The Green Bay Packers (3-2) will face the Arizona Cardinals (2-3) on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Cardinals lost one-point games to the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. They blew out the Los Angeles Rams, but were blown out by the Washington Commanders. Last week, the Cardinals trailed 23-10 at halftime, but scored 14 straight points in the second half to defeat the San Francisco 49ers on the road.
The Packers will soon host a team capable of long stretches, but also one that will struggle to maintain consistent form through the first five weeks.
Here are five keys to the Packers beating the Cardinals in Week 6:
Force Kyler to play from the pocket
Kyler Murray has been one of the best quarterbacks in football while playing off the schedule this season. Of his seven touchdown passes, six were in which he held the ball for 2.5 seconds or longer. Small but athletic, Murray is great at escaping the pocket, buying time and throwing the ball on the run. The Packers need to force Murray to be a more time-honored quarterback and play primarily from the pocket. Rushing through situations to thicken the pocket may not be as disruptive, but it will prevent Murray from creating explosive plays off the schedule. When the ball comes out in less than 2.5 seconds, Murray is averaging just 5.4 yards per attempt.
Dominate the forward line on offense
The Cardinals are one of the worst pass rushing teams in football in Week 6, and their overall pressure rate of 25.7% ranks second in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. Arizona also gives up 4.6 rushing yards and nearly 150 rushing yards per game. This is a chance for the Packers offense to impose its will. Establishing the run early and protecting Jordan Love on rushing pass attempts will be key. Sunday could be one of Love’s most comfortable games in the pocket, opening up the possibility of the productive play the Packers have been looking for in the passing game.
Rally and attack
The Packers face much more effective competition than last week’s 49ers. Cardinals running back James Conner had a total of 10 missed tackles, and the 49ers finished the game with 15 missed tackles. Conner was especially unsafe when he had the ball in his hands, recording 19 tackles rushing and eight more as a receiver. Tackling hasn’t been a massive issue for the Packers this season, but Conner will test their ability to get to the ball quickly and finish. Add in Kyler Murray’s running ability, and the Packers will need to do well in Sunday’s game to limit the Cardinals’ offense.
Get into manageable third downs
The Packers only trailed by a third last week, largely because the offense was constantly throwing third-and-longs. The goal for this week must be to stay on schedule. This means avoiding penalties and negative plays on the first and second attempts. The Cardinals rank 30th in third down defense, so the Packers can run long, sustained offenses if they can master third downs. In Week 4 against the Cardinals, the Commanders scored 9 of 12 points for the third time because they moved the ball effectively early in the game and then were able to hit the Arizona defense with effective looks.
Follow the formula
So far in 2024, the Packers have consistently done two things: create explosive plays and generate takeaways. Both are extremely critical to winning football games. Can the Packers create scoring opportunities with massive gains in both the passing and running game? Will the defense create the chaos necessary to pass the ball, especially in the passing game? Last week, the Packers completely turned the game around with two receptions and a 66-yard touchdown catch from Tucker Kraft. Even when things aren’t perfect, the Packers get back on track with an explosive play or takeaway.
