The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Season ends for Giants with loss to Packers
Rodgers works Hail Mary magic as Green Bay knocks off Big Blue
GREEN BAY, WIS. >> Missed opportunities kept Eli Manning and the New York Giants from another postseason victory at Lambeau Field.
Squandered scoring chances early; a botched kickoff return in the second half; and a number of dropped passes in between contributed to the Giants’ 38-13 loss to the Packers in an NFC wild-card round Sunday.
This wasn’t the kind of night that star Odell Beckham, Jr., and fellow receivers Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard envisioned after taking heat from some fans for a trip to Miami on their day off to celebrate a regular-season-ending win over Washington.
After trudging to a 6-0 lead, the Giants never recovered from a 14-6 halftime deficit in their first playoff appearance in five years.
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 42yard heave to Randall Cobb at the end of the first half.
Beckham had just four catches for 28 yards on 11 targets. Manning was 23 of 44 for 299 yards and connected with Tavarres King for a 41-yard
touchdown pass in the third quarter.
But the Giants’ top three receivers were shut out of the end zone by a banged-up secondary.
The Giants had a big defensive lapse, too, on Aaron Rodgers’ desperation pass to Randall Cobb, who somehow was left open in the back of the end zone for a 42yard catch at the end of the first half.
New York’s last postseason loss was to Philadelphia in 2008. Its last playoff loss on the road was against the Eagles in 2006.
The defeat at chilly Lambeau Field snapped a two-game playoff winning streak for the Giants at the Packers. When the Giants last played in the postseason, Manning led a 3720 upset of the Packers, who were 15-1 in the regular season, in the divisional round of the 2011 season. That propelled New York to the Super Bowl title over the Patriots.
The Giants also outlasted New England in the Super Bowl for the 2007 season, two weeks after they stunned the host Packers 23-20 in overtime in the NFC championship game. That was Hall of Famer Brett Favre’s last game as a Packer.
The third shot for Manning to end another Green Bay season faded quickly after the touchdown throw to King pulled the Giants within 14-13 with 5:16 left in the third quarter.
Rodgers needed only four plays to complete a 63-yard drive in Green Bay’s next possession. A 30-yard touchdown pass to Cobb finished it as Cobb broke free from cornerback Trevin Wade inside the Giants 15.
On Mason Crosby’s ensuing kickoff angled toward the sideline, returner Bobby Rainey caught the ball with his feet barely inbounds. Rainey’s momentum took him out of bounds at the New York 3.
The Giants were in Green Bay territory on four of their first five possessions, but managed only two field goals by Robbie Gould for the 6-0 lead.
Rodgers was 25 of 40 for 362 yards, continuing a remarkable run of quarterback play that helped the Packers win their final six games of the regular season to take the NFC North. Cobb finished with five receptions for 116 yards and three scores.
“Davante (Adams) made a bunch of plays,” Rodgers said. “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.”