Dash Pass Left.
That's the name of the play that freed tight end Jared Cook for a 35-yard toe-dragging catch to set up the game-winning field goal in Sunday's Divisional Round Packers victory, NFL Network's Randy Moss reported from Green Bay on Monday's edition of Up to the Minute Live.
Given a high degree of play-calling latitude, Aaron Rodgers changed the protection to roll to his left and adjusted his receivers' crossing routes in the huddle.
Rodgers spun out of the pocket and covered 31.97 yards, per Next Gen Stats, to buy time before throwing across his body off one foot 38 air yards downfield into a tight window only he could see.
"The ball was thrown perfectly," Cook said after the game, via The MMQB. "He put it maybe a half-foot in bounds, to where I could keep my feet in. He made it easy for me."
As it turns out, Cook ran a similar play in practice last week only to step out of bounds, nullifying the catch.
"We were making fun of him," tight end Richard Rodgers quipped, via NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, "so I think that's why he kept his feet in this time."
Cook explained to reporters that he was simply trying to find a soft spot in Dallas' defense while watching his quarterback's eyes.
The Packers have built their offense around Rodgers' ability to extend plays and throw his receivers open.
"You don't need to be open at all. You can be covered perfectly and Aaron puts it wherever he needs it to be for us to have a chance," Richard Rodgers added. "We see that all the time. That's how it works all the time."
Released by the woebegone Ramslast February, Cook has discovered football heaven as Rodgers' secret weapon and the leading receiver in one of the most dramatic postseason games in the storied history of the Packers.
"I don't think you ever get used to the things that Aaron does. He always does things that just leaves you with your jaw dropped," Cook said, per Rosenthal. "Guys on this team, when he makes throws like that in practice, they think it's not a big deal. Me seeing it for the first time after being other places in the league, it's like ... wow."
