The Green Bay Packers entered the NFL playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams, and mounted a 21 point second half comeback to force overtime against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Things looked good when Green Bay won the toss, but only moments later their season was over after an Aaron Rodgers fumble that Karlos Dansby returned 17 yards for the game winning score. It was a strange ending to a classic offensive display, resulting in a 51-45 victory for the defending NFC Champions in the highest scoring NFL playoff game in history.
Arizona sent much of the NFL football betting public home unhappy as well with their 6 point outright victory. The Cardinals had opened as -2' home favorites but public sentiment favoring Green Bay had moved the line so significantly that Arizona was a +2' home underdog by kickoff. With the victory, the Cardinals improved to 5-4 both SU and against the NFL pointspread at home this season. Obviously, the 96 points the two teams put on the board went well OVER the posted total of 48'. In fact, NFL totals players had already cashed their ticket long before the end of the third quarter.
Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner improved his postseason record to 9-3 SU with one of the most impressive performances in league history. Warner finished with 379 yards passing and 5 touchdowns with no interceptions. Amazingly, Warner had more TD passes (5) than incomplete passes (4). After the game, he reflected on his performance:
"We knew how tough it was going to be on our defense with all the weapons they have offensively and how they've been playing. It was just one of those games where I felt great. I loved our playing. I felt like I was seeing everything well and it accumulates to 51 points."
Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers might be remembered more for the game ending fumble than his own impressive performance, but he matched Warner play for play in what will certainly go down as one of the best quarterback duels in NFL playoff history. Not surprisingly, the entire Packers' team along with head coach Mike McCarthy took the loss hard:
"It's clearly one of the toughest losses I've been a part of. I'm very proud of our football team and fight. This is a hard game to swallow."
Quarterback Rodgers was in no mood to reflect on his excellent numbers, but was instead focused on reliving the decisive final play:
"I was trying to unload it. I should have held on to the ball. I was looking at the front side for Driv [Donald Driver]. It looked like he was getting grabbed a bit. Then I was looking for James [Jones] and they were driving in on him as he was running a little in cut, so I kind of pulled the ball back and someone hit my arm."
Arizona will head to New Orleans to face the Saints at the Superdome next Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals are a +7 road underdog with the total set at 57. Oddly, Arizona posted better numbers on the road this season than at home, finishing 6-2 SU/4-3-1 ATS.
Arizona sent much of the NFL football betting public home unhappy as well with their 6 point outright victory. The Cardinals had opened as -2' home favorites but public sentiment favoring Green Bay had moved the line so significantly that Arizona was a +2' home underdog by kickoff. With the victory, the Cardinals improved to 5-4 both SU and against the NFL pointspread at home this season. Obviously, the 96 points the two teams put on the board went well OVER the posted total of 48'. In fact, NFL totals players had already cashed their ticket long before the end of the third quarter.
Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner improved his postseason record to 9-3 SU with one of the most impressive performances in league history. Warner finished with 379 yards passing and 5 touchdowns with no interceptions. Amazingly, Warner had more TD passes (5) than incomplete passes (4). After the game, he reflected on his performance:
"We knew how tough it was going to be on our defense with all the weapons they have offensively and how they've been playing. It was just one of those games where I felt great. I loved our playing. I felt like I was seeing everything well and it accumulates to 51 points."
Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers might be remembered more for the game ending fumble than his own impressive performance, but he matched Warner play for play in what will certainly go down as one of the best quarterback duels in NFL playoff history. Not surprisingly, the entire Packers' team along with head coach Mike McCarthy took the loss hard:
"It's clearly one of the toughest losses I've been a part of. I'm very proud of our football team and fight. This is a hard game to swallow."
Quarterback Rodgers was in no mood to reflect on his excellent numbers, but was instead focused on reliving the decisive final play:
"I was trying to unload it. I should have held on to the ball. I was looking at the front side for Driv [Donald Driver]. It looked like he was getting grabbed a bit. Then I was looking for James [Jones] and they were driving in on him as he was running a little in cut, so I kind of pulled the ball back and someone hit my arm."
Arizona will head to New Orleans to face the Saints at the Superdome next Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals are a +7 road underdog with the total set at 57. Oddly, Arizona posted better numbers on the road this season than at home, finishing 6-2 SU/4-3-1 ATS.
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a freelance writer and respected authority on NFL football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
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