Packers Winning Moments—The Final 4:08
The game is tied, the one-time 18-point lead is gone, and there are 4:08 remaining to determine who will advance to the NFC Championship Game. The Cowboys have momentum and an offense that is rolling through a patchwork Packers defense. The scoreboard reads, 28-28 when Dallas kicks away to the Packers and Aaron Rodgers.
4:08 1st 10 -25 Pass to the Richard Rodgers in the flat is incomplete.
4:04 2nd 10 -25 Aaron Rodgers hits Davante Adams on a slant for 16—perfect throw and catch. (Adams is hurt and is taken to the sideline)
3:21 1st 10 -41 Running left behind David Bakhtiari—Ty Montgomery hits for 9, just past the 50. Brian Bulaga was hurt on the play, and Green Bay takes a timeout with 2:33 to play-allowing Bulaga to stay in the game.
2:33 2nd 1 50 Rodgers on a naked bootleg (great play call) that gains 5.
2:00 1st 10 +45 (Adams comes back into the game) One of the more interesting and telling plays of the game. Montgomery is working a double move on the right sideline—and gets Cowboys DB Anthony Brown to bite—and grab Montgomery who would have been open. It is called interference. The most impressive thing is—HOW did Rodgers see it? His awareness is ridiculous…under pressure with a heavy pass rush, he still seemingly knew he had a free play. Thepass was intercepted—but would be negated by Pass Interference and give the Packers a 1st down at the Dallas 35.
1:52 1st 10 +35 The only strong 2nd guessing happens in the next two plays…Montgomery up the middle for 2 yards, which does force Dallas to use their 1st timeout.
1:48 2nd 8 +33 Montgomery again…this time on a stretch run left—Jason Spriggs was beaten badly on a block and the Cowboys swarm for a loss of 5. Rodgers is visibly upset after the play. Cowboys timeout.
1:44 3rd 13 +38 On the edge of field goal range, it would be a 56-yard attempt, the Packers need yards if not a 1st down. Dallas rushes five, the Packers send four receivers—and Rodgers throws to Adams deep on the left—it’s incomplete.
This is an issue…and a critical moment in the game. The Packers are faced with a 56-yard FG attempt with 1:38 to play. Miss it, and Dallas will get the ball at the 38 with :90 to go and just 25 yards or so to setup a game winning field goal of their own. This is a one-man moment—Mason Crosby is a great kicker who has not had many great moments in the final 2-minutes of games. Crosby entered the day 0-of-4 on potential game-tying or go-ahead kicks of 50 yards or longer in the fourth quarter or overtime. How confident were you?
1:38 4th 13 +38 Mason Crosby from 56-yards out, to give the Packers the lead. It is … … … GOOD. You could see the shadow of the ball crossing the right upright as the ball slid through giving Green Bay a 31-28 lead with 1:33 to play. By the way, Crosby’s 22nd consecutive made field goal in the post season, an NFL record.
Green Bay- 31 Dallas-28 1:33 4th Quarter
Cowboys Turn
1:33 1st 10 -25 With a quick strike precision strike from Dak Prescott, a 24-laser to Terrence Williams in front of Josh Hawkins. The Packers playing without Morgan Burnett, the six DB’s on the field are Ledarius Gunter, Demarious Randall, Hawkins, Kentrell Brice, Micah Hyde, HaHa Clinton- Dix. Think of that—the top two cover corners (Shields and Quinten Rollins), and a starting Safety- Burnett are all OUT.
1:07 1st 10 -49 With little pressure and a 4-man rush, Prescott works to Jason Witten in the middle of field for another seemingly easy game to Packers 40. Almost in FG range on just two plays.
:50 1st 10 +40 The Cowboys, with just one timeout remaining, choose to clock the ball.
:48 2nd 10 +40 A pass to the right flat finds Cole Beasely in front of Hyde for a gain of 7. Setting up another huge play.
:44 3rd 3 +33 Dom Capers dials up a game changing pressure stunt, with Clay Matthews looping inside of Julius Peppers to hit Prescott as he threw (rare late game pressure that worked), and the ball was batted down at the line by Nick Perry. It was going to Dez Bryant on a slant with single coverage by Gunter. It was open—but it never got there.
:40 4th 3 +33 Forced to kick a Field Goal from 52 yards away—unlike Crosby—Dan Bailey took all the drama out of it. A beautiful –no doubt about it—booming kick the split the uprights to tie the game.
Green Bay-31 Dallas-31 :35 4th Quarter
Packers Turn
Consider the Packers playoff heartbreak history under Mike McCarthy:
2008 Overtime loss to New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game 2010 Overtime loss at Arizona in the NFC Wild Card Game 2014 :03 left in the game, San Francisco kicks a game winning FG in the NFC Wild Card Game 2015 Overtime loss at Seattle after a recovered onside kick in the NFC Championship Game 2016 Overtime loss at Arizona in the NFC Divisional Round
Another point… the Cowboys playing in their 61st playoff game, had never gone to overtime.
:35 1st 10 -25 Enough time for Rodgers with two timeouts? Incomplete to Jared Cook deep down the middle of the field.
:30 2nd 10 -25 A harmless looking screen pass to Montgomery turns into a BIG gainer down the left sideline as the WR turned RB weaved his way through the Cowboys defenders for a gain of 17.
:23 1st 10 -42 The Packers fail to account for Cowboys Safety, Jeff Heath, on the blitz—and he destroys Rodgers from the blindside for a loss of 10. It’s likely a miss from Montgomery on pass protection—but it’s an amazing play by Rodgers to hold on to the ball. The Packers take a quick timeout draw up the biggest play of the year.
:18 2nd 20 -32 Rodgers rolled to his right…and throwing to Cook…it fell incomplete. It looks almost certain that this game is heading to overtime. Setting up a couple of moments few of us will ever forget.
:12 2nd 20 -32 Randall Cobb said this about what happened next: “The final play was not an actual playcall. Rodgers just told each receiver what to do, like a kid drawing in the dirt. Seriously.” Rodgers rolls left…looking a lot like a “hail mary” setup, instead he throws late and on the left sideline to Jared Cook—in real time, it did not look good. It was good 35-yards to the Cowboys 33. Ridiculous.
:03 1st 10 +33 On the game’s final play (and he had to do it twice) —The Elias Sports Bureau notes that Crosby became the first kicker to make a pair of field goals of 50 yards or longer in the final two minutes of a postseason game in history. He twice put the Packers ahead, the last time as time ran out.
Green Bay-34 Dallas-31 FINAL