Green Bay Packers v. Arizona: 3 Big Things from Thriller Out West
By Paul Bretl
An impressive performance by the Green Bay Packers defense
Don’t get me wrong, there were some miscues, including the misplayed ball by Eric Stokes and the defense struggling in the red zone once again. Why they continually played with lightboxes is still baffling to me.
However, against one of the best offenses in football that features MVP candidate Kyler Murray, as well as DeAndre Hopkins, AJ Green, and Christian Kirk, who are all on pace for 1,000-yard seasons, and Rondale Moore, who is not far behind. Along with Zach Ertz at tight end, Chase Edmonds who is averaging almost six yards per rush, and James Conner, who has a nose for the endzone, this Green Bay Packers defense held up very well.
The pass rush did a terrific job of pressuring Murray and keeping him in the pocket. The secondary largely took away the explosive plays that this Arizona offense is so good at generating, while overall, the tackling was again very solid and limited any big yards after the catch opportunities.
In the end, the overall numbers may not do this performance justice, but the Green Bay defense forced two turnovers, held Arizona to only 3.7 yards per rush, and five of the Cardinals’ eight possessions ended in a punt or a turnover. Not to mention that most importantly, Arizona scored only 21 points–11 below their season average.
It was an all-around terrific effort by the Green Bay Packers defensive unit that continues to improve each week.