Packers-Cardinals was an all-time classic. Here’s everything you missed.
The 2016 NFL playoffs have been a wild, wild ride.
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The surest sign of greatness is how quickly you recognize it. For example, the fact that people had to debate whether Kobe Bryant was the same caliber as Michael Jordan probably meant he wasn’t quite that good.
Saturday night’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals was, unquestionably, an all-time classic. SB Nation’s Rodger Sherman put together a comprehensive rundown of the ending. That should be your first stop if you want to get caught up. Here are the component parts for even quicker digestion:
- The Cardinals took the lead late in the fourth quarter over the Packers on a fluky deflection to Michael Floyd for a touchdown that was aided by a missed penalty.
- Down 20-13, the Packers gained 60 yards on fourth-and-20 when anything less than a first down would have ended the game.
- Aaron Rodgers THEN completed a Hail Mary to little-used wideout Jeff Janis to tie the game at the buzzer. Rodgers threw for 101 yards on the game-tying drive, and Janis had 101 yards receiving, which was more than his career total through two seasons.
- Before overtime, referees somehow totally botched the coin toss because THE COIN DIDN’T FLIP.
- The Cardinals get the ball, and Larry Fitzgerald decided to win the game all by his damn self, gaining 75 yards on the very first play of OT, then securing the game winning touchdown on a shovel pass.
The whole game was breathtaking. You had to be there.
HAIL LARRY: Arizona newspapers are already gushing over Larry Fitzgerald, who, at 32, is looking as good as ever. During his postgame interview, he gave a heartfelt message to ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. His teammates lavished him with praise after the game.
Fitzgerald is one of the nicest guys in football, and a Super Bowl ring would be the perfect way to cap his career.
AND THAT’S NOT ALL: This game also featured one of the best catches of the season negated by a penalty, shortly followed by a 100-yard pick-six that was ALSO negated by flags. It had Eddie Lacy at his huffing and puffing best, and showed us that the NFL is best watched in Portuguese. It was great.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Two of the four teams are set for championship weekend. On Sunday, the No. 1 seeds will play. The day begins with perhaps the tightest matchup of the weekend when the Seattle Seahawks visit the Carolina Panthers. The Pittsburgh Steelers will then limp into their game against the Broncos in Denver. We have lots to get you ready.
SEAHAWKS-PANTHERS:
- Danny Kelly explains why Doug Baldwin is almost impossible to stop.
- Stephen White explains why Michael Bennett is so damn good.
- The Dark Knight unmasked: Our longform piece on Josh Norman, and how he made himself into one of the league’s best.
- In appreciation of Mike Tolbert, everybody’s favorite fullback.
STEELERS-BRONCOS:
- The Steelers are missing Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams, but all is not lost. A team has won in the playoffs without its top receiver and rusher before.
- Peyton Manning is boom-or-bust in the playoffs.
- How one big hit by Cameron Heyward turned the tide for the Steelers against the Bengals.
HURRY UP ANDY: On the flip side, Chiefs-Patriots was somewhat of a dud. The Chiefs could have made the game interesting late, but Andy Reid’s terrible clock management squandered any chance of a comeback as the Patriots won 27-20 to advance to the AFC Championship.
Fans were FURIOUS. Everything broke the Patriots’ way, and we mean everything. The Pats are now once again on the doorstep of the Super Bowl.
DIRTY HIT: Danny Amendola led with the crown of his helmet to take out an unsuspecting Chiefs cornerback who was trying to down the ball on a Patriots punt return and was flagged for unnecessary roughness. The silly thing is, because the penalty occurred on the Pats’ 4-yard line, the personal foul only cost them two yards -- half the distance to the goal. Once again, the Patriots were able to exploit the rule book for a potential advantage.
TITANS HAVE A NEW HEAD COACH: It’s Mike Mularkey! Don’t go too crazy, Nashville!
ON CHANDLER JONES: From Zito Madu, how a bizarre situation illustrated the dangers of an awful drug and how black men have been conditioned to react to police.
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SB Nation presents: Green Bay’s luck runs out after failing to cover Larry Fitzgerald
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