Jan 8, 2017; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates with teammates after throwing a touchdown pass against the New York Giants in the second quarter in the NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lambeau Field. Photo Credit: Dan Powers/The Post-Crescent via USA TODAY Sports
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Call it “Revenge of the Hail Mary” by Capt. Hail Mary.
Aaron Rodgers, who shocked the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals with end-of-game Hail Mary touchdowns last season, stunned the New York Giants with a 42-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Randall Cobb on the final play of the first half of Sunday’s NFC Wild Card playoff game at Lambeau Field. That play propelled the Packers to a 38-13 victory and a date at top-seeded Dallas in the divisional round next Sunday.
In 2011, the Packers went 15-1 in the regular season but were routed 37-20 by the Giants in a divisional game at Lambeau. On the final play of the first half of that game, Eli Manning connected with Hakeem Nicks for a 37-yard Hail Mary touchdown to give the Giants a 20-10 lead.
This time, Rodgers rolled out to his right and uncorked a high pass into the end zone. Cobb was behind four Giants defenders and the ball dropped over their hands and into the waiting mitts of Cobb.
The Packers, outplayed for most of the half, ran into the locker room with a 14-6 lead.
Cobb, who had missed the past two games with an injured ankle, added two touchdowns in the second half — tying an NFL playoff record with three touchdown receptions — and Rodgers destroyed a Giants defense with three All-Pros in the secondary for 362 yards and four touchdowns.
Rodgers led the Packers (11-6) to their seventh consecutive win. During that span, he has thrown 19 touchdown passes and zero interceptions.
The Giants (11-6) were down, but they weren’t out after the Hail Mary, thanks in part to a controversial decision by Packers coach Mike McCarthy early in the third quarter.
Facing a fourth-and-1 from its 42, McCarthy kept the offense on the field and the Giants stuffed running back Ty Montgomery. One play later, the Giants were in the end zone when Manning found Tavarres King for a 41-yard touchdown.
The Packers, however, answered. Having moved the ball to midfield, Rodgers went after slot cornerback Trevin Wade, who was in the game for injured veteran standout Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
First, it was a 20-yard gain over the middle to Davante Adams. Then it was a 30-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Cobb to put Green Bay in front 21-13.
On the ensuing kickoff, New York’s Bobby Rainey fielded the ball at the sideline but couldn’t keep his balance, stepping out of bounds at the 3. The Packers forced a punt and took advantage of great field position to tack on a 32-yard field goal by Mason Crosby.
The Giants needed an answer but couldn’t get it, with Odell Beckham unable to hold onto a third-down pass in which he was wide open for a big gain.
The Packers put the game away on the ensuing possession. On third-and-3, Rodgers had all day against a three-man rush before Cobb broke away from cornerback Eli Apple in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown to make it 31-13 with 9:19 remaining.
Manning threw for 299 yards, but Beckham, just like the Week 5 loss to the Packers at Lambeau, was a nonfactor. In the playoff debut, Beckham caught four passes for 28 yards while being targeted 11 times.
Green Bay finished the season ranked fourth in scoring and New York was second in points allowed. But the Giants’ defense was be the unit that dominated at the start.
Green Bay’s first three drives went in reverse for minus-8 yards. Yet the Giants couldn’t take full advantage. New York’s first drive ended on an easy drop by Beckham.
Sterling Shepard (two) and Beckham (one) had chances for big plays on the second drive but couldn’t make the plays, so the Giants had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Robbie Gould and a 3-0 lead.
A 51-yard catch-and-run by tight end Will Tye put the Giants in scoring position again, but linebacker Joe Thomas batted down a third-down pass.
Gould’s 40-yard field goal made it 6-0 midway through the second quarter.
The Packers slowly swung the field position despite their offensive issues because Giants punter Brad Wing struggled in the cold.
A low 37-yard punt by Wing and a 7-yard return by Micah Hyde set up the Packers at the Giants’ 38 and they struck quickly.
On first down, Rodgers threw a bullet up the right sideline for 31 yards to Adams. On second-and-goal from the 5, Rodgers had approximately 8.15 seconds in the pocket before throwing a bullet to Adams for a touchdown against tight coverage by cornerback Coty Sensabaugh with 2:20 remaining in the half.
The Packers’ defense forced a punt by Wing and Rodgers and Co. took over at their 20 with 1:38 to play. On third-and-2 from the Giants’ 42, Rodgers threw over the middle to tight end Jared Cook, but the ball was dislodged by linebacker Keenan Robinson with six seconds to play.
Had Cook caught the ball, the clock might have run out because Green Bay had no timeouts. On fourth-and-2, Rodgers and Cobb connected for their Hail Mary touchdown.
NOTES: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers became the first player in franchise history with two career four-touchdown games. He also did it against Arizona in 2009. … Packers WR Randall Cobb had three touchdowns, tying an NFL playoff record held by more than a dozen players, including former Packers WR Sterling Sharpe. … The Giants outgained the Packers 105-7 in the first quarter. … Packers WR Jordy Nelson was knocked out of the game by Giants S Leon Hall early in the second quarter. Nelson bobbled a deep pass from Rodgers and was drilled in the midsection by Hall, who was pursuing hard from the middle of the field and forced an incompletion. Nelson had 97 catches for 1,257 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns during the regular season. .. Giants CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who had six interceptions this season, suffered a bruised thigh in the first quarter and missed most of the first half before returning. … Giants WR Tavarres King, who had two receptions during the regular season, caught a 41-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
