Green Bay pivot comes up big when it counts

Aaron Rodgers didn't need another Hail Mary this time.

Maybe just call it a "Half Mary."

Rodgers completed a 36-yard pass to a toe-dragging Jared Cook on the sideline with a dozen seconds left and Mason Crosby kicked a 51-yard field goal on the next play as time expired, sending the Green Bay Packers to the NFC championship game with a 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday.

Rodgers' strike to Cook came on third-and-20, after the Cowboys tied the score twice in the final 4:08 after trailing by 18 in the first half and by 15 to start the fourth quarter.

"I love the opportunity to go out there and make plays," said Rodgers, who threw for two touchdowns to give him 21 in Green Bay's eight-game winning streak.

"I was disappointed we had a chance there at 28-13 to go up three scores and make it really difficult for 'em by throwing a pick. But we were able to come down and have two good drives toward the end of the game."

Dallas' rally was led by rookie sensations Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott in their playoff debuts, and the first two career postseason touchdown catches for star receiver Dez Bryant along with the first for 14th-year tight end Jason Witten.

"We're not going to stop no matter what the score is, no matter the game," Prescott said. "It shows the true character of this team."

Crosby's winner was the third field goal of more than 50 yards in the final 1:33 - two from Crosby and one from Dallas' Dan Bailey. And Crosby had to make the winner twice after Dallas coach Jason Garrett called a timeout before the first attempt.

"It's kind of a blur right now," Crosby said. "When we have 35 seconds on the clock and our offense can move the ball into field goal range and a manageable kick, that's just special."

Rodgers, who sparked the previous week's wild-card win over the New York Giants with a Hail Mary before halftime, is headed to an MVP showdown with Atlanta's Matt Ryan next Sunday. It will be Rodgers' third NFC title game - all on the road for Green Bay (12-6).

Cook, who had six catches for a team-leading 104 yards, kept both feet inbounds with a knee just above the ground out of bounds on the decisive play. The play was confirmed on review.

"I saw Aaron rolling to the right and it was underneath coverage in front of me," Cook said.

"If I got over the top of them, Aaron would put the ball in the right place. Put it right on the sideline with enough room to get my feet down. It was a heck of a throw."

Prescott, whose 11-game winning streak during the regular season sent Tony Romo to the bench when he returned from a preseason back injury, rallied the Cowboys in a way that probably made Dallas' 10-year starter proud.

The Cowboys (13-4) almost became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a playoff game after trailing by 15 in the fourth.

Instead, the top-seeded Cowboys ended up with their fifth straight loss in the divisional round and a 21-year drought in trips to the NFC championship game.

"I thought we were a team that was capable of taking this thing all the way," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "I know we are now after that second half."

Prescott - a fourth-round pick who was supposed to be the No. 3 quarterback before injuries changed everything - got Dallas' rally going with a 40-yard touchdown toss in the first half to Bryant, the first playoff TD for the star receiver.

Then he set the stage for the first tying score on a six-yarder to Jason Witten to get within 28-20.

Boswell puts boot to Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't need to reach the end zone on Sunday because they had Chris Boswell setting an NFL playoff record with six field goals.

The Steelers still had to hold off a last-ditch threat by the Kansas City Chiefs, but in the end Boswell was the difference in an 18-16 victory, setting the stage for an AFC final against the New England Patriots to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.

Spencer Ware's one-yard touchdown run and a two-point convert tied the score for KC with just over two minutes remaining, but the convert was called back when tackle Eric Fisher - the first overall selection in the 2013 draft - was penalized for holding.

The game turned into a kicking exhibition by Boswell - who also had six field goals in the regular season against Cincinnati - while Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell also put on a virtuoso performance, rushing for a team-record 170 yards.

Using a no-huddle attack almost to perfection early on, the Steelers drove deep into Kansas City territory. But they bogged down inside the five and Boswell made a 22-yard field goal.

His second field goal was a 38-yarder, then he added a 36-yarder to cap a 14-play drive by Pittsburgh.

Boswell's fourth score, from 45 yards, made it 12-7 at the half. A 43-yarder, setting the franchise record for a post-season game and tying the league mark of five, came on Pittsburgh's first series in the second half.

A 43-yarder midway in the fourth quarter gave Boswell the NFL record.

Green Bay Packers' Kentrell Brice breaks up a pass intended for Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams during the second half of Sunday's divisional playoff game in Arlington, Texas. The Packers won 34-31 on a last-second field goal. Ron Jenkins / Ap