2021 NFL season, Week 8: What we discovered from Packers' snatch over Cardinals on Thursday night

Printed: Oct 28, 2021 at 11: 35 PM

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Three dear turnovers badly burned the Cardinals, but the last one will sting the most. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray“>????Kyler Murray???? marched his crew 94 yards within the final minutes, from his catch 1-yard line to the Packers’ 5, to place the Cardinals in location for what must had been at worst an additional time-forcing self-discipline aim and, at handiest, a sport-winning landing. As an different, miscommunication between Murray and big receiver A.J. Green“>????A.J. Green???? place a second-down throw with 0: 15 final correct into the hands of Packers defensive serve Rasul Douglas“>????Rasul Douglas???? for a sport-clinching interception. Green didn’t even turn for the ball, so Douglas didn’t even need to fight for it. It used to be a bitter reach for the Cards to bear their first lack of the season, but after throwing two interceptions — one on each dwell of the self-discipline — and muffing a punt to goal up another Packers pink zone probability, the loss used to be within the raze deserved.
Toddle. The. Ball. It didn’t no longer sleep costing them the sport, but the Packers blew a golden different for a landing after Arizona return man Rondale Moore“>????Rondale Moore???? muffed a punt to present Green Bay a first-and-aim from the Cardinals 3-yard line within the principle half of. Packers working backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon“>????A.J. Dillon???? had been powering thru tackles for additional yardage right thru the sport, but in a confounding sequence of play-calling, Green Bay opted for three consecutive passes, all incomplete, and settled for a thoroughly unsatisfying self-discipline aim. Dillon had bulled his reach for an earlier fourth-and-1 conversion, and Jones had already muscled thru Isaiah Simmons“>????Isaiah Simmons???? on the aim line for a short-yardage landing. In particular given the Packers’ short-handed receiving corps, it made zero sense.
Green Bay grinds up front. A Packers offensive line that used to be working without injured starters at two crucial positions — left form out David Bakhtiari“>????David Bakhtiari???? and heart Josh Myers“>????Josh Myers???? — dominated the sport and did extra to bring the snatch than any unit on the self-discipline. Green Bay blew holes launch for the speeding tandem of Jones and Dillon, leading to strings of first downs and a indispensable TOP attend (37: 35 – 22: 25). The duo ran for a mixed 137 yards on 31 carries. The pass protection used to be solid as effectively — Aaron Rodgers used to be sacked correct as soon as for no loss — though the play-calling helped that effort with a heavy dose of show camouflage passes and shorter throws. Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones failed to file a QB rigidity on 30 pass-slide downs. It used to be an impressive effort in opposition to a Cardinals protection that mixed up its fronts, blitzed carefully (even a seven-man slide on one play), faked blitzes, and did all it could per chance per chance well per chance to confuse the Packers line to no avail.
Too limited, too leisurely for Cardinals offense. Arizona appeared as out of sync offensively because it has all season for three quarters. Repeated three-and-out possessions within the principle half of, along with a dear interception by Murray on the outlet power of the second half of, conspired to defend Arizona’s high-flying offense to seven capabilities coming into the fourth quarter. DeAndre Hopkins“>????DeAndre Hopkins???? missing about two quarters with a hamstring divulge rings hollow as an excuse on an night when the receiver-depleted Packers had to dip into the observe squad at that location. Apart from a 55-yard exercise by Hopkins, who brilliantly faked a serve-shoulder be taught fully to then slide correct past Eric Stokes“>????Eric Stokes????, explosive performs had been in short provide until leisurely within the sport. The Cardinals came alive with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but by then, their protection used to be wearing down and couldn’t win an fundamental quit on Green Bay’s final landing.
Rodgers depends on feeble hand. Rodgers confronted a rather dire ranking 22 situation at large receiver, and when it mattered most, he grew to turn out to be to a neatly-identified and legitimate risk — Randall Cobb — for a pair of second-half of touchdowns that within the raze provided the winning capabilities. Minus star receiver Davante Adams“>????Davante Adams???? and another receiving risk in Allen Lazard“>????Allen Lazard???? (each on the reserve/COVID-19 checklist), the Packers had hoped to return Marquez Valdes-Scantling“>????Marquez Valdes-Scantling???? from a hamstring pains, but that didn’t happen both. Rodgers leaned carefully on Jones out of the backfield (sport-high seven catches), but went to Cobb within the pink zone for the money grabs. Given that Rodgers lobbied for Cobb’s addition within the preseason, the trust between the two shouldn’t be finest.

Next Gen stat of the night: Kyler Murray finished three of six deep passes for 107 yards.

NFL Be taught: Cardinals RB Toddle Edmonds entered Thursday night’s sport with the most speeding yards (397) of any NFL serve with out a speeding landing this season. He snapped that drought with an 11-yard gain from the wildcat formation within the principle quarter.