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Why they lost: Green Bay Packers fall to Arizona in OT

By Kenn Korb

Jan 16, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd (15) catches a pass for a touchdown against Green Bay Packers cornerback Casey Hayward (29) during the fourth quarter in a NFC Divisional round playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd (15) catches a pass for a touchdown against Green Bay Packers cornerback Casey Hayward (29) during the fourth quarter in a NFC Divisional round playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 16, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis (84) is unable to make a catch against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half of an NFC Divisional round playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis (84) is unable to make a catch against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half of an NFC Divisional round playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Not finishing drives early

The offense had been the weakness for the expanse of 2015, routinely unable to sustain drives or put up the points we have been accustomed to seeing from the Packers.

Still, even with their all-around issues, this group managed to stage multiple long, time-consuming drives in the first half.

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The two drives combined for 34 plays, 156 yards, and 15:26 of game clock; this was excellent on multiple levels, including keeping the ball out of the hands of a usually-potent Arizona attack.

Despite all those positives, the two drives only brought Green Bay…6 points.

While some points are better than none — and it is understandable that a unit that has struggled for a variety of reasons all season wouldn’t suddenly find their footing against one of the best teams in the league — you just have to finish in these situations.

The inability to score more than a field goal in either situation gave Green Bay less room for error later on; remember, Green Bay ended up down 17-13 and then 20-13 before their game-tying Hail Mary to send things into overtime.

If Green Bay had scored a TD on just one of those drives, we are looking at a 17-17 game after the Cardinals’ final regulation touchdown, and a 20-17 deficit after their final field goal. That situation would have allowed Green Bay to not have to rely on a low-odds play like a Hail Mary to send the game to overtime; in that case, a simple field goal could have either tied or won the game instead.

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

It is a good thing that they did manage to finish drives later; had they not scored touchdowns on each of their final scoring drives, this would not have been quite the insane overtime outcome it eventually became.

Had they done the same earlier, Green Bay also could have avoided the overtime ending — but this time as the winning squad.

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