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Packers defeat Cardinals, 34-13

Green Bay improves to 4-2

Packers defense
Packers defense

A strong start on both sides of the ball produced a 24-0 lead in the second quarter. The Cardinals pulled within 24-10 at half and then added a field goal to make it 24-13 early in the third quarter, but that was as close as Arizona would get.

The Cardinals lost three fumbles in the second half to damage any comeback hopes.

With the win, Green Bay improved to 4-2 on the season. Arizona dropped to 2-4.

For the Packers, QB Jordan Love tied his career high – set just two weeks ago – with four TD passes. He was 22-of-32 for 258 yards with one interception and a 119.5 passer rating. WR Romeo Doubs caught three passes for 49 yards and two scores, WR Christian Watson had three catches for 68 yards and a TD, and WR Jayden Reed had six catches for 28 yards and a TD.

On the ground, the Packers rushed for 179 yards as a team. RB Josh Jacobs had 62 of the on 18 carries, with RB Emanuel Wilson adding 54 on seven attempts.

For the Cardinals, QB Kyler Murray was 22-of-32 for 214 yards with one TD and a 97.7 rating. TE Trey McBride caught eight passes for 96 yards. RB James Conner was held to just 24 yards on seven carries, with RB Trey Benson adding 26 yards on five attempts. RB Emari Demercado had four carries for 25 yards and five receptions for 39.

Here's a recap of all the action:

CB Keisean Nixon

Packers lead Cardinals 7-0 after first quarter

The Cardinals won the opening coin toss and elected to defer. The Packers picked up an early five yards off an encroachment penalty and gained the initial first down with a 4-yard pass to Jayden Reed out of the backfield.

Jordan Love couldn't hit Dontayvion Wicks on a deep ball against the blitz on third-and-5, leading to a Green Bay punt. Prior to Sunday, the Cardinals had scored a touchdown on their opening drive in all 5 games this season (first team since at least 1993 to do so in first 5 games of a season).

Brothers Bo Melton, as a flyer, and Max Melton, as a jammer, were matched up on the right side during Daniel Whelan's 46-yard punt, which went out of bounds at the Arizona 8-yard line.

The Cardinals went three-and-out after James Conner gained just one yard on two carries and Kyler Murray's third-and-9 pass for Marvin Harrison Jr. sailed high. Green Bay took over at the Arizona 44 after a facemask penalty during Reed's 8-yard return.

Josh Jacobs opened with a 14-yard run, which was followed by a neutral-zone infraction on Xaven Collins. On first-and-5, Green Bay ran an end-round to Bo Melton that picked up 16 yards to the Cardinals' 9.

On third-and-goal from the 5, Love hit Reed on a crosser for a 5-yard touchdown to put the Packers up 7-0 with 8 minutes, 55 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Cardinals gained a first down with a 9-yard Conner run, but Kenny Clark and Keisean Nixon combined to bring Arizona's second possession to a halt. After Clark pressured Murray into a second-and-7 incompletion, Nixon broke up a crossing route for Michael Wilson to force the punt.

With solid protection in front of Love, the Packers opened their third series with a 19-yard pass to Romeo Doubs across the middle. Green Bay picked up another 19 yards on an Emanuel Wilson screen to the Cardinals' 42.

A 7-yard Wilson run, 9-yard pass to Dontayvion Wicks on third-and-3 and a 9-yard quick pass to Jacobs out of the backfield moved Green Bay inside the red zone. An illegal hands to the face penalty on Elgton Jenkins pushed the Packers back to the 22.

Reed got seven yards back on a screen before Arizona's third neutral zone infraction of the first quarter set up third-and-5 from the Arizona 10.

WR Romeo Doubs

Packers lead Cardinals 24-10 at halftime

The Packers began the second quarter with Love checking at the line of scrimmage and hitting Doubs on a back-shoulder throw that the third-year receiver extended into a 10-yard touchdown to extend Green Bay's lead to 14-0 with 14:55 left in the first half. The 11-play, 80-yard drive lasted a season-long 6 minutes, 42 seconds.

The Packers forced a second three-and-out with Edgerrin Cooper tackling Trey Benson after a 1-yard gain on second-and-6. Green Bay dialed up an ILB blitz on third down, pressuring Murray into an incompletion.

On second-and-5, Tucker Kraft motions to the right perimeter while fellow tight end Ben Sims came free up the left sideline for a 28-yard gain. Sims had four career catches for 21 yards coming into Sunday.

A 9-yard pass to Kraft moved the ball past midfield. On fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 37, Love threw a perfect ball over the middle to Christian Watson for 22 yards.

Love completed eight straight passes prior to having a third-and-6 pass for Watson broken up in the end zone, but Brayden Narveson made a 36-yard field goal to push the Packers' lead to 17-0 with 6:32 left in the first half.

Jaire Alexander broke up a slant pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. on first down. Harrison was slow to get up after the play, though he walked off under his own power. Arizona went three-and-out and punted. Reed initially fumbled during his return but there were off-setting penalties on board teams, including the Cardinals being whistled for a horse-collar tackle.

Keisean Nixon handled the next punt and registered a career-long 39-yard return to the Arizona 44. On the first play of the drive, Watson gained separation on a post and Love found him for a 44-yard TD to extend Green Bay's lead to 24-0 with 4:32 left in the first half.

Penalties hurt the Packers on the Cardinals' next possession, with Jaire Alexander being flagged for unnecessary roughness after a Murray scramble and Nixon getting an illegal hands to the face penalty at the end of an 8-yard Conner run.

Arizona was called for a holding penalty after a 2-yard Conner run, as the two-minute warning beckoned.

The Cardinals got on the board with an 18-yard TD pass to Wilson, cutting the deficit to 24-7 with 1:56 left in the first half.

Green Bay tried to mount a late drive but Bo Melton slipped out of the slot and Sean Murphy-Bunting picked off Love at the Packers' 45. Arizona rebounded from a holding penalty on the first play of the series to mount a scoring drive, capped by a Chad Ryland 38-yard field goal to pull Arizona back within two scores, 24-10.

QB Jordan Love

Packers lead Cardinals 31-13 after three

The Cardinals charged down the field out of halftime before penalties for delay of game and illegal formation pushed them back to second-and-19 from the Green Bay 34. Ryland eventually made a 40-yard field goal to cut Green Bay's lead to 24-13 with 9:03 left in the third quarter.

Love scrambled for six yards on third-and-5 from the Packers' 35, with a defensive holding penalty tacking on five more yards. Jacobs picked up 14 yards on a check down and the Packers converted on third-and-1 thanks to a defensive holding penalty on Murphy-Bunting.

Arizona sent an all-out blitz on third-and-4 and Love heaved up a pass to Doubs, who made the catch and spun into the end zone for the 20-yard TD to propel the Packers to a 31-13 lead. It was Love's third TD pass on third down and fourth of the afternoon, tying his single-game career high.

It's also the first time a Packers quarterback has thrown for four or more touchdowns in consecutive home games since Brett Favre in 1995.

The defense got the ball back to the offense immediately when Karl Brooks punched the ball out of the hands of Conner and recovered fumble at the Arizona 30. Green Bay went three-and-out, with Narveson missing a 44-yard field goal wide right.

The Cardinals drove down to the Packers' 39 before Evan Williams forced a fumble of Greg Dortch, which Jaire Alexander recovered at the Green Bay 22.

Packers defense

Packers run through Cardinals 34-13, improve to 4-2

Love scrambled for a first down and drew an unnecessary roughness penalty during his slide from close friend Krys Barnes, moving the ball to the Green Bay 49.

After two Emanuel Wilson runs netted nine yards, the Packers called a direct snap to Kraft for two yards on third-and-1.

Green Bay converted its seventh third down in 11 tries when it faked the handoff to an orbiting Reed and Love fired a receiver screen to Watson who picked up 10 yards on third-and-8. The drive stalled after a holding penalty and Narveson made a 41-yard field goal to put the Packers ahead 34-13 with 9:28 remaining.

Arizona again pushed down the field before Murray botched a handoff and Kenny Clark recovered the fumble at the Green Bay 21. Melton gained 11 yards on a backfield handoff and Wilson gained 19 yards on back-to-back runs.

The Packers kept running behind Wilson and Chris Brooks, reaching the Arizona 27 at the two-minute warning. Brooks gained 11 more yards and the Packers kneeled out the win.

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