Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers shook off a calf injury to deliver two late scoring drives that lifted the Packers to a 26-21 NFL playoff win over Dallas on Sunday.
The Cowboys, making their first playoff trip to Green Bay since the "Ice Bowl" of 1967, endured their first road defeat of the season after eight victories.
A video review in the final five minutes that stripped Dez Bryant of a catch near the end zone helped to dash their hopes.
Rodgers completed 11 of 14 passes for 173 yards on touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarters as the Packers scored 13 unanswered points to rally from a double-digit deficit.
He and the Packers will play the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Seattle next Sunday in the National Football Conference title game, with a berth in the NFL's championship extravaganza on February 1 on the line.
The Seahawks powered past Carolina 31-17 on Saturday.
The Packers will battle for the conference title for the first time since they beat Chicago after the 2010 season en route to their fourth Super Bowl crown.
Green Bay, who had fallen behind after an early strike for a 7-0 lead, whittled the deficit to 21-20 on Rodgers' 46-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams.
Rodgers, nursing a left calf injury that had him looking uncharacteristically tentative in the first half, then put the Packers ahead with a 13-yard laser to reserve tight end Richard Rodgers for a touchdown.
The Packers then failed on a two-point conversion attempt but still led 26-21 with 9:10 left in the game.
- Bryant denied big catch -
Source: AFP