Arizona Cardinals: All or Nothing, Episode 7
By Scott Allen
Amazon’s all-access series All or Nothing featuring the Arizona Cardinals and their journey in 2015
It’s playoff time in Arizona. As the first week of preparation starts for their divisional playoff game in two weeks, coach Bruce Arians tells the team to do everything they can to get to 3-0. That’s where the prize is.
The Cardinals don’t yet know their opponent however they do know it will be at home, at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals have the luxury of sitting at home on the first weekend of the playoffs and scout their opponent from their own couches.
One of those doing so in the episode is Offensive Coordinator Harold Goodwin. The film crew takes us inside his home. Goodwin tells us how he is waiting for a head coaching opportunity. He knows his name has come up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opportunity.
While everyone is waiting to find out the next opponent, we find out defensive tackle Corey Redding has been placed on injured reserve. His season, and possibly his career, is over. It’s a tough way to go out for a guy who came in and gave it his all and more this season.
Now fast forward to the NFC Divisional Playoff game. It’s a re-match with the Green Bay Packers, a team the Cardinals defeated at home just two weeks prior 38-8. Arians and the other coaches remind the players, this time will be different. They promise they will not crush the Packers like they did before.
We see in the pregame Arians blowing kisses to his wife Christine. As Arians said previously, its family first. Although they are in the middle of getting ready for the biggest game of the season to date, Arians looks for his wife to make sure she is there and alright.
Fast forward to the game. The Cardinals struggle to score in the first half but still carry a 7-6 lead into the locker room at halftime. It was a lead that didn’t last much longer.
The Cardinals fell behind 13-7 but did eventually take a 20-13 lead. It was a lead they held and appeared were going to win with until two huge Hail Mary passes from Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers found receiver Jeff Janis twice. The first was on fourth and 25. The second was with five seconds left in the game. An incompletion on either of the passes and Green Bay’s season is over.
A miracle happens, twice. Green Bay forces overtime. They lose the coin flip thanks to a mess of having to re-flip because the first toss did not flip. The Cardinals win the toss and get the ball to start overtime.
Enter quarterback Carson Palmer and receiver Larry Fitzgerald. On the first play, Palmer spins out of a sure sack and finds Fitz standing all alone on the other side of the field. He catches the ball and runs 75 yards to set up a five-yard shovel pass winner two plays later.
Palmer gets the first playoff victory of his career. The Cardinals are 1-0 in their three-game quest.