The Green Bay Packers (3-2) will welcome Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals (2-3) to Lambeau Field for a Week 6 showdown on Sunday.
Jonathan Gannon’s team is fresh off an impressive come-from-behind win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals have faced the 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, so they will arrive at Lambeau Field as a battle-tested group.
Can the Packers beat a pesky NFC West team for the second straight week?
Here’s a closer look at the Cardinals entering Week 6:
Last week (Win, 24-23 over 49ers)
The Cardinals took a 7-0 lead on their first possession when Kyler Murray raced 50 yards for a touchdown off a zone read play, but the 49ers then scored on four straight offensive possessions and got a blocked punt returned for a touchdown in the first half, resulting in a 23-10 lead into halftime. That’s when the Cardinals came alive. Arizona’s defense forced an interception, a turnover on downs, a fumble and an interception over the final four possessions, while the Cardinals scored 14 straight points — including the go-ahead field goal from Chad Rhyland with under two minutes to go. Brock Purdy was intercepted on the 49ers’ final drive, clinching the win for Arizona. The Cardinals were 7-point road underdogs but escaped with an improbable win.
Quarterback play
Kyler Murray is one of the NFL’s top dual-threat quarterbacks. The 2019 first overall pick has seven touchdown passes, only two interceptions and 247 rushing yards. Through five games, Murray has been deadly on off-schedule plays. His passer rating is 99.1, while his QBR is 66.4, which would set a new career high. Murray has been accurate and capable of producing explosive plays without putting the ball in harm’s way. Against the 49ers, Murray threw a touchdown pass and rushed for a season-high 87 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown. While undersized, Murray is a mix of athletic and creative, making for a unique challenge. Forcing him to play from the pocket will be vital.
Line of scrimmage
The Cardinals rank in the top five in yards per rush and total rushing yards, and they rank 11th in sacks allowed. Pro Football Focus ranks the Cardinals offensive line as the 18th best in football. While the Cardinals were very good up front against the 49ers last week, the offensive line did lose starting right guard Will Hernandez to a season-ending injury. Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. has been excellent. Defensively, the Cardinals have allowed 4.6 yards per rush and eight rushing touchdowns, while the pass-rush has generated 11 sacks. In terms of pass-rush grade at PFF, the Cardinals rank 29th. Arizona has only three players with more than six pressures, and LJ Collier leads the team with 10.
Turnovers
The Cardinals rank eighth in turnover margin at plus-2. The offense has turned the ball over only five times — one in each game — while the defense has seven takeaways, including four interceptions. The Cardinals have a takeaway in all five games, including three in last week’s win over the 49ers. Linebacker Dennis Gardeck has a strip sack and an interception in five games, plus a team-high three sacks. Murray has thrown two interceptions and lost a fumble. His turnover-worthy play percentage ranks ninth best out of 29 qualified quarterbacks.
Injury situation
The Cardinals won’t have starting right guard Will Hernandez, who suffered a season-ending injury last week. Trystan Colon is expected to start in his place. Offensive lineman Jonah Williams, edge rusher BJ Ojulari, defensive lineman Justin Jones and cornerback Elijah Jones are all on injured reserve. Last week, the Cardinals didn’t have cornerback Garrett Williams (groin) or kicker Matt Prater (knee).
Players to know
RB James Conner: The engine of the Cardinals offense. His team-leading 91 touches have created 445 yards and three scores. Conner is a do-it-all back.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: The rookie first-rounder leads the Cardinals in targets (35), receiving yards (279) and touchdown catches (4). He’s averaging 16.4 yards per catch but catching only 48.6 percent of his targets.
S Budda Baker: He leads the Cardinals in stops. Baker is one of the NFL’s most versatile safeties — you’ll see him in the box, at free safety and in the slot.
LB Zaven Collins: The former first-rounder both rushes the passer and drops into coverage. He’s big and explosive, and disruptive against the run.
CB Max Melton: The younger brother of Bo Melton is playing more and more. He lines up primarily on the perimeter.
LB Krys Barnes: The former Packer has played only 58 defensive snaps this season, but he has 2.0 sacks and is a core special teamer for the Cardinals.