The Arizona Cardinals picked up a huge win a week ago against the 49ers in San Francisco. Does Arizona have what it takes to post back-to-back road wins against NFC title contenders?
The Cards are in Green Bay to face the Packers, whose offense is dynamic both through the air and on the ground, coupled with a defense that plays better than many would believe.
I don’t know if they’re better than the Niners, but they pose just as much of a challenge to the Cardinals.
At 2-3, the Cardinals may smell a .500 record, but they have several factors to be wary of as they prepare for this battle. These are the three areas where the panic meter is ticking.
Love has been volatile this season. After injuring his knee in Week 1 against the Eagles in Brazil, an injury we all thought would end the season, he is back to play the final two games.
In three total games played, Love has 873 passing yards with eight touchdowns with five picks and just a 56.1 completion percentage. He has failed to finish 60% or better in all three games and has at least one pick in every game.
The Cardinals defense has to be excited about the potential for turnovers, but Love has made some crazy plays this year. In every game, he completed at least one 40+ yard pass and made guys like Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft household names. He is dangerous.
This game will likely be a shootout (stop me if you’ve heard that before), and Love’s gunslinger mentality this year gives Green Bay an advantage. The Cardinals will need several turnovers in this game, but I really don’t know how you can stop him from making the big plays. In fact, I don’t think you’ll be able to…
Panic meter: 8/10
McKinney has had an interception in all five games this season and has recorded a pick in six straight games. That leaves the 26-year-old one pick away from an NFL record for consecutive games with a pick.
Since being a second-round pick by the Giants in 2020, McKinney has steadily improved each year and cashed in big with Green Bay this offseason. He earned every penny as a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate and was undeniably the best defensive back in the league this year.
Kyler Murray has only thrown two interceptions in 138 attempts this season (~0.014%), so taking care of the football is far from an issue for him. However, McKinney is unlike any DB the Cards have faced this year and if Murray is forced to throw the ball, he is more prone than ever to making a mistake this year. And with McKinney’s historic play and an NFL record on the line, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him play his best game of the year.
I don’t know if Murray will throw a pick given his safety, but he needs to be on red alert and locate number 29 before every snap.
Panic meter: 9.5/10
Did you know that the Packers have the third-ranked rushing attack in the NFL? I certainly didn’t do it before I started preparing for this match. That makes sense considering they went all-in on Josh Jacobs, whose 402 rushing yards are fourth in the league.
The Packers are averaging 164.8 rushing yards per game this year, with 5.2 yards per carry to match. Green Bay is also creative in their approach to running the ball, as they don’t mind involving wide receiver Jayden Reed (eight carries for 110 yards). It’s a running game that has many contributors that keep opposing defenses guessing.
I’ve said before that the Cardinals’ panic meter is high on Jordan Love and the passing game, but they can’t neglect the ground game here, and I think we’re looking at an even split that needs to be addressed. worry more. On the road, Arizona’s 28th-ranked run defense will have a busy day if the Packers take an early lead. Hopefully the Cards can force a shootout through the air. Otherwise, Green Bay could play some good old fashion and football.
Panic meter: 8/10
