With the Green Bay Packers’ schedule looking pretty attractive over the next few weeks, now would be a good time to stop winning ugly.
OK, sure, they have to deal with Kyler Murray and C.J. Stroud in the next two games, so it’s not like these are glorified byes. Still, with two consecutive home games and a road trip to Jacksonville before the Detroit Lions come to town, this is a stretch where the Pack needs to keep pace in the ultra-competitive NFC North.
The best thing that happened for the Packers was the Arizona Cardinals coming from behind and shocking the San Francisco 49ers on the road last week. Any thought that this team might look past the Cardinals was erased with that surprising win. The Cards have also lost close games to the Lions and Buffalo Bills. They’re definitely a team on the rise, but one that historically doesn’t handle success well. The Pack catches them at a good time.
With five games under their belts and a quarterback who is finally completely off the injured report, it’s time for Green Bay to start functioning like one of the NFL’s elite. That means Jordan Love needs to play a clean game for 60 minutes, the receivers need to stop dropping passes, and the offense needs to stop committing penalties. The defense needs to be better at stopping the run and rushing the passer. You can’t live on takeaways forever.
They also need to be a lot better offensively on third down than last week, when they converted just once. Arizona’s defense should oblige: They’re one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the league, and they’re ranked 28th against the run and 27th in points allowed. If we see another slew of three-and-out drives by the Pack again this week, it will be time to consider panicking.
It will be interesting to see what Romeo Doubs’ role is this week. It sounds like both sides have moved on, but if Doubs doesn’t get a lot of targets, let’s see how he reacts. Christian Watson’s likely return won’t help his cause. Getting Watson back would be huge; it will open up space for guys like Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft in the middle of the field.
With Luke Musgrave headed to IR, Kraft has a chance to grab on to the No. 1 job and never let go. He’s giving off George Kittle vibes all of a sudden. However, he popped up on the injury report, limited with a groin injury on Thursday, so we’ll keep an eye on that. And then there’s Melton vs. Melton, as big brother Bo will face baby brother Max, a second-round pick at corner, for the first time. That should be fun.
The offense has been living off explosive plays lately, which is exciting, but it would be nice to see a handful of long, punishing drives that exhaust the defense and allow their own defense to catch their breath. This feels like a game where Josh Jacobs should get at least 20 touches.
Murray will have everyone’s attention, as usual. I’m sure Jeff Hafley showed his guys the tape of Murray’s 50-yard touchdown run against San Francisco about a million times this week. Like they did in the first two games against mobile QBs, the defense will have to try to keep Murray in the pocket and make him beat them with his arm.
He has two top-end targets in rookie sensation Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride. Hopefully, Jaire Alexander will be back and tasked with dealing with Harrison. But will Eric Stokes be on the other side, or do they think Keisean Nixon is a better option after he auditioned there last week?
That would allow them to play Javon Bullard in the slot and Evan Williams at safety like last week – a game where both rookies shined. I wouldn’t be shocked if Stokes is on the sideline. WR Michael Wilson is a nice, ascending player, and No. 2 receivers have had their way with the Pack this season, thanks to Stokes’ mediocrity.
Expect the Cardinals to test the Pack’s run D early with the always reliable, if unspectacular, James Conner. He’s averaging 4.6 yards per carry and had a strong game against the Niners last week. He won’t have to worry about Devonte Wyatt, who’s out of his walking boot but has not practiced.
I’d love to see Edgerrin Cooper get more of a look. He has officially replaced Eric Wilson with his 30 snaps last week and flashed with a sack and a pressure on Matthew Stafford on the game’s final play that sealed the win. It’s only a matter of time before he’s out there full time.
So, we have a West Coast team heading to the Midwest for an early noon kickoff, a team coming off an emotional divisional road win against the Niners. And we have the Packers looking to avoid a second straight home loss, with two key guys back (Alexander and Watson) and a quarterback who’s getting healthier. I say Reed goes for at least 150 rushing and receiving yards, and the Pack starts to stack some wins over these next few weeks.
Packers 30
Cardinals 24