Last-second play boots Vikings from playoffs

Cardinals 18, Vikings 17

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona knocked the Minnesota Vikings out of the playoffs Sunday with a fourth-down miracle that put Green Bay in.

Josh McCown threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Poole on fourth-and-25 as time expired, rallying the Cardinals to an 18-17 victory. That left the Vikings at 9-7 and gave the division title to the Packers, who beat Denver 31-3.

Had the Vikings won, Green Bay (10-6) would have been eliminated on a series of tiebreakers.

Poole caught the ball near the sideline in the end zone, where officials ruled he was forced out by Minnesota's Denard Walker and called it a touchdown. A video review upheld the call.

Minnesota led 17-6 with two minutes left.

But Arizona (4-12) cut the lead to 17-12 on McCown's fourth-down 2-yard pass to Steve Bush with 1:54 to play.

Damien Anderson recovered the onside kick for Arizona, and a 30-yard pass-interference call against Walker put the Cardinals in scoring position.

PACKERS 31, BRONCOS 3: At Green Bay, Wis., the biggest cheer at Lambeau Field came for the play in Arizona that got the Packers into the playoffs.

Ahman Green reeled off a 98-yard touchdown run, and Brett Favre completed a hard week in which he buried his father to lead Green Bay.

The Packers (10-6) had little hope of playing into January only minutes earlier. They celebrated wildly on the sideline after their crowd, listening on radios, broke into frenzied elation over the fourth-down pass in Arizona.

Denver (10-6) rested starters for its playoff game next Sunday in Indianapolis.

The Packers will host the Seattle Seahawks (10-6) and former coach Mike Holmgren on Sunday. The Packers beat the Seahawks 35-13 at home on Oct. 5.

Green set a franchise record with 218 yards rushing and ran for two scores, giving him 20 and breaking Jim Taylor's record of 19 set in 1962.

BROWNS 22, BENGALS 14: At Cincinnati, rookie Lee Suggs ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns Sunday as Cleveland knocked Cincinnati from playoff contention by beating the Bengals 22-14. That allowed the Baltimore Ravens to clinch the AFC North title several hours before playing Pittsburgh in the final regular-season game. A renaissance season ended in a gut-wrenching disappointment for the Bengals (8-8), who reverted to form in their biggest game in 13 years against a Cleveland team that finished 5-11.