Giants get hit by Hail in Green Bay
Rodgers does it again, connects with Cobb on patented heave
Associated Press
GREEN BAY, Wis.— 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 momentumswinging 42- yard heave to Randall Cobb at the end of the second quarter, to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 38- 13 victory Sunday over the New York Giants in an NFC wild- card game.
The Packers move on to face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in the divisional round.
Rodgers was 25- for- 40 for 362 yards, continuing a remarkable run of play that helped the Packers win their last six games of the regular season to take the NFC North. Cobb finished with five receptions for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
For much of the first half, the Giants’ defense flustered the twotime NFL MVP. They got pressure on Rodgers, and the secondary blanketed the Packers’ talented receiving corps. 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 TDs in the last 2: 20 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.”
The Giants looked stunned, just like how the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals looked last season afterRodgers pulled off similar feats.
“Davante [ Adams] made a bunch of plays,” Rodgers said, “and Randall Cobb, who this offense has been missing for a long time.” Rodgers and Cobb weren’t done. They connected again on a 30yard touchdownpass late in the third quarter for a 21- 13 lead. That score answered aGiants scoring drive that briefly cut the deficit to one.
“Second half, we got back to some rhythm throws, and I was getting better onmy timing, getting the ball out of my hand quickly,” Rodgers said.
A Packers defense ranked 21st in points allowed ( 24.3) coming into the game limited the production of Odell Beckham Jr. in spite of a battered secondary.
Beckham finished with four catches for 28 yards. Eli Manning was 23- for- 44 for 299 yards, including a 41- yard touchdown pass to Tavarres King in the third quarter. But the Giants were plagued by a series of drops by their receivers.
Rodgers began dissecting the secondary after coach Mike McCarthy had him roll outside the pocket more, and the Packers started working the middle of the field.
Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson was knocked out of the game with 11 minutes left in the second quarter with a rib injury.