Jordan Love tossed 4 touchdown passes and the Packer defense collected three fumbles on a wet and sometimes windy day at Lambeau Field. The Packer offense had two twelve play drives, and drives of eleven, ten and nine plays.
The five long drives contributed 20 of their 34 total points. The Green Bay offense welcomed back Romeo Doubs who’s first 10-yard touchdown catch was an athletic highlight. Doubs had three catches, two for touchdowns, on four targets.
Love found 10 different receivers for 258 total passing yards and a 119.5 quarterback rating. The Packer offense also found success on the ground. Thirty-eight carries for 179 yards, split mostly between Jacobs, Wilson, and in the 4th quarter with the game in hand, Chris Brooks.
After struggling last week to convert third downs, Green Bay converted 7-12 against Arizona. Up 17-0 late in the second quarter, Love found Christian Watson over the middle for a 44-yard touchdown that took the lead to 24-0.
The defense had forced 4 straight punts to open the game on a total on 14 plays by the Cardinals, but on the 5th Arizona possession two critical back to back penalties, the first an unnecessary roughness penalty on Jaire Alexander, the second an illegal use of hands on Nixon gave Arizona 20 gifted yards and momentum.
They scored a touchdown on a 6 play 70 yard drive and then got the ball back almost immediately after Bo Melton slipped making his break, allowing a perfectly thrown pass by Love to be intercepted. Arizona was stopped on this final possession of the first half but made a 38-yard field goal.
Coming out of halftime behind 24-10, Arizona closed the gap on the opening possession of the second half with their 9-play 63-yard drive that ended with a field goal, and the score 24-13.
Love and company responded with a 70-yard touchdown drive that was capped off with Doubs’ second touchdown of the game, a twenty-yard beauty. It was great to see his teammates swarm him with congratulations after his tumultuous prior week that ended in his suspension.
It was also fun to see Bo Milton being guarded by his younger brother, Arizona defensive back Max Melton. The Packer’s Melton had two runs for 27 yards and one catch for six yards. His only blemish being his slip which caused Love’s interception.
Packers Defensive Performance Against the Cardinals
The defense had big contributions from Karl Brooks and Evan Williams who both created fumbles. Brooks’ strip tackle of veteran runner James Conner and Brooks’ recovery seemed to snuff out any hope for an Arizona comeback.
On the next Arizona possession, Williams forced his with a solid punch of the ball to Cardinal receiver Greg Dortch. Alexander recovered the fumble. The Packer defense then completed the rarely seen hat trick when Kenny Clark recovered a fumble created by a poor handoff exchange between Cardinal quarterback Kyler Murray and his running back.
The defense ending the game with three consecutive fumble recoveries heated up the damp Lambeau crowd and led to smiles up and down the Packer bench. The only notable injury to a Packer was center Josh Meyers and Wideout Dontayvion Wicks. Meyers left the game and first round pick Jordan Morgan came in to play guard with Elgton Jennings rotating to center.
Morgan seemed to play well in his short stint. Meyers did return to the game on the next series. Wicks did not return. His injury was reported as a shoulder injury without any more details. Next up, the Houston Texans who are 5-1 and lead the AFC South.
