The Reds were in complete control of the contest for so much of it. Coates and Kuyt gave LFC a two-goal lead, and many gave QPR no chance to earn even one point with less than 20 minutes remaining.
But nobody told the QPR players the cause was lost. Derry's goal from an innocent-looking corner made it a contest. LFC continued to push forward, but lost its poise and focus. Cisse tied the game with five minutes to play.
Mackie's goal completed the most astonishing of comebacks. The win pulls QPR out of the relegation zone — for now.
Adam and Kelly suffered injuries in the contest, and their conditions are unknown. The loss must stem the tide of good feeling on which the Reds were surfing in recent weeks.
That's all for now and thanks for joining us. Let's discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.
92nd minute, 3-2 QPR: Enrique's error gifts Mackie a chance to score the winner, and he does just that.
The second half substitute lifted his team and the crowd with his entrance.
His goal will go a long way toward keeping QPR in the top flight.
86th minute, 2-2: Cisse heads home a Taiwo cross to level the score.
The January signing gives his team a glimmer of salvation, as it faces a relegation scrap. It's his third since returning to English soccer.
84th minute, 2-1 Liverpool: Carroll wins a free kick near the QPR goal in his first contribution to the effort.
Gerrard fires it over the bar, but it's important for LFC to slow down the game and seal the result.
82nd minute, 2-1 Liverpool: Carroll enters the game, taking the place of Suarez.
77th minute, 2-1 Liverpool: QPR wants to make a game of it.
Taarabt floated a corner kick to the far post, and Derry rose above Skrtel to head it home.
It sets up a tense end to this thrilling second half.
72nd minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Kuyt doubles LFC's lead with a sliding finish.
Suarez started the move by beating two defenders — with ease — but putting his shot off the post.
Downing pounced on the rebound, and took the same route across the face of goal that he did against Stoke City on Sunday (pictured).
Kenny saved Downing's shot, but Kuyt reacted first and buried the final ball.
71st minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Downing ghosts in behind the defense, and fires a shot low. Kenny's diving save denies him his second goal in as many games.
67th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: The Reds got some spark from Coates' wonder-goal, but QPR hasn't shied away from the challenge.
The crowd has upped its own volume in response to the Uruguayan's goal, and Mackie has added a bit more drive to the midfield.
62nd minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Barton has been removed, with Mackie taking his place.
54th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Sebastian Coates simply scores LFC's goal of the season.
A goal-line clearance fell to the Uruguayan at the penalty spot, who hit a flying scissor-kick of a volley into the back of the net. They should have sent a poet to describe it.
51st minute, 0-0: The second half is waiting, calling out for its first flash-point.
Both teams have taken a slow and patient approach in the opening minutes.
46th minute, 0-0: Henderson is coming on to replace the injured Adam.
Halftime, 0-0: The first half ends, stunningly, without a goal.
LFC has taken over a dozen corner kicks and created a high volume of scoring chances.
But the old problem of wastefulness in front of goal seems to be showing itself again.
Dalglish will have to assess his back line without Kelly. Adam's condition could force another change.
QPR improved as the half went on, but must thank its lucky stars to go into the break on equal footing.
45th minute (plus one), 0-0: Adam is down on the field writhing in pain. The LFC midfielder was stretching to get to a Suarez pass, and arrived at the same time as Traore.
Both players took knocks, but Adam seems to have gotten the worst of it.
He's now up, and limping to the sidelines. He may be able to continue.
41st minute, 0-0: LFC's dominance wasn't going to last forever. It never does.
QPR is enjoying its best spell of the game, as Taarabt, Cisse and Zamora have managed to find each other in the final third on more than one occasion.
It hasn't lead to any clear-cut scoring chances, but the hosts are growing in confidence.
39th minute, 0-0: Downing sends a cross meant for Suarez off into the distance, and looks at the field in disgust.
The grass is coming up in clumps in some spots, and the ball is taking some awkward bounces instead of rolling smoothly.
It will only get worse in the second half, and both teams have to play on it. But it's something to watch as the game goes on.
34th minute, 0-0: Surprisingly, Kelly has been removed with Coates taking his place.
We're not sure what the problem was, but it's likely some sort of injury.
32nd minute, 0-0: Cisse takes it upon himself to bring QPR back into the contest.
He dribbled around Spearing, and fired his shot past a diving Reina from 25 yards out.
It went just wide of the goal.
30th minute, 0-0: Liverpool has thouroughly dominated the opening half hour of this game.
Its failure to turn that into goals is an often told story.
27th minute, 0-0: Downing, Gerrard and Suarez combine to create another chance.
Suarez takes a one-touch pass from Gerrard, but blasts his shot into the stands from 20 yards out.
The movement and passing during the build up was precise.
20th minute, 0-0: Aside from the opening few minutes, this game has been all LFC.
The Reds just took their 10th corner kick of the game, reflecting their advantage in possession and territory.
It's important for them not to get frustrated and lose focus on the defensive end.
Zamora and Cisse have speed (among other tools), and don't need much of an opening to make opponents pay.
17th minute, 0-0: The understanding between Suarez and Gerrard is improving by the minute.
The LFC pair is full of movement and invention. When they find each other in the final third, it always seems to unbalance the defense and create openings and scoring chances.
12th minute, 0-0: LFC's onslaught continues, as Gerrard finds Kuyt with a ball across the face of goal.
The sliding Dutchman was a step too late, and could not get on the end of it.
10th minute, 0-0: From the ensuing corner, Kuyt picks up Suarez's flick-on header at the far post.
He swiveled and shot, only for Ferdinand to block his shot from close range.
It would have been some way to mark his 200th Premier League appearance for LFC.
Ninth minute, 0-0: Now it's Downing who nearly opens the scoring.
Kelly played him in with a defense-splitting through ball.
Seventh minute, 0-0: LFC has won a series of corners — three in a row, but QPR's desperate defending has kept the visitors off the board.
Fourth minute, 0-0: Suarez broke through in a one-on-one situation, but his shot wasn't hard or accurate enough to beat Kenny.
First minute, 0-0: Liverpool looked like it would seize the initiative in the opening minutes, but it was short-lived.
Both teams are struggling to string passes together in the early goings.
Pregame: Adam returns to the starting 11, after sitting out the last two games.
It looks like he might partner with Spearing in central midfield, leaving Gerrard, Downing and Kuyt to float and create underneath Suarez.
QPR fullbacks Traore and Young will have their hands full tracking LFC's attackers around the field.
Taarabt and Barton should be the danger men in QPR's midfield, while Cisse and Zamora will provide the menace up front.
3:30 p.m.: Here are the lineups:
Liverpool
Pepe Reina (25), goalkeeper
Martin Kelly (34), right back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Jamie Carragher (23), center back
Jose Enrique (3), left back
Jay Spearing (20), midfielder
Steve Gerrard (8), midfielder
Stuart Downing (19), midfielder
Charlie Adam (26), midfielder
Dirk Kuyt (18), forward
Luis Suarez (7), forward
Substitutes
Doni (32), goalkeeper
Sebastian Coates (16), defender
Fabio Aurelio (6), defender
Jon Flanagan (38), defender
Jonjo Shelvey (33), midfielder
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Andy Carroll (9), striker
Queens Park Rangers
Paddy Kenny (1), goalkeeper
Armand Traore (13), left back
Nedum Onuoha (42), center back
Anton Ferdinand (35), center back
Luke Young (18), right back
Samba Diakite (2), midfielder
Shaun Derry (4), midfielder
Joey Barton (17), midfielder
Abdel Taarabt (7), midfielder
Bobby Zamora (52), striker
Djibril Cisse (23), striker
Substitutes
Radek Cerny (24), goalkeeper
Danny Gabbidon (6), defender
Taye Taiwo (34), defender
Akos Buzsaky (14), midfielder
Shaun Wright-Phillips (32), midfielder
Jamie Mackie (12), midfielder
Jay Bothroyd (10), striker
12 a.m. ET: Liverpool has reached the back end of its season with plenty to play for. It meets Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Wednesday, looking to pick up three points, and put some distance between itself and the Premier League's mid-table teams.
A lot has changed since these two teams last met on Dec. 10. QPR replaced manager Neil Warnock with Mark Hughes, and added a few reinforcements in its fight against relegation.
Liverpool has faltered in its Premier League charge, but lifted the Carling Cup and advanced to the FA Cup semifinals. Wednesday's league game gives the Reds a chance to win their third straight, and build momentum at a crucial point in the season.
Slumping QPR hasn't won since Jan. 21. In the seven games since then, it has drawn twice and lost five times. But the attacking trio of Bobby Zamora, Adel Taarabt and Djibril Cisse should play together for first time since Feb. 4. It will look to climb out of the relegation zone with a top performance against one of English soccer's heavyweights.
LFC boss Kenny Dalglish has a fit and deep squad from which to choose. The team he fields should have a familiar look to those that have watched the Reds in recent weeks. A content Luis Suarez will likely lead the LFC attack, with Steve Gerrard dictating the play from the midfield.
Join us right here at 4 p.m. for all the action between LFC and QPR.
Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O'Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer's Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
