Packers have time of lives

Then Arizona receiver Nathan Poole caught a 28-yard TD pass as time expired to give Arizona a stunning 18-17 victory that robbed the Vikings of the NFC North title and a playoff berth.

"You don't have any clue how much it hurts," Minnesota's Corey Chavous said.

Meanwhile, Brett Favre and the Packers celebrated with their fans at Lambeau Field when they learned of Arizona's improbable victory during the 2-minute warning of Green Bay's 31-3 win over Denver.

"I've never heard a crowd cheer that loud for a 2-minute warning before," linebacker Nick Barnett said.

The Packers, who had little hope of playing into January only moments earlier, celebrated wildly on the sideline after their crowd, listening on radios, broke into frenzied elation over the fourth-down miracle.

The Vikings joined the 1978 Washington Redskins as the only teams to start a season 6-0 and not make the playoffs.

"I really can't put into words how I feel right now," Daunte Culpepper said. "It's just terrible that you fight that hard all year just trying to stay alive, and lose it like that."

Poole caught the ball near the sideline in the end zone and was ruled forced out by Denard Walker and Brian Russell.

"We said `Let's be the best receiver corps on the field,' " Poole said. "We came out with the victory, so we was the best receiving corps out there." Quarterback Josh McCown had been sacked on second and third downs, and Arizona barely got the final play off with 4 seconds to go.Arizona cut the lead to 17-12 on McCown's desperation, fourth-and-goal 2-yard touchdown pass to Steve Bush with 1:54 to play. Damien Anderson then recovered the onside kick for Arizona, and a 30-yard pass-interference call against Walker put the Cardinals at the Minnesota 31.

McCown threw 13 yards to Poole to the 13, but sacks by Kevin Williams and Chris Hovan seemed to save the victory for Minnesota.

Not quite.

"If you're going to be a champion, you've got to close it out," Minnesota coach Mike Tice said, "and we didn't close it out."

The Cardinals (4-12) snapped a seven-game losing streak in what might have been Dave McGinnis's final game as coach.

It was a tough game throughout for the Vikings. Trailing, 6-0, at halftime, Minnesota (9-7) brought the NFL's top-rated offense to life with a pair of touchdowns for a 17-6 lead. Culpepper was 4 for 4 for 45 yards on the go-ahead touchdown drive in the third quarter, then threw 7 yards to Randy Moss for the second score to make it 14-6 with 8:54 to play.

Williams deflected McCown's pass, then intercepted it to set up Aaron Elling's 46-yard field goal that bounced off the left upright to put Minnesota up 17-6 with 6:48 left.

Instead of going home, the Packers (10-6) will host the Seattle Seahawks (10-6) and former coach Mike Holmgren Sunday. Green Bay won the first meeting, 35-13, Oct. 5.

Ahman Green, who reeled off a 98-yard touchdown run, and Favre, who completed a hard week in which he buried his father back in Mississippi, led Green Bay.

But it looked as though the Packers would miss out on the postseason party despite a 4-0 December as the Vikings built a 17-6 lead in the waning minutes at Arizona.

Then, McCown threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Poole as time expired to rally the Cardinals. The Packers knew it by listening to their 70,299 fans going wild.

"I thought we fumbled the football," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.

The turnabout was so extraordinary that Favre, still struggling with his father's death, suggested something spiritual was taking place.

"I've been around people who have lost a family member or have lost someone close to them and they say that person's there watching or angels, whatever," Favre said. "I would say two weeks ago I didn't really didn't believe in that, but I think we'd better start believing in something."

The Broncos (10-6) sat seven starters, including quarterback Jake Plummer, after clinching an AFC wild-card berth last week, but it was no cakewalk until late in the game. With the Packers clinging to a 10-3 lead, Green rumbled 47 yards to set up his 2-yard TD run. Adrian Madise returned the kickoff 83 yards to the Green Bay 12, however.

After a goal-line stand by the Packers, Green broke free for a franchise record 98-yard touchdown, the longest ever by the Packers and the longest ever against the Broncos.