GREEN BAY – The Packers were in command pretty much from start to finish in a 34-13 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Here are five takeaways from the triumph that pushed Green Bay's record to 4-2:
- The four-quarter performance was good to see.
The Packers jumped on top 24-0, answered when the Cardinals got within 24-13 early in the third quarter, and were never seriously threatened.
The offense was balanced (179 rushing yards, 258 passing) and efficient, while the defense generated three fumbles and prevented Cardinals QB Kyler Murray from making many big plays.
"We talked about coming into this game (about) just playing four quarters of complementary football, and I thought that was about as good as we could've done it," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "The effort from start to finish, the focus from start to finish, was exactly what is a great formula for winning football."
QB Jordan Love tied his career high with four TD passes and continued to look more like himself health-wise, now that he's more than a month removed from his Week 1 knee injury.
"Based on the last couple of games – not playing complete games, not playing great complementary ball – I think this was a great team effort in all phases," Love said.
- The Packers went for the kill shot when they had the chance.
Leading 17-0 late in the first half, the Packers almost turned the ball over when Jayden Reed fumbled a punt return. But offsetting penalties on the play led to a re-kick, and Keisean Nixon returned the ensuing punt 39 yards, across midfield to the Arizona 44.
On the very first play of the series, Love fired deep to Christian Watson off play-action for the quick-strike touchdown. The play was called based on an adjustment to Arizona's coverage from studying the sideline photos, and the score put the Packers in full command, up 24-0.
"That whole sequence definitely could've allowed a lot of momentum to go the other way," LaFleur said. "That was a big turning point in the game that just kind of put the game in our hands.
"It was a pretty cool adjustment, and those guys made the play come to life."
- Green Bay also answered in the one moment it needed to.
Arizona got 10 points back before halftime, scoring a touchdown and then turning an interception – due to Packers receiver Bo Melton falling down on his route – into a field goal.
The Cardinals then took the third-quarter kickoff and added another field goal to get within 24-13.
"There was never any panic or anything like that," LaFleur said. "It was just one of those where you've got to focus in on doing your job."
So the Packers responded by driving 70 yards in nine plays. A couple of defensive holding penalties helped, and then with the Cardinals bringing an all-out blitz on third down from the Arizona 20, Love kept drifting away from the free rusher and launched the ball up to Romeo Doubs in a one-on-one matchup.
Doubs adjusted to the throw to catch it near the front pylon for the score, his second of the game to finish with three catches for 49 yards total in returning from his one-game suspension.
"Just having Rome back out there on the field was awesome, was huge," Love said. "He went out there and made some big-time plays."
Watson also was back after what turned out to be just a one-game absence due to an ankle injury, and he had three catches for 68 yards, including the big 44-yard TD.
"Just having his speed, the deep threat he is, it's nice to have him back as well," Love said.
"We're a family. We're in this thing all together. Just staying together, keeping that brotherhood is definitely very important to us."
- The defense just keeps taking the ball away.
It took until late in the third quarter for Green Bay's defense to get its first turnover, and then the floodgates opened.
Defensive lineman Karl Brooks forced a fumble on a tackle for loss on a screen pass and recovered it himself. Then safety Evan Williams punched a ball out that cornerback Jaire Alexander recovered. Finally, the Cardinals botched a handoff exchange and Kenny Clark got the recovery.
"We're always ready on the sideline over there because you never know when the defense is going to come away with a huge takeaway," Love said.
They got three on three straight possessions, which resulted in a missed field goal, made field goal, and game-ending drive of 5 minutes, 37 seconds that pushed the Packers' time of possession advantage to more than 13 minutes on the day.
Safety Xavier McKinney's interception streak came to an end, but this defense's penchant under new coordinator Jeff Hafley for stealing the ball remained alive and well. Green Bay now has 17 takeaways through six games after having 18 in the entire 2023 regular season.
"It's a credit to our guys just being ball-aware," LaFleur said. "That's something that we're obviously going to continue to preach, because I do think it makes a big difference in winning and losing.
"You can talk about it and drill it until you're blue in the face in terms of punching at the ball and making a conscious effort of really attacking the football, but those guys have got to go out there and do it, and that's what you're seeing."
- The pass rush also had an effective day even if the stats didn't show it.
Murray wasn't sacked in his 32 pass attempts, but he never looked entirely comfortable in the pocket. More crucial, when he did try to scramble around, he didn't make much happen as the defense contained and pursued well.
He was held to just 14 rushing yards on seven attempts, and he completed only one pass longer than 18 yards all game. That was a 27-yarder to tight end Trey McBridge (eight catches, 96 yards), who became his key target after rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. exited the game due to a concussion.
"Our guys just played very disciplined football, playing all 11 as one," LaFleur said. "Our D-line did a great job, not only in the run game, but just not allowing Kyler to get loose and run all over us."
