The Green Bay Packers did what all good teams must do: take care of business against an overmatched opponent in an impressive way at home. Matt LaFleur’s team raced out to a 24-0 lead in the first half and then used three different takeaways in the second half to secure a comfortable 34-13 win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Since losing to the Vikings, the Packers have navigated a tricky road game and cruised to a comfortable victory at home against NFC West opponents. Now 4-2, the Packers are playing their best football entering a three-game stretch before the bye that includes showdowns with the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions.
Here are three takeaways from the Packers’ win over the Cardinals:
1. Complementary football sparks blowout
Playing complementary football helped the Packers race out to a big advantage and slam the door shut late. How’s this for complementary? After the Packers’ first drive stalled, Daniel Whelan pinned the Cardinals at the 8-yard line with a well-placed punt. The Packers defense then forced a quick three-and-out, and the Cardinals punted from their own end zone. Jayden Reed’s 8-yard return and a 15-yard face mask penalty put the Packers at the Arizona 44-yard line. After an explosive run from Josh Jacobs (14 yards) and Bo Melton (16 yards), Jordan Love finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed on 3rd-and-goal. Great punt, quick stop, field position flip, quick scoring drive. That’s how a team uses all three phases to create a touchdown. The Packers forced punts on four straight drives and scored on four straight drives to build a 24-0 lead in the first half. Then the defense produced three straight takeaways and the offense hammered the final nail with the run game in the second half. Sunday was the perfect game script for the Packers.
2. Rallying around Romeo
The moment said it all: Right after Romeo Doubs made a 10-yard touchdown catch in the first half, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed and then the whole offense huddled around Doubs to celebrate the score in his return from a one-game suspension. It was a special moment, both for Doubs, who is moving forward following a tough week off the field, and the Packers offense in general, who all rallied around him. Doubs finished with three catches and a pair of scores, including a 20-yarder on a 50/50 ball from Jordan Love in the second half. The Packers still trust him, and Doubs paid off the trust in a few big spots on Sunday. This passing game is better with Doubs in a featured role.
3. Rookie defenders shine
Evan Williams, Javon Bullard and Edgerrin Cooper all played big parts in the Packers limiting the Cardinals to 13 points. Williams had a tackle for loss on Kyler Murray and a punch-out forced fumble, creating a turnover. Bullard had eight tackles and was active against the run and in preventing scramble opportunities from Murray on extended plays. Several times, his closing speed forced Murray to turn out of bounds in the open field. Cooper was all over the field, especially against the run and as a blitzer. He made several impressive solo tackles. The Packers are ascending on defense in large part because they are trusting their talented rookie trio more and more. Williams is looking more and more like a full-time deep safety, Bullard is excellent playing near the line of scrimmage and in the slot and Cooper is inching closer and closer to a full-time player at linebacker. Rookies will go through ups and downs, but the true potential of the Packers defense is being elevated by Williams, Bullard and Cooper.
Other tidbits
In the Melton Bowl, Packers receiver Bo Melton rushed two times for 27 yards and caught one pass for six yards, but he also slipped down on an interception in the first half. Max Melton had four tackles…the Packers had four players with a rushing attempt gain 10 or more yards and nine different players catch a pass…tight end Tucker Kraft successfully executed a quarterback sneak after motioning under center…Love threw four touchdown passes, becoming the first Packers quarterback to throw four or more touchdown passes in back-to-back games at Lambeau Field since Brett Favre in 1995…the Packers finished with only one quarterback hit, but Kyler Murray never looked comfortable in the pocket and finished with only 14 rushing yards on seven attempts…tight end Ben Sims had his first explosive play of the season, a 28-yard catch on a wheel route…Dontayvion Wicks left with a shoulder injury and didn’t return…Keisean Nixon had a 39-yard punt return and a 37-yard kickoff return, showcasing his field-flipping return ability.
