Packers too good for the Giants, while Steelers roll Dolphins
The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 38-13 yesterday thanks in no small measure to a Hail Mary touchdown that provided sweet revenge.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who shocked the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals with end-of-game Hail Mary touchdowns last season, stunned the Giants with a 42-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Randall Cobb on the final play of the first half of the NFC wild card playoff game at frigid Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
That play gave the Packers a 14-6 halftime lead en route to a date at top-seeded Dallas in the divisional round next Sunday (Monday NZT).
Earlier, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dynamic B-team offensive trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, a bitterly cold winter day and non-stop pressure by the blitzing defence created a 30-12 AFC playoff game home rout of the Miami Dolphins that wasn’t even that close.
‘‘The defense played great, and we went out to control the ball and score some touchdowns,’’ Bell said after the Steelers coasted into next Monday AFC divisional game at Kansas City.
The third-seeded Steelers did all that and more in winning an NFLbest eighth in a row, one more than the top-seeded New England Patriots, who appear to be Pittsburgh’s biggest roadblock to playing in a ninth Super Bowl.
‘‘We had a lot of significant contributions. We had the big three running on offense and the defense stopped the run,’’ Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
Bell ran for two touchdowns and a team playoff record 167 yards, Brown caught two firstquarter touchdown passes of at least 50 yards and the Steelers’ pressure defence forced three turnovers. And Roethlisberger was nearly flawless in running the offence, which ran up 219 yards in the first quarter alone.
The Steelers quickly built a 20-3 lead less than 18 minutes into the game and went on to only their second playoff win since last appearing in the Super Bowl during the 2010 season.
Roethlisberger apparently injured an ankle on the next to last play of the game. Big Ben doesn’t know the severity, but he was spotted in a walking boot on his right foot after the game.
‘‘We will find out soon, hopefully,’’ Roethlisberger said. ‘‘You’re always worried about being hurt, but I’ll be out there next week.’’
In the other divisional round games on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks, fresh off their victory over the Detroit Lions, will travel to the southeast to face the NFC South winning Atlanta Falcons, while the Houston Texas, coming off their playoff win over the Oakland Raiders, face the daunting task of the AFC East winning New England Patriots at Foxboro.