3 things the Packers must do to halt Cardinals' unbeaten run
The 6-1 Green Bay Packers are well aware of the tall task ahead of them in tonight's Thursday night matchup against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals, led by quarterback and early season NFL MVP candidate Kyler Murray.
It's safe to say that this game will go a long way in helping to determine who is in the driver's seat for the NFC crown currently held by Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With that being said, let's look at three things the Packers need to do to defeat the Cardinals.
Three things the Packers must do to defeat the undefeated
Arizona Cardinals
#1 - Fill the void from missing receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard
This week, all-world receiver Davante Adams and fellow teammate Allen Lazard were placed on the COVID-19 list and will miss the game. This takes away a lot of the offensive production for an Aaron Rodgers-led squad.
Packers’ WR Davante Adams is unlikely to play Thursday night considering he still would need two negative COVID tests 24 hours apart. Packers’ WR Allen Lazard is out because he’s unvaccinated and couldn’t be cleared in time for Thursday night in time.
Rodgers and the Packers should look to rely on tight-end Robert Tonyan to help with critical catches and possessions to combat these losses. Last year, Tonyan had a breakout season with over 500 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns.
Randall Cobb must also step up to compliment a running game that will lean heavily on Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
#2 - Contain Kyler Murray
Often, in football, the words pressure and contain are thought to be synonymous. However, that is certainly not the case, specifically when playing against quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray.
The Packers will need to do more than just pressure Kyler Murray. They will need to contain him by rushing at specific angles to stop him from getting outside of the pocket, where he is most dangerous.
It will be imperative for Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry to implement unique rushing angles for De'Vondre Campbell and others so that Murray is rushed and contained in a box of sorts.
We've all seen what can happen when Murray gets outside of the pocket.
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#3 - Take advantage of the loss of J.J.Watt
NFL insider Adam Schefter recently reported that Cardinals star pass rusher J.J. Watt is likely out for the season with a shoulder injury that requires surgery.
Watt is in his first year with the team and despite having only one sack for the season, he has mainly been credited with forcing plays to go the other way.
For those that may not know, Watt is a three-time defensive player of the year with his former team, the Houston Texans. He has helped change the culture on the defensive side of the ball for the Cardinals as well.
The Packers should look to run Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon heavily toward his replacement in his absence. The objective here is to force Watt's backup (likely to be Michael Dogbe) to play at a high level early and often.
This should also help the Packers open up the passing game, which is weakened by the losses of Adams and Lazard.