GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The way the Green Bay Packers' defense played all game, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see Clay Matthews or Mike Neal sack Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer on the first play of overtime.
Both, however, missed him.
The way the defense played all game, it would have been a surprise to see a coverage blown on the first play of overtime.
However, there was Larry Fitzgerald wide open after Palmer escaped both Matthews and Neal.
And it turned into the 75-yard catch and run that set up the Cardinals' game-winning touchdown on a 5-yard shovel pass to Fitzgerald to end Saturday’s NFC divisional playoff game.
“Our defense, we played a heck of a game for the most part, but it has to go beyond four quarters,” Matthews said. “It has to go into overtime.”
For the second straight year, the Packers' season ended with the defense allowing a touchdown on the first series, preventing quarterback Aaron Rodgers from ever touching the ball in the extra session.
There was a miscommunication in the defensive huddle at the start of overtime, according to at least one player.
“We blew a call,” cornerback Casey Hayward said. “We blew a coverage and he got open. I think everybody was kind of confused on it, but we shouldn’t be confused on the back end. It was a simple call for us. I think they were a little confused up front.”
Hayward appeared to be playing man coverage while the rest of the secondary was in a zone coverage, and no one picked up Fitzgerald as he ran a crossing route from the right slot. And then there was linebacker Julius Peppers, who dropped into coverage. But when Palmer escaped the pocket, Peppers left his area, which allowed Palmer to see Fitzgerald.
When asked if everyone was aware of the defensive call, Peppers said: “I was. I'm not sure about everybody else.”
Regardless, if Neal doesn’t allow Palmer to spin out of a sack, the play ends there.
“Clay was able to get in there and get pressure, and I was able to get in there and get my hands on him; you’ve just got to [make] those plays,” Neal said. “Man, that’s unacceptable to let the quarterback scramble out and then be able to make that play, and Fitzgerald was wide open. I mean he was standing in the middle of the field wide open.”
Here’s the full defensive breakdown from Saturday’s loss (the offensive recap can be found here):
Total defensive snaps: 66
Defensive line
Mike Daniels: 49
B.J. Raji: 32
Datone Jones: 31
Letroy Guion: 25
Mike Pennel: 14
Notes: Raji recorded two tackles for loss. However, he unwisely dove on a pile late and drew an unnecessary roughness penalty when the Cardinals were backed up in third quarter. Raji is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March. Arizona got a field goal on that drive. Daniels had one of the three sacks on Palmer.
Linebackers
Clay Matthews: 66
Julius Peppers: 42
Jake Ryan: 41
Mike Neal: 40
Nick Perry: 27
Joe Thomas: 25
Notes: Perry recorded his third sack of the playoffs. Peppers also had one.
Defensive backs
Morgan Burnett: 66
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: 66
Sam Shields: 66
Casey Hayward: 64
Quinten Rollins: 12
Micah Hyde: 6
Notes: In his first game since his Dec. 13 concussion, Shields dropped two potential interceptions, including one near the goal line in the fourth quarter with the Packers leading 13-10. Two plays later, the Cardinals scored a touchdown on a pass Palmer intended for Fitzgerald but was tipped by Randall into the hands of Michael Floyd. Hyde dropped out with a hip injury.