~GLENDALE, Ariz. — So much to chew on from one of the greatest NFL games — playoffs or otherwise — ever played. In honor of this epic game, we’re going into the shotgun formation to try to cover as many angles of this instant classic as possible …

• Still want to change the overtime rules into a two-possession format? Why? The proponents of the current sudden-death system maintain that even if you lose the coin toss, you can win the game by playing defense. That’s exactly what was proven in Arizona’s record-setting 51-45 NFC playoff victory over Green Bay here today before a University of Phoenix Stadium crowd that was left almost numb from exhaustion.

The Packers won the overtime toss, and yet the Cardinals won the game, thanks to linebacker Karlos Dansby‘s 17-yard return of an Aaron Rodgers fumble just 1:18 into the extra period. Arizona never got a possession in overtime, but nobody’s going to bemoan it this week because the Cardinals ironically won the highest scoring NFL playoff game in history (96 points) on a sack and forced fumble by reserve cornerback Michael Adams.

The Packers defense was absolutey atrocious Sunday, here allowing one of 5 Kurt Warner touchdown passes. He had 4 incomplete passes all day long.

How else could this one have possibly ended, but with a game-winning play by one of these two beleaguered and shell-shocked defenses?

Actually, Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt came up with the most novel of overtime rule changes, suggesting what everyone on the field was probably thinking once regulation ended at 45-45.

“It was almost like we’ll flip the coin, and whoever wins the toss wins the game,” Whisenhunt said of the explosive Cardinals and Packers, who combined for 1,024 yards of offense and 62 first downs (another playoff record). “[That's] kind of what you thought. We didn’t have to go out and play it. But I’m glad we did.    Full story here