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Cardinals snatch overtime victory

AMERICAN FOOTBALL WILD CARD ROUND: KARLOS DANSBY scored on a fumble return in overtime to give the Arizona Cardinals a wild …

Cardinals' LaRod Stephens-Howling (36) is stopped short of the end zone by Packers' Tramon Williams (38), Brandon Chillar (54) and Atari Bigby (20) during the NFL wild-card play-off game in Arizona. - (Photograph: Ross D Franklin/AP)
Cardinals' LaRod Stephens-Howling (36) is stopped short of the end zone by Packers' Tramon Williams (38), Brandon Chillar (54) and Atari Bigby (20) during the NFL wild-card play-off game in Arizona. - (Photograph: Ross D Franklin/AP)
Tue Jan 12 2010 - 00:00

AMERICAN FOOTBALL WILD CARD ROUND:KARLOS DANSBY scored on a fumble return in overtime to give the Arizona Cardinals a wild 51-45 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the highest-scoring NFL play-off game of all time on Sunday.

Linebacker Dansby scooped up the ball and ran 17 yards for the winning touchdown after Michael Adams had jarred it loose from Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the first series of overtime in the NFC wildcard game.

“My reaction was like, ‘Damn!’ Everything is bouncing their way right now,” Dansby said. “I was like, we got to do something.” The win sends the Cardinals, the losers of last year’s Super Bowl, to New Orleans on Saturday for a NFC divisional play-off against the Saints.

Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner threw for five touchdowns but Arizona missed a chance to win the game in regulation when Neil Rackers was wide left with a 34-yard field goal attempt with 14 seconds remaining.

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“I play for the play-offs,” said Warner, who completed 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards despite the absence of his top receiver, the injured Anquan Boldin.

Larry Fitzgerald and Early Doucet each caught a pair of touchdown passes as the Cardinals made amends for last weekend’s 33-7 loss to the Packers to end the regular season.

Arizona led the game 17-0 after the first quarter and held a 31-10 advantage in the third before Rodgers, who threw four touchdown passes, rallied the Packers.

Two consecutive Rodgers touchdown passes pulled Green Bay within seven points and, after Warner and Rodgers had traded another score each, the Packers tied the score at 38-38 on John Kuhn’s one-yard run.

Warner then hit Steve Breaston with a 17-yard toss for a 45-38 lead with 4:55 to play.Rodgers was not done yet, however, and tossed an 11-yard pass to Spencer Havner with 1:52 remaining to level the score once more and set up the overtime drama.

The Baltimore Ravens stunned New England 33-14 in the AFC wild card game earlier on Sunday to hand the Patriots their first home play-off loss since 1978.

DIVISIONAL ROUND Saturday, Jan 16th: AFC Baltimore Ravens (10-7) at Indianapolis Colts (14-2); NFC Arizona Cardinals (11-6) at New Orleans Saints (13-3). Sunday: AFC New York Jets (10-7) at San Diego Chargers (13-3); NFC Dallas Cowboys (12-5) at Minnesota Vikings (12-4).