GLENDALE, AZ (WTAQ) – Once an Arizona Cardinal practice squad member, Rasul Douglas will now go down in Green Bay Packers lore for making the play that sealed perhaps the most significant regular season victory in the Matt LaFleur era. Douglas, unlike intended receiver A.J. Green, had his eyes on the ball delivered by Kyler Murray with :15 to play. He tipped it up and pulled down the interception in the corner of the end zone to preserve the Pack’s 24-21 upset victory over the previously undefeated Cardinals at State Farm Stadium Thursday night. Facing a mountain of adversity following last week’s home win over Washington, a short week, mounting injuries and then three cases of COVID-19, LaFleur’s club circled the wagons and played a determined game they deserved to win and still nearly lost.
Douglas spent time with both Philadelphia and Carolina before he began his cross country trek to Green Bay. He was cut by the Las Vegas Raiders August 23, signed with Houston but got cut a week later. The Cardinals placed him on their practice squad in early September and was biding his time until the Packers signed him on October 6, three days after they lost All Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander to a serious shoulder injury. He worked his way into the starting lineup and saved his biggest performance in the city where his 2021 regular season began.
After the Packers failed to put the game away when a 4th and goal from the one pass by Aaron Rodgers was deflected, the Cardinals were 99 yards away. Murray made plays with his arm and his legs to reach the Green Bay five with :15 remaining. The Packers dialed up a zero blitz and Murray had to throw quickly. Green, lined up on the right side, ran into the end zone but never turned around, unaware the ball was on it’s way. Douglas eyed it and pulled it down to touch off a wild sideline celebration.
That the Packers won yet another game with not only Alexander, David Bakhtiari, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Josh Myers, Kevin King and Za’Darius Smith sidelined by injury, coupled with the positive COVID-19 test results that kept Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams, Allen Lazard and defensive coordinator Joe Barry back home in Green Bay, is a remarkable testament to the entire organization. They did it against the NFL’s last undefeated team on the road to boot.
LaFleur covered it all to begin his post-game press conference.
Down the top three receivers, the Packers called up Juwann Winfree from the practice squad and activated Malik Taylor off the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The offensive game plan leaned on running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. They delivered with 38 touches and 188 total yards. Dillon was the run game hammer with 16 carries for 78 yards. Jones picked up 59 on 15 carries with the Pack’s first touchdown and he was also the leading receiver with 7 catches for 51 yards. It allowed Green Bay to pile up a whopping 37:35 in time of possession.
Randall Cobb was the only experienced receiver among the bunch and Aaron Rodgers leaned on him to finish two drives with touchdown catches of two and six yards.
The defense played inspired ball with secondary coach Jerry Gray handling Barry’s coordinator duties. Rookie Eric Stokes got caught losing sight of the ball in the first quarter which allowed DeAndre Hopkins to nearly score on a 62 yard catch and run. Hopkins however, grabbed the rookie’s face mask while making his way down the sideline for what resulted in a 55 yard gain. Arizona still cashed in when Chase Edmonds found a hole for an 11 yard run midway through the first quarter.
The Packers answered with a 14 play, 75 yard drive, consuming 8:23 with Jones twisting over from the 2 for a 7-7 tie.
A special teams mistake by rookie Rondale Moore gave Green Bay a great opportunity to go up a touchdown. Moore waved for a fair catch then tried to back off but the punt grazed his pinkie finger. Ty Summers alertly chased it down at the three yard line. It was ruled a downed punt by officials but LaFleur challenged and won. The offense however, ran three passing plays without success, something LaFleur said will eat at him for a while. Mason Crosby’s 21 yard field goal put Green Bay up 10-7.
Murray had trouble escaping a collapsing pocket through most of the first half as Arizona managed only 98 total yards and five first downs.
On the opening possession of the third quarter, Dean Lowry got credit for a 10 yard sack that forced a third and 16 from the Arizona 9 and when Murray’s screen pass attempt glanced off Moore’s hands, safety Henry Black pulled down the interception.
Rodgers had to convert a 4th and 3 pass at the 7 to Equanimeous St. Brown for 5 yards before he found Cobb in the right corner of the end zone for the two yard score and a 17-7 lead.
The Cardinals responded with a 75 yard march, converting a 4th and 1 of their own before James Connor crashed over from the 2.
A couple of serious injuries occurred on the ensuing kickoff as Kylin Hill was brought down hard by Jonathan Ward. Both players stayed down for several minutes. Hill was carted off while Ward required a stretcher with his neck in a brace. Hill suffered a knee injury while Ward was reportedly alert with movement after taken to an examination room. Later in the drive, Robert Tonyan got free for a 33 yard catch and run, the longest offensive play of the night but got his knee caught in the turf as a tackler arrived. His night was over and the Packers had no further information on the severity of the injury although LaFleur said he was “sick” about it.
Rodgers and Cobb connected again on a 6 yard score to finish off the 91 yard drive on the first play of the 4th quarter. Arizona again marched toward Connor’s second TD of the night, his 8th of the year to pull to within 24-21 with 10:45 to play.
Once again, leaning on the ground game and with short passes, the Packers had first and goal at the Arizona 1. Jones got the call and twisted his way toward the goal line and it was ruled a touchdown on the field. Upon further review, officials say he was down just shy of the line. Jones was denied on 2nd down. Then the Packers backed up five yards on a delay of game penalty. Josiah Deguara lined up on the wrong side of the formation and by the time he got set, the play clock had run down and Green Bay had already used it’s three time outs. Rodgers got flushed out of the pocket on third and goal from the 6 and found a lane but took a hard hit at the goal line, short once more. The 4th down play was disrupted by rushing linebacker Devon Kennard who batted away the pass.
That set up Arizona’s last ditch drive for the win, only to have it denied by the ex-Cardinal practice squad member in Douglas. As for the play, Rasul said it happened fast.
An unforgettable one at that.
The Packers outgained the Cardinals by a single yard, 335-334 but they ran 72 offensive plays to Arizona’s 55 which led to the better than 15 minute time of possession advantage.
Rodgers finished 22 of 37 for 184 yards and two scores for a passer rating of 90.4. He had a couple of passes dropped by Amari Rodgers and Winfree, chalking it up to inexperienced nerves. He rarely challenged the Cardinal secondary deep. Winfree wound wind up with 4 catches for 30 yards.
Murray was 22 of 33 for 274 yards and the two interceptions for a rating of 67.0. The Packers also sacked him twice and for the vast majority of the game, kept him hemmed in. The Packer run defense did give up all three scores but held Arizona to 74 yards on 20 carries, a 3.7 average and a long of 11.
Douglas not only saved the day but finished with a team high 9 tackles and two more pass break ups.
The inactive players were King, Jaylon Smith, Vernon Scott, La’Darius Hamilton, Dennis Kelly and Jack Heflin.
The Packers have weathered yet another desert storm to win their 7th straight, now the NFL’s longest streak. They own a head to head advantage in a crowded NFC race for the number one seed and now they’ll have a three day weekend to catch their breath. They have another four games to play before their bye in early December.
The team showed true grit again and as Cardinal linebacker Jordan Hicks said, “I know they didn’t have their top receivers and other guys, but they still had 12.”
Aaron Rodgers has endured some overtime heartbreak in Glendale, Arizona but victories like this one, bring him increasing enjoyment at his advancing age.
Next up for the Pack, it’s Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City.
