There wasn't much hype going into the Packers and Cardinals NFL game. Three weeks earlier, the Cardinals destroyed the Packers 38 to 8 on the very same field. There was no reason to believe that the same result wasn't going happen again. The Packers still looked about the same as they did when the two played three weeks earlier, but it ended up possibly being the greatest game in history.
This game had everything, and it did not disappoint. There were controversial calls, great catches, and plays that you just never see in a game of this magnitude. Most of the excitement in the game came in the fourth quarter. Until then, there hadn't really been much happening, but the fourth quarter and overtime made this game one for the ages. The Cardinals controlled most of the fourth quarter when they spent almost eight minutes on a scoring drive, which put them up 17-13 with 3:44 left in the game. This was more than enough time for Aaron Rodgers to go downfield and put the Packers ahead. This was easier said than done, though, because Rodgers had lost his best receiver, Randall Cobb, earlier in the game.
Another receiver, Davante Adams, was also out with a knee injury. Rodgers struggled to put anything together on the drive, and it ended up being turned over on downs. At this point, many thought the game was over, but it was really just getting started. After a run, a questionable throw call that gave the Packers 40 seconds, and in another run, the Cardinals kicked a field goal. It was now 20-13, and the Packers had to drive the whole field without any timeouts with just 1:55 on the clock. The first three plays of the drive were similar to the previous play, and it looked like all hope was lost for the Packers. They had to complete a 4th and 20 to stay alive. Not only did they complete it, but they completed it 60 yards to a relatively unknown receiver, Jeff Janis. After two incomplete passes, the only option was to heave the ball 41 yards to the end zone. This task seemed impossible, but on the play the Cardinals blitzed, allowing for receivers to get open in the end zone. Rodgers heaved the ball and Janis caught another pass for 41 yards, leading to the eventual tie with no time left. Time for overtime.
The coin toss to go into overtime even had controversy. The ref flipped the coin to begin overtime, but the coin never flipped, which is something that never happens. The Cardinals ended up getting the ball, and they needed a touchdown for the win. It seemed like this task was just not realistic. They had just had the wind knocked out of their sails, and it didn't seem likely. But on the first play, Carson Palmer threw a 75-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald. Two plays later, a 5-yard shovel pass was thrown to Fitzgerald to seal the game and finish possibly one of the greatest games in history.
