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Cardinals survive shootout to defeat Packers in OT, 51-45

By ArtieFufkin

Aaron Rodgers fumbles the game away in OT (Photo: ESPN.com, AP/Matt York)

Wild finish in the desert tonight, as the Arizona Cardinals survived a furious comeback by the Green Bay Packers (and a potentially soul-crushing miss by K Neil Rackers), to win a 51-45 shootout in OT .

In the most entertaining game of the weekend (unless, of course, you like defense), both offenses ran wild, combining for 96 points, 13 TDs, over 1,000 yards and 62 first downs.  Kurt Warner was nearly unstoppable, going 29-33 for 379 yards and 5 TDs.  Think about that. Warner had more TDs than incomplete passes. Pretty impressive. But QB Aaron Rodgers (4 TDs passing, 1 TD rushing) wouldn’t go down with out a fight, leading the Packers back to tie the game at the end of regulation.  

The Packers won the coin toss in overtime, but the Cardinals defense – who had been invisible in the 2nd half – came up with the game-winning TD on this sack by CB Michael Adams and 17-YD fumble return by LB Karlos Dansby:

Apparently the refs decided that in OT, you can rip the QBs facemask off without a penalty.  NFL FanHouse has more on the resulting officiating controversy.

CONTINUE READING AND WATCH THE RACKERS MISS AFTER THE JUMP

In what seemed like a sure sign that the Packers had fate on their side, Arizona still had a chance to put the game away on a 34-yard FG with :14 remaining in regulation, but Rackers got a case of the yips and shanked the kick wide left.  Fortunately for him, the Cardinals defense saved the day, and Rackers’ butt along with it.