From Mike McCarthy's season-ending press conference:
I think anytime you're sitting around waiting on calls to win football games, you're in a mode of excuses.
Absolutely. The Green Bay Packers lost to the Cardinals because their defense collapsed. It was their worst performance against the run since week 2 against RB Cedric Benson, or week 3 against RB Steven Jackson. QB Kurt Warner threw 33 passes and only 4 were incomplete. And he did it by using players who had been quiet all season long (WR Steve Breaston with a career high 125 receiving yards, and WR Early Doucet who caught all 6 passes thrown his way (including 2 TDs) had only 32 career receptions entering the game). Nobody in the secondary stepped up and made a play, except for CB Charles Woodson who had one pass defense and forced a fumble. The pass rush didn't get to Warner, but he also got rid of the ball quick because the receivers were completely uncovered at times. Ken Whisenhunt knew how to attack the Packers' defense and he drew up the perfect game plan the Packers couldn't stop, but that was more bad defense than great offense.
However this is crap from head official Mike Periera:
Mike Pereira, the league’s vice president of officiating, said on the show "Total Access" on the NFL Network that after reviewing the replay, Adams grasped but didn’t twist or pull Rodgers’ facemask to warrant a penalty.
I've never seen a replay where someone's facemask is grabbed, touched, brushed in anyway at all and no flag is thrown. This is the NFL's Year of the Concussion, but grabbing (no twisting mind you) of another player's head is OK? QB Aaron Rodgers's head didn't move at all while he was hit by CB Michael Adams? Is that really the NFL's policy?
The game isn't going to be replayed. The Cardinals will still travel to New Orleans this weekend. Just admit someone missed a call and move on.