How they lost Eight plays that doomed the Packers

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There are bad lo ses. There are sickening lo ses. And then there's what happened to the on .  Had even one of multiple scenarios played out differently, it might have been the representing the NFC in the on Feb. 1. But they didn't, so the won't.  We've put together a group of eight potentially fate-altering plays or sequences in the order in which they occurred. Warning: This is not for the faint of heart.  1. Goal line stalls  The reached the 1-yard line in back-to-back po se sions in the first quarter and came away with just six points. After had 1-yard touchdown negated by an official review, was stuffed on 3rd-and-goal, prompting to bring out the field-goal unit. On the next po se sion, led a foot too far on an end zone throw, which was followed by being tackled at the 1 on third down. McCarthy again sent onto the field.  2. Rodgers' second pick  Green Bay failed in every opportunity to put the game away, and it started right here. The had marched back into Seattle territory with a 16-0 lead midway through the second quarter. On 1st-and-10 from the 33, Rodgers had a miscommunication with either Cobb or Nelson (it's difficult to tell on replay) and the quarterback's pa s was picked off by . Another mi sed opportunity.  3. 3rd-and-19  The had the right where they wanted them. Seattle faced a 3rd-and-19 from midfield, down 16-0 midway through the third quarter. The opted to rush just three, giving Ru sell 7.7 seconds from the time he took the snap to the moment he released his pa s, a 29-yard completion to a wide open . Four plays later, punter got Seattle on the board with his fake field goal touchdown pa s to .  4. Ha Ha can't hold on  's day was a microcosm of what happened to his team. The day started out brilliantly for the rookie, with two interceptions. But it turned sour in crunch time, starting with this drop of a pa s with 7:11 to play in the fourth quarter. Said Joe Buck on the Fox telecast: "And that could have been number three on the day for and that would have ended of the day because he Clarke Macarthur Jersey  was wide open on his way to the end zone."  5. Burnett goes down  appeared to punch Green Bay's ticket for Arizona when he corralled a deflected pa s for the ' fourth interception with five minutes to play. But Burnett had an odd reaction after making the play, choosing to slide to the turf rather than advance the ball into territory. The went three-and-out on the ensuing po se sion, taking just one minute off the game clock. The were still alive.  6. Bostick goes down in infamy  Here's the craziest thing about this game: The failed in all the scenarios above and  still  probably would have won if did his job on the fateful onside kick attempt. But Bostick abandoned his blocking a signment and went up for the ball as watched helple sly behind him. The ball went through Bostick's hands and conked off his helmet, leading to a recovery. Four plays later, they had the lead.  "I let my team down, I feel like," . "There was a lot on this game. I just feel like if I was able to do my job -- my a signment was to block -- Jordy would've caught the ball and the game would've been over."  7. 2-point madne s  Now to Clinton-Dix's final fourth-quarter miscue -- and it's an all-timer. On the ' 2-point attempt after taking a 20-19 lead with 1:25 play, Wilson took the snap out of the shotgun formation, rolled right, and quickly retreated as Green Bay's rush closed in. He drops back  11 yards  , in fact, before heaving the ball up for grabs to the opposite side of the field. The balloon sailed toward tight end , who was covered by Clinton-Dix. For reasons that might never be known, the rookie safety fails to make a play on the ball and Willson pulls it in.  8. The cruel end  Even after Crosby tied the game with a 48-yard field goal with seconds to play in regulation, you got the feeling this would end with a final stomach punch to Cheesehead Nation. Wilson and did just that, connecting on a 35-yard touchdown to end the game on the first po se sion of overtime. Cornerback got beat in man coverage and had no safety help on the play (a head-scratcher, in retrospect). Wilson made the throw, Kearse made the catch, and one of the most crushing collapses in NFL playoff history was complete.  The latest Podcast , and breaks down the ' historic comeback against the . Find more content on .  Hayden Hodgson Jersey