The Green Bay Packers (3-2) will host the up and down Arizona Cardinals (2-3) on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Cardinals lost one-score games to the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. They blew out the Los Angeles Rams but got blown out by the Washington Commanders. Last week, the Cardinals fell behind 23-10 at halftime but then scored 14 straight points in the second half to stun the San Francisco 49ers on the road.
The Packers are about to host a team capable of great stretches but also one that is struggling to find consistency through the first five weeks.
Here are five keys to the Packers beating the Cardinals in Week 6:
Force Kyler to play from pocket
Kyler Murray has been one of the best quarterbacks in football when playing off-schedule this season. Of his seven touchdown passes, six have come when he’s held the ball for 2.5 seconds or more. Small but athletic, Murray is terrific at escaping the pocket, buying time and throwing the ball on the run. The Packers must force Murray to be a more traditional quarterback and play primarily from the pocket. Rushing contain to condense the pocket may not be as disruptive, but it will prevent opportunities for Murray to create explosive plays off schedule. When the ball comes out in under 2.5 seconds, Murray is averaging only 5.4 yards per attempt.
Dominate the line of scrimmage on offense
The Cardinals are one of the worst pass-rushing teams in football entering Week 6, with an overall pressure rate of 25.7 percent ranking second-worst in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. Arizona is also giving up 4.6 yards per rush and almost 150 rushing yards per game. This is an opportunity for the Packers offensive to impose their will. Establishing the run early and protecting Jordan Love on run action passing attempts will be vital. Sunday could be one of Love’s most comfortable games in the pocket, opening up the possibility of the high efficiency game the Packers have been seeking in the passing game.
Rally and tackle
The Packers must tackle far more effectively than the 49ers last week. Cardinals running back James Conner forced 10 total missed tackles, and the 49ers finished with 15 total misses. Conner has been especially menacing with the ball in his hands — he’s forced 19 misses in the run game and eight more as a receiver. Tackling hasn’t been a big issue for the Packers this season, but Conner will test their ability to rally to the ball and finish plays. Throw in the running ability of Kyler Murray, and the Packers must tackle well on Sunday to limit the Cardinals offense.
Get into manageable third downs
The Packers converted only one third down last week, mostly because the offense was consistently facing third-and-long. The goal this week must be to stay on schedule. That means avoiding penalties and negative plays on first and second downs. The Cardinals rank 30th in third down defense, so it’s possible for the Packers to create long, sustained drives if third downs are manageable. The Commanders went 9-for-12 on third downs against the Cardinals in Week 4 because they ran the ball effectively on early downs and could then sting Arizona’s defense with play-action looks.
Follow the formula
The Packers do two things consistently so far in 2024: create explosive plays and generate takeaways. Both are hugely important to winning football games. Can the Packers create scoring opportunities with big gains, both in the pass and run game? And will the defense create the chaos required to turn the ball over, particularly in the passing game? Last week, the Packers turned the game completely around with a pair of takeaways and Tucker Kraft’s 66-yard touchdown catch. Even when things aren’t going perfectly, the Packers get on track with an explosive play or takeaway.
