Aaron Rodgers, master of the Hail Mary pass, struck again in another big moment.
Rodgers overcame a sluggish start and finished with four touchdown passes, including a momentum-swinging 42-yard heave to Randall Cobb at the end of the second quarter, to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 38-13 win over the New York Giants in their National Football Conference wild-card game on Sunday.
The Packers move on to face the Dallas Cowboys at the weekend.
Photo: AFP
Rodgers was 25 of 40 for 362 yards, continuing a remarkable run of play that helped the Packers win their final six games of the regular season to take the North title. Cobb finished with five receptions for 116 yards and three scores.
For much of the first half, the Giants’ defense flustered the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player.
They got pressure on Rodgers and the secondary blanketed the Packers’ talented receiving corps, and a few boos even rained down from the stands after New York built a 6-0 lead on two field goals by Robbie Gould.
As it turned out, Rodgers was just getting started.
“We hit a Hail Mary. That got us going,” Rodgers said.
Green Bay scored two touchdowns in the final 2 minutes, 20 seconds of the second quarter, punctuated by another remarkable desperation pass by Rodgers.
With the ball on the Giants’ 42, Rodgers took the snap with six seconds left. He rolled to his right, before heaving a throw from about the Packers’ 47. Cobb somehow got behind three defensive backs near the back of the end zone to haul in the pass, getting both feet down before falling out of bounds.
“They boxed us out better than we played it,” Giants coach Ben McAdoo said.
“It was a heck of a throw, heck of a catch,” he said.
The Giants looked stunned, just like how the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals looked last season after Rodgers pulled off similar feats.
“Davante [Adams] made a bunch of plays, and Randall Cobb, who this offense has been missing for a long time. We’re better with 18 on the field and he showed it tonight,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers and Cobb were not done.
They connected again on a 30-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter for a 21-13 lead.
That score answered a Giants scoring drive that briefly cut the deficit to one point.
“Second half we got back to some rhythm throws and I was getting better on my timing, getting the ball out of my hand quickly,” Rodgers said.
“No negative-yard plays, the offensive line blocked really well, regardless of the stats,” he said.
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