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Outside looking in Packers rout Cards 49-24, still miss out on playoffs
Posted: Sunday January 02, 2000 07:50 PM
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- The Pack can pack for the offseason. Green Bay's six-year run in the NFL playoffs ended Sunday, even though the Packers won their regular-season finale with their highest scoring output in 16 years. Dallas' 26-18 victory over the Giants gave the Cowboys the NFC's final wild card spot, even though they, like the Packers, finished 8-8. Dallas beat Green Bay head-to-head this season. "A lot of what ifs," Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre said after the Packers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 49-24 Sunday -- their most points since scoring 55 against Tampa Bay in 1983 -- behind four Dorsey Levens touchdown runs. "I'd love to go to the playoffs, but do we deserve to?" Favre said. "I don't know. Time will tell." And time did. "We had our chances and didn't make the most of them," Favre said. "I think everyone should be aware of that." The six-year run that began in 1993 under former coach Mike Holmgren included two Super Bowl appearances and one world title. "Everybody feels bad about the way have gone this season," Packers coach Ray Rhodes said of his first season. The Packers put up the points Sunday, knowing that if the Giants did beat the Cowboys they would need to stay ahead of Carolina in net conference points. Green Bay began the day with an 18-point advantage over the Panthers, who beat New Orleans 45-13. The Panthers' runaway victory in Charlotte made scoreboard watching and point scoring a must Sunday on an overcast, 32-degree day at Lambeau Field. Levens' 1-yard run with 58 seconds to go finally iced the Packers' point advantage over Carolina. "I didn't understand the point system until one of our PR guys explained it to me," Levens said. "I knew we had to put the points up on the board because Carolina was pouring it on. So we had to do the same." As the Packers headed off the field, Arizona (6-10) finished the season on a four-game losing streak. "We started off horrendously and then we evened up things at 6-6," Cardinals coach Vince Tobin. "We couldn't find ways to win down the stretch." Neither could the Packers until Sunday, when they broke a three-game losing streak. "You feel better going out this way," Favre said. "When we started the season, I had no idea, it didn't even cross my mind, that we would be sitting here today hoping the Giants would beat Dallas to put us in. Or that we had to score 49 points and go hurry-up offense when we were up by 18." Favre completed 21 of 34 passes for 311 yards to go over 4,000 passing yards for the third time in his career. And Levens gained 146 yards on 24 carries to surpass 1,000 yards rushing for the second time in his career. Arizona's Jake Plummer completed 35 of 57 passes for 396 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. His 9-yard scoring pass to Mac Cody with 1:31 left brought the Cardinals within 18, jeopardizing the Packers' point advantage over Carolina. Minutes later, a large cheer erupted at Lambeau when a New Orleans TD was shown. Levens, the first Packers back since Terdell Middleton in 1978 to score four TDs in a game, then made it academic. His short run in the final minute was set up by a 43-yard pass from Favre to Charles Jordan. The Packers, held to a franchise-low 12 yards rushing last week in a loss to Tampa Bay, established their running game against Arizona's porous, injury-weakened defense, with Levens picking up 70 in the first half alone. Levens broke went on a twisting 36-yard run in the third quarter, the highlight of Green Bay's 84-yard drive that took up seven minutes and gave the Packers a 21-3 lead. Plummer's 2-yard scoring pass to Frank Sanders got the Cardinals within 11 points, but rookie Basil Mitchell took the ensuing kickoff, cut to the sideline and sprinted 88 yards in for his first career touchdown. Levens' 5-yard run early in the fourth pushed the lead to 35-10 before a 51-yard pass from Plummer to Rob Moore set up Mario Bates' 1-yard TD run. With 3:42 left, Mike McKenzie's interception near the end zone apparently gave the Packers the ball at the 20. But Arizona challenged the call, and replay showed that McKenzie was down at the 1. So the Packers had to go from near their own end zone. And Favre responded, completing 6-of-7 passes in a 99-yard drive and hitting Bill Schroeder with a 32-yard TD pass with 2:38 to go that made it 42-17. The Packers led 14-3 at the half on a Favre's 10-yard TD pass to Schroeder and an 8-yard run by Levens. Notes: Arizona's Simeon Rice had two more sacks, giving him 16 1/2, a club record. ....Packers receiver Bill Schroeder went over 1,000 yards receiving. He caught six passes for 93 yards. ... Green Bay's leading receiver Antonio Freeman missed the final three quarters after suffering a 'stinger' in the first quarter. He caught only one pass, a 46-yarder that set up the Packers' first touchdown. ... Green Bay also lost safety LeRoy Butler with a sprained shoulder and nose tackle Gilbert Brown with a sprained knee. Neither played the second half.. ... Jake Plummer threw three more interceptions, giving him 24 for the season. Brett Favre threw one and has 23. ... Arizona's Frank Sanders caught 13 passes, including his first TD of the season.. ...The Cardinals finished the season without their offense scoring a first-quarter touchdown.
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