Rodgers, Packers knock out Cowboys in final second

ARLINGTON, Texas - Aaron Rodgers watched the Dallas Cowboys tie Sunday's divisional round playoff game with 35 seconds remaining, and he didn't think about overtime. He knew how little time remained. He also knew the Green Bay Packers had two timeouts, and his right arm has been responsible for enough dramatics during a dozen seasons that even 35 seconds offered opportunity.

So what did Rodgers think when the Cowboys scored?

"A little too much time on the clock," he said.

Rodgers added another hallmark to his Hall of Fame career Sunday when he led the Packers in position for a game-winning field goal in a 34-31 victory over the top-seeded Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Packers advanced to play the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championship game this Sunday.

Mason Crosby's 51-yard kick concluded what could become one of the most memorable postseason in NFL history. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott led the Cowboys back from their biggest deficit of the season, scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns to tie the score at 28 with just more than four minutes on the clock. There were three field goals from farther than 50 yards in the final 93 seconds, including Crosby's winner as time expired.

"When we have 35 seconds on the clock and that offensive can move the ball into field-goal range for a manageable kick, that's just special." Crosby said.

The Packers started the final possession on their 25-yard line and ran five plays before the field goal. The last one will go down in Rodgers lore. On a third down at the Packers' 32-yard line, Rodgers spun to his left, scrambled to reset to buy time, and a launched a pass 36 yards toward the sideline. Tight end Jared Cook tiptoed with his size 15 cleats to remain inbounds and make the catch. If Cook wore 16s, the pass might have been incomplete and the game could have headed for overtime.

"I knew it was a perfect throw by him to keep me inbounds to help me catch with two feet in and fall forward," Cook said.

Rodgers said he has made better throws and more athletic plays in his career. He called Sunday's play a combination of good protection, remaining patient outside the pocket, placing the ball where it needed to go, and Cook responding with a "phenomenal" catch.

"We've done it a few times over the years," said Rodgers, who finished with 356 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. "In a situation like that, a quarterback's best friend is that memory, that muscle memory. You're gauging all those things - the momentum, the receivers' depth in area, proximity to the sideline - and just trusting the mechanics of the throw. You've got to aim and put it in a good spot."

If that catch was not made, the story of the game might instead be Prescott. Dallas' precocious rookie completed 24 of 38 passes for 302 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He led the Cowboys to their fourth-quarter comeback with the help of fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott, who rushed for 125 yards.

Instead, they both experienced the latest playoff disappointment in Dallas. The Cowboys were the best team in the NFC this season, clinching home-field advantage with two games remaining and looking like a force in the division that the Eagles occupy. But they have not reached the NFC championship game since the 1995 season, extending a drought that could offer mild consolation to the Eagles fans who revel in their rivals' misery.

""It took some really outstanding plays to have us sitting in the locker room like this," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "Even with rookies in key spots, I know now that we were ready to win. We didn't. That's very real."

Rodgers went out of his way to praise Prescott and Elliott, saying it was "just the beginning" for the Cowboys and "there's going to be more battles like this over the years."

But it was not yet their time. This postseason could belong to Rodgers. He watched his last three playoff appearances end when the opponent scored on the final play. The Packers finally experienced it on the other end Sunday, continuing a pledge of confidence that Rodgers showed eight weeks earlier.

On Nov. 23, with the Packers mired in a four-game losing streak and preparing to visit Philadelphia, Rodgers said Green Bay could "run the table." It needed to start against the Eagles, who were four-point favorites. Rodgers dominated the Eagles defense that night and hasn't lost since.

The Packers' march to the NFC championship game started in Philadelphia, and after knocking off the NFC's best team on Sunday, Rodgers is two wins away from his second Super Bowl title.

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm