson. Huge play for a defense that needed a stop, and the offense takes over at the Arizona 47. Ball was deflected by Calais Campbell. Can the offense take advantage?

:42 left in second quarter

Cardinals begin by trying to go down the field, but Floyd can’t hang on to a pass and then Palmer is sacked on second down. The Packers burn their last timeout leaving the Cardinals with a decision. Run the ball and the half basically ends with you struggling but up 7-6. Throw the ball and you could get the first down — or worse, and give the ball back to Green Bay with your defense pretty tired.

Even with three timeouts remaining I’d expect Arians to choose the first option, get into the locker room and figure things out with a lead. Oh, the ball is at the Arizona 12.

:57 left in second quarter

Cards bring pressure and get Rodgers to throw high and out of the end zone. Crosby comes in and connects on a 34-yard field goal, and the score is 7-6 Cardinals. Was a 17-play drive and wow, does Arizona’s defense need a break.

The Packers are slated to get the ball to start the second half, and with three timeouts remaining and a little time you have to wonder if Bruce Arians will have his offense attack on this next drive.

1:07 left in second quarter

Cardinals force the Packers backwards when Minter stuffs James Starks for a four-yard loss on a pass, then Rodgers throws incomplete on second down bringing up a third and 14. It’s a long one for the Packers, who have been adept at converting the shorter distances this game. Pretty big moment for the defense, which has to be gassed right now but would keep the team in the lead by forcing a field goal.

2:00 left in second quarter

Yeah, the Packers still have the ball. They’ve converted a few third downs — none long plays, but still — as the Cardinals just can’t seem to get a stop. Janis and Abbrederis are getting open on short crossing routes and Arizona’s secondary cannot seem to keep up. Dinking and dunking isn’t flashy but so far it is very effective.

Green Bay has the ball at the Arizona 12.

8:52 left in second quarter

The 41-yard punt is fair caught at the Green Bay 13. Arizona’s defense was just on the field for a very long time and nearly had a great play. How much do they have in the tank right now?

9:06 left in second quarter

Palmer hits John Brown for a nice first-down catch but then a sack where Julius Peppers just beat Jared Veldheer clean makes it third and very long. Palmer hits Smokey for 15 yards, but they needed 18. Packers safety Micah Hyde is down after making the tackle, but limped off the field with help from Packers staff. The Cardinals bring Butler onto the field for another punt.

11:22 left in second quarter

So after all that, the Cardinals keep the Packers out of the end zone but not off the scoreboard. Mason Crosby connects on a 28-yard field goal to get Green Bay some points. It was an impressive and odd drive, with some big penalties and lots of time taken off the clock.

12:49 left in second quarter

So Patrick Peterson picked off Aaron Rodgers and took it back for a touchdown, but the refs flag the Cardinals for illegal hands to the face and give the ball back to the Packers. Was an odd call because no one saw a flag in the area in which that penalty would have occurred. Anyway, huge call/penalty and the defense is still on the field.

13:40 left in second quarter

Packers continue to move the ball — a non-holding call on a Golden pressure helped — but a penalty on first down makes it first and 15 from the Arizona 29. Randall Cobb, who made a great catch that was wiped out by a penalty earlier this drive, was carted off the field and is questionable to return.

End of first quarter

Packers end the first quarter with a first down pass to Jared Abbrederis. Jerraud Powers was beat on the play, which was a tough route to cover but would have been big for Arizona to stop. Green Bay is moving the ball pretty well on this drive — converting on third down helps, apparently — and is now at the Arizona 40 with a fresh set of downs.

3:53 left in first quarter

Cardinals go three-and-out when a short pass to John Brown falls incomplete. Good play by the defender, who bumped Smokey enough to throw the timing off.

Butler’s punt is a short one but is allowed to bounce, which it does before rolling out of bounds at the Green Bay five. A 55-yard punt that puts the Packers in a tough spot.

5:26 left in first quarter

Cardinals stop the Packers on third down when Tony Jefferson bats away a short pass. Great play by the safety, and the punt is fair caught at the Arizona 34. Defense is off to an excellent start, getting pressure (though not getting Rodgers) while allowing little room for Eddie Lacy to run.

Have Palmer and the offense settled in? Let’s see on this drive.

6:41 left in first quarter

A short kickoff is returned to the Green Bay 25. Catanzaro made the tackle, so at least there’s that. TV timeout, which gives us a chance to exhale some. It’s early — way early — but I kind of have the sense that a good defensive series (a three-and-out, a turnover) could really do a number on the Packers.

Remember, while no one wanted to talk about the last meeting between these teams having any meaning toward this one, it has to be in the Packers’ minds that they got destroyed by the very team they are facing right now. Any sign that it could happen again and, well, you never know.

6:48 left in first quarter

Cardinals got the first down (after going for it on fourth-and-one) and then narrowly avoided disaster when Palmer was drilled by a blitzing Nick Perry, who was unblocked. The quarterback fumbled, but recovered it and — more importantly — survived. It got to third and long, where Palmer found Michael Floyd in the back corner of the end zone. Great throw, great catch. The PAT was good, by the way, and it’s 7-0 Cardinals.

11:07 left in first quarter

A short pass to David Johnson went for a first down, then a short run was followed by a pass to Fitz that sets up a third and very short. Cards line up with an interesting formation and the Packers call their first timeout.

13:09 left in first quarter

A false-start penalty on the first play from scrimmage set the Packers back, and a short run was followed by a drop pass to make it third and long. The Cardinals brought pressure (think Aaron Rodgers remembers the last time these teams played?), forcing a bad throw and then a punt. Patrick Peterson seemed close to breaking the return, but is brought down at the Green Bay 42.

Great field position for the Cards on this drive. Oh, and this place is LOUD.

13:47 left in first quarter

The Cardinals got the ball first but did nothing with it as a short David Johnson run was followed by a couple of poor Carson Palmer throws. The QB, in search of his first career postseason win, may be a bit amped up right now.

The Cards punted after the three-and-out but a holding penalty on the return pushes Green Bay back to its own 17.