Aaron Rodgers on Sunday wowed the NFL world with another perfect Hail Mary.
This one came with five seconds left in the first half of the Green Bay Packers wild-card game against the New York Giants.
With the Packers leading 7-6 on fourth-and-2, Rodgers rolled out to his right and from the Packers’ 48-yard line uncorked a pass that lofted out of the camera frame.
Moments later, it came sailing behind a clutter of Giants’ defenders and right into the arms of Randall Cobb for the huge touchdown.
After the game, Rodgers told ESPN’s Dan Graziano each aspect of his Hail Mary is planned — including where he throws the ball from and how high it goes.
“The high arc is definitely by design. I want to make sure those guys get a chance to get down there and jump. The key is the offensive line giving you a little bit of time. So we just did a little roll to the right, and obviously backside was firm in the protection.
“By the time I get to the spot on the field where I want to throw it, I’m 100 percent confident that the ball is going to be in a catchable spot. It’s just a matter of those guys getting in the right situation, and that’s how you draw it up. Obviously, you don’t think you’re going to catch it every time, but we’ve been fairly successful with it.”
Here’s the throw that helped elevate the Packers to the 38-13 win over the Giants.
This is the third such Hail Mary that Rodgers has thrown. Each of them has been remarkable, but perhaps the most famous was a 70-yard bomb against the Detroit Lions that won the game for the Packers as time expired.
Rodgers also produced one in last season’s playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals when he tossed a huge 65-yard pass to tie the game as time expired. Unfortunately for the Packers, they lost in overtime.
It looks like the Packers’ contraption to help Rodgers master the deep ball is still paying off.
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