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Green Bay Packers vs Arizona Cardinals: 5 matchups to watch

By Gage Bridgford

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 25: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers on the field after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Packers 24-17. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 25: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers on the field after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Packers 24-17. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images /

3. Packers offensive line vs Cardinals defensive line

Despite the defense’s struggles as a whole this year, their ability to generate sacks has been no issue. They currently rank second in the NFL with 37 sacks which is one more than the Packers have. Additionally, the Packers have allowed the fifth most sacks in the NFL this year. They have been particularly vulnerable on third down. Left tackle David Bakhtiari is expected to play on Sunday, but it’s the remainder of the offense that has struggled this season.

Last week, against the Vikings, the Packers’ offensive line was abused as the game wore on. They were able to generate pressure on Rodgers, and that pressure caused an already struggling offense to become anemic down the stretch. If the Cardinals are able to get to Rodgers early, we could see the offense regress back to playground hopes and dreams. We have seen that doesn’t consistently win games like it used to.

The Packers are one of the best teams in the NFL at running the ball, on the rare occasions that they choose to do so. On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals are one of the worst at stopping that. This battle will all come down to what the two teams are able to do in the trenches. The big uglies don’t get the credit they deserve, but they can often decide games which will likely be true in this game as well.

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