Green Bay Packers v. Arizona: 5 Big Questions Ahead of Matchup
By Paul Bretl
The 6-1 Green Bay Packers face a very tough challenge this week as they head to Arizona on short rest to take on an undefeated Cardinals team while also missing several key players.
As part of my weekly preview, I have my five big questions facing the Green Bay Packers heading into their upcoming matchup.
Can the Green Bay Packers’ defense slow down the Arizona offense?
The Green Bay Packers’ defense has been playing particularly well as of late, but the Arizona Cardinal offense will present them with their toughest challenge yet. In terms of points per game allowed, San Francisco, Washington, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Chicago all rank 19th or worse in that category.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, rank fourth, averaging 32.1 points per game, and are loaded with weapons. At receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, and AJ Green all have over 400 receiving yards this season while Rondale Moore has 304, and the team just acquired tight end Zach Ertz.
Running back Chase Edmonds is averaging nearly 6.0 yards per carry this season on 68 rushing attempts, while James Conner is averaging 3.8 yards on 89 attempts. There is also the scrambling ability of Kyler Murray–although he has not had to rely heavily on that this season.
The Arizona offense can put up points quickly, ranking seventh in explosive play rate this season, according to Sharp Football—so expect a lot of cover-2 from the Packers. In order for Green Bay to have a chance, this can’t turn into a high-scoring affair. They will need to make Arizona string together 12+ play drives and limit the number of possessions they have.
This, of course, is much easier said than done.