The Green Bay Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals 24-21 on Thursday Night Football in Glendale, AZ. Here are our main takeaways from the Packers’ victory:
Wow, the finish
So much happened in the final minutes, but we’ll just get to the nitty-gritty of it.
With under five minutes remaining, the Packers had six plays inside the five-yard line (if we include two penalties), and three plays inside the one-yard line with the opportunity to put the game away. And the Cardinals stopped them. On 4th-and-goal inside the one, an Aaron Rodgers pass was knocked away to give Arizona the ball at the one-yard line with with 3:23 to go, trailing 24-21.
Arizona was taking advantage of the opportunity and was even in position to get a go-ahead touchdown in the final seconds. However, on 2nd-and-goal from inside the five-yard line, Kyler Murray was intercepted by Rasul Douglas with 12 seconds left to give the Packers the victory. Veteran wide receiver A.J. Green didn’t turn around for the ball and was clearly not on the same page as Murray, leading to the Green Bay interception. Murray was also down for several seconds in pain before limping off the field.
Hey, the Cardinals lost a game- and it’s a big one
Arizona entered this game as the NFL’s only remaining unbeaten team at 7-0. And now, they’re 7-1, the same record as one other team- the Packers! The Cardinals had a chance to get a win that would be huge for several reasons, and especially for their chances to secure the No. 1 seed and a bye in the NFC. Well, now they’ve lost the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Packers, while currently having the same record.
Five Thirty Eight now has the NFC first-round bye odds as…
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 30%
Packers: 22%
Los Angles Rams: 18%
Arizona Cardinals: 17%
Miscommunication on a goal-line pass could end up having huge ramifications for the Cardinals this season.
No Davante Adams, no problem
The Packers were without Adams and Allen Lazard due to COVID-19 protocols, and Rodgers still found a way to get it done.
Rodgers completed 22-of-37 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 90.4 passer rating. Those numbers aren’t at all exciting, but Rodgers did a great job taking what the Cardinals gave him and moving the chains, making quick and efficient passes. He connected with veteran wide receiver Randall Cobb — who the Packers brought back in a trade with the Houston Texans in July — for two touchdowns.
Now, this of course isn’t suggesting that Adams isn’t ridiculously valuable; he’s arguably the best receiver on the planet. It’s just another example of Rodgers showing that he can adapt and find a way to win games no matter what players are around him. That’s a special trait and why this league is so much about great quarterback play.
Rodgers got some help from the running game, with Green Bay — led by AJ Dillon (78 yards) and Aaron Jones (59 yards, one touchdown) — rushing for 151 yards over 34 carries.
Green Bay defense steps up
The interception by Douglas summarized Green Bay’s defensive effort against Murray and an explosive Cardinals attack. Murray threw for no touchdowns, two interceptions, and had a 67.0 passer rating in this game. He entered the game with 17 touchdown passes, five interceptions, and a 116.8 passer rating on the season. His previous worst passer rating in a game this season was 93.1, followed by 104.1. He’s been sensational this season, until facing the Packers — a defense that has dealt with injuries to key players — on Thursday night.
Key injuries to both teams
Arizona star receiver DeAndre Hopkins is dealing with a hamstring injury — that he appeared to aggravate — that limited his play in this game, in which he caught both of his targets for 66 total yards. Having 10 days to heal (the Cardinals play the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 7) certainly helps things, but Hopkins is likely questionable for that one.
And as we alluded to earlier, Murray appeared to be dealing with a lower leg injury in the final seconds, so that’s obviously a situation worth monitoring.
For the Packers, tight end Robert Tonyan left with a knee injury that didn’t look good after finishing off a 32-yard reception.
The Packers are red-hot
Green Bay has gone from an embarrassing Week 1 loss vs the New Orleans Saints to winning seven straight games and being tied for the best record in the NFL — and again, having the current NFC No. 1 seed — in Week 8. That’s quite a turnaround. They follow up this impressive victory with a road game against Patrick Mahomes and the (surprisingly) struggling Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.