GREEN BAY – Packers K Mason Crosby missed wide right from 49 yards out on the final play of the game, and Green Bay dropped a 20-17 decision to Arizona on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
With the loss, the Packers fell to 4-7-1 while the Cardinals improved to 3-9. It was Green Bay's first loss at home in 2018 and all but mathematically eliminated them from playoff contention.
For the game, QB Aaron Rodgers was 31-of-50 for 233 yards and a TD for a 79.8 passer rating. WR Davante Adams had the TD reception among his eight catches for 93 yards. RB Aaron Jones had 36 yards on 11 carries, with a touchdown.
For the Cardinals, rookie QB Josh Rosen was 11-of-26 for 149 yards and a 61.2 rating. WRs Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald combined for six catches for 102 yards. RB David Johnson had 20 carries for 69 yards.
Packers, Cardinals scoreless after one
The Packers got the ball first and converted their first two third downs on a scramble by QB Aaron Rodgers and a 10-yard pass to TE Jimmy Graham. But on third-and-10 from midfield, a draw play to RB Aaron Jones went nowhere, and the punt went into the end zone for a touchback.
The Cardinals got a 13-yard run from RB David Johnson to start and converted on third-and-9 with a 10-yard pass to WR Ricky Seals-Jones. But a pass breakup by CB Tramon Williams on first down helped lead to a punt, and the Packers went back on offense.
From their own 8, thanks to a penalty on special teams, the Packers went three-and-out. Rookie WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped a pass on first down that would have gotten the Packers out of the hole. P JK Scott's punt was fielded at the Arizona 46.
A 9-yard pass to WR Christian Kirk picked up third-and-7 for the Cardinals, but on the next third down, Packers S Josh Jones sacked QB Josh Rosen on a delayed blitz, and Arizona punted.
Aaron Jones ran three straight times for 21 yards as the first quarter expired.
Packers take 10-7 lead into halftime
On third-and-2 from the 40, Rodgers was forced to throw the ball away, and the Packers punted again. The Packers downed it at the Arizona 11.
Green Bay's defense got a three-and-out, and after a false start forced the Cardinals to punt from their own 9, Packers CB Jaire Alexander spun away from the pile on the punt return and picked up 24 yards to the Arizona 35. It was the Packers' longest punt return of the season.
A slant to WR Davante Adams picked up 16 yards, but Jones lost 3 on a first-down run. On third-and-13, a pass to WR Randall Cobb picked up 9 yards, and the Packers went for it on fourth-and-4 from the 13. Rodgers found Adams in the back of the end zone, and the star receiver just barely got his feet in bounds for the touchdown.
An offside call plus an 8-yard reception by RB Chase Edmonds picked up one first down for the Cardinals. A 12-yars pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald converted on third-and-7 to get across midfield. On the next third-and-7, the Packers' blitz was picked up, and Rosen found WR Trent Sherfield for 21 yards to the Green Bay 23.
After a defensive holding penalty on CB Josh Jackson, Johnson ran twice for 10 yards to make it first-and-goal on the 8. Edmonds took it to the 1, and after a false start, ran it in from the 6 to tie the game with 4:42 left in the half.
RB Jamaal Williams returned the ensuing kickoff to the Green Bay 31, and the Packers got moving on an 11-yard pass to Valdes-Scantling. A defensive pass interference on third-and-11 gave Green Bay a first down at midfield, and an 8-yard reception by Adams moved the chains again.
From the Arizona 40, a Rodgers scramble for 4, checkdown to Williams for 10, 6-yard pass to Graham, and a screen to Williams for 5 made it first down on the 15, with the Packers taking their first timeout with 46 seconds left.
Adams was slow to get up after a 7-yard reception and touch tackle, but he walked off under his own power. It cost the Packers their second timeout with 34 seconds left. Rodgers was sacked for a 6-yard loss on second down, setting up third-and-9 from the 14, and the Packers used their final timeout with 22 seconds left. Adams re-entered the game.
A pass for Cobb near the front pylon was incomplete, and K Mason Crosby was good from 32 yards out to give the Packers a 10-7 lead with 15 seconds to go.
Cardinals lead 17-10 heading into fourth
The Cardinals began the second half with a three-and-out, as LB Clay Matthews drew a holding penalty on second down that created a long-yardage situation.
The Packers got a 10-yard reception from Graham and a 7-yard run by Jones to get across midfield, but a 5-yard loss and a near-interception led to a punt.
Green Bay's defense got another three-and-out, as DL Dean Lowry deflected a third-down pass at the line of scrimmage.
Back-to-back passes to Graham gained 11 yards, but a false start on backup RT Jason Spriggs (in for an injured Bryan Bulaga, knee) turned third-and-3 into third-and-8, and the Packers punted again. The Packers were also playing without starting RG Byron Bell (knee), who was replaced by Justin McCray in the first half.
Kirk ran for 23 yards on a jet sweep on the first play to get the Cardinals out to their own 36. Rosen then hit Kirk over the top for 37 yards on the next snap, to the Green Bay 27. But the Packers stopped it there, as Williams had good coverage deep on Fitzgerald on second down, and LB Blake Martinez got pressure on a third-down blitz.
K Zane Gonzalez was good from 44 yards out to tie the score at 10 with 5:18 left in the period.
The Packers went three-and-out, as a pitch to Williams on third-and-1 went nowhere.
Rosen then escaped a sack on the first play and scrambled 33 yards up the middle of the field to the Green Bay 32. Edmonds ran for 29 yards on the next snap to make it first-and-goal on the 3. A false start moved the ball back to the 8, but on second down Edmonds beat the defense to the pylon for the score, and the Cardinals led for the first time, 17-10.
A reverse to Valdes-Scantling for 8 yards picked up a first down, but the Packers faced third-and-11 as the quarter expired.
Packers fall to Cardinals, 20-17
A big play to Cobb on the first play of the fourth quarter was wiped out by a holding call on Spriggs, and a deep ball on third-and-21 was incomplete.
After a defensive holding penalty on LB Kyler Fackrell gave the Cardinals one first down, LB Clay Matthews drew a holding penalty that helped lead to a punt. P Andy Lee's 64-yard boot pinned the Packers on their own 5.
An 11-yard pass to Adams converted on third down for the first time since the game's opening series, and Valdes-Scantling followed with a 21-yard run on an end-around. WR Jake Kumerow's first NFL reception was good for 11 yards to get the Packers across midfield, and a slant to Adams for 12 yards gave the Packers a first down at the Arizona 30.
Rodgers dodged and darted around in the pocket for several seconds before finding Adams along the sideline for 19 yards, as Adams made a spinning, tip-toe catch for a first down at the 8. Jones ran it in on the next play, and the Packers tied the game at 17 with 5:26 left.
A sack by Lowry on the first play of the next drive pushed the Cardinals back 8 yards, and then Rosen's ill-advised scrambling pass went right to new Packers S Eddie Pleasant, but he dropped the interception. After a delay of game, Rosen scrambled again and found a diving Fitzgerald for 32 yards to convert.
A 7-yard run by Johnson and a short pass to Edmonds gave the Cardinals a first down at the Green Bay 44. Johnson ran twice for 11 yards to the 33, taking the game to the two-minute warning.
The Packers used two timeouts on two runs by Johnson, and a third-down pass for Fitzgerald was incomplete. Gonzalez was good from 44 yards out to give the Cardinals a 20-17 lead with 1:41 left.
A 5-yard pass to Graham was followed by two incompletions to Valdes-Scantling, the second a low throw that was dropped as he dove for it. Rodgers hit Graham over the middle to convert on fourth-and-5 to get to the Green Bay 37.
A 7-yard pass to Adams was followed by a 5-yard pass to TE Robert Tonyan for a first down on the Green Bay 49 with 30 seconds left. Rodgers scrambled for 11 yards to the Arizona 40 and got out of bounds with 19 ticks to go.
A pass over the middle to Cobb for 9 yards put the ball on the 31, and the Packers used their last timeout with 9 seconds left. Rodgers took one shot at the end zone but it was incomplete, and Crosby came on. He missed wide right from 49 yards out as time expired.
