GLENDALE, Ariz.
Yes, the game-saving hero in the Packers’ 24-21 victory at State Farm Stadium on Thursday was on the Cardinals’ practice squad 22 days earlier.
After three years with the Eagles and last season with the Panthers, Douglas was cut by both the Raiders and Texans this year, and his only option when the season began was the Cardinals’ practice squad.
His interception with 12 seconds left came just when it appeared the Cardinals would do no worse than a game-tying field goal.
This came after Rodgers and the offense couldn’t finish it off themselves, failing to score after getting to first-and-goal at the Cardinals’ 1-yard line on the previous possession.
“You’re in a crazy mental state being in the league five years, never been on a practice squad before, and then one day you’re just on a practice squad,” Douglas said.
Entering Thursday night’s game, he had played 1,450 defensive snaps since the start of the 2019 season , the fifth-most by a defensive back without an interception over that span, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Douglas might have been a surprise hero, but this Packers team isn’t surprising Rodgers, who seems miles away from where he was during his offseason of discontentment.
“I think we’re a gritty football team,” Rodgers said.
The entire story of the pregame was all the key players Rodgers would be without: receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard because of COVID-19 protocols and Marquez Valdes-Scantling because of his lingering hamstring injury.
“I know we were without, you could argue, three of our top receivers.
The only question now is how many more injuries can this team sustain? The Packers lost tight end Robert Tonyan and kick returner Kylin Hill to knee injuries on Thursday.
“You never know how the team’s going to come together and the chemistry and the relationships and the guys stepping up and dealing with injuries and all the adversity,” Rodgers said.