Packer Effort Turns Pointless

Green Bay’s playoff run ended at six years Sunday, even though the Packers won their regular-season finale, 49-24, over the Arizona Cardinals, with their highest scoring output in 16 years.

Dallas’ 26-18 victory over the Giants gave the Cowboys the NFC’s final wild-card spot, even though they finished with an 8-8 record along with Green Bay and Carolina. The Cowboys made the playoffs because of a better conference record.

“We had our chances and didn’t make the most of them,” Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre said. “I think everyone should be aware of that.”

Green Bay’s six consecutive seasons in the playoffs, all under former coach Mike Holmgren, included two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl title.

The Packers--who got four touchdown runs from Dorsey Levens and two scoring passes from Favre on Sunday--put up the points, knowing that if the Giants did beat the Cowboys they would need to stay ahead of the Panthers in net conference points.

Green Bay began the day with an 18-point advantage over the Panthers, who beat New Orleans, 45-13.

The Panthers’ runaway victory in Charlotte made scoreboard watching and scoring a must on an overcast, 32-degree day at Lambeau Field. Levens’ one-yard run with 58 seconds left iced the Packers’ point advantage over Carolina.

“I didn’t understand the point system until one of our PR guys explained it to me,” Levens said. “I knew we had to put the points up on the board because Carolina was pouring it on. So we had to do the same.”

Arizona (6-10) lost its final four games.

“We started off horrendously and then we evened up things at 6-6,” Cardinal Coach Vince Tobin said. “We couldn’t find ways to win down the stretch.”

Neither could the Packers until Sunday, when they ended a losing streak at three.

“You feel better going out this way,” Favre said. “When we started the season, I had no idea, it didn’t even cross my mind, that we would be sitting here today hoping the Giants would beat Dallas to put us in.”

Favre completed 21 of 34 passes for 311 yards to go over 4,000 passing yards for the third time.