» PACKERS TAKE OUT COWBOYS IN UPSET
GREEN BAY, Wis. — For once after a game, Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby felt sore.
He got mobbed by giddy teammates after hitting the 51-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Dallas Cowboys.
At one point, Crosby had to beg hulking left tackle David Bakhtiari from trying to pick up the kicker for a victory parade.
After getting eliminated from the playoffs on the last play in each of the previous three seasons, the Packers experienced last-second elation in the 34-31 win over Dallas on Sunday.
Green Bay will face the Atlanta Falcons on the road in the NFC championship game on Sunday.
Crosby’s clutch kick was set up by Aaron Rodgers’ throw, while rolling to his left, to toe-dragging tight end Jared Cook along the sideline for a 36-yard gain. Coach Mike McCarthy on Monday credited Rodgers with making all the right calls on that play.
And with those two plays, the Packers were able to cross “last-second win on the road” off their checklist during what has been a remarkable turnaround for a team that was once 4-6.
Last season, the Arizona Cardinals beat the Packers in overtime 26-21 in the divisional round on Larry Fitzgerald’s 5-yard touchdown catch.
The usual: Patriots move on to AFC title game
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Short nights and short offseasons. It’s the Patriot way.
New England has advanced to the AFC championship game for a record sixth year in a row and the 11th time in 16 seasons. With one more win, the Patriots (15-2) would play in their seventh Super Bowl since 2001.
But to find out who was still in their way, they had to wait until Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s also something they’ve grown accustomed to in the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era.
“It was a long night — or a short night, however you want to look at it,” Belichick told reporters on Sunday, about 13 hours after beating the Houston Texans 34-16.
“We have people on our staff that work on our next opponent, just like we always do. This one’s a little tougher because we’re working on two teams instead of one, but they’ve just worked harder and gotten it done.”
Brady completed 18 of 38 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns in the divisionalround victory over Houston, but he also threw two interceptions — as many as he had all season.