Game-planning sessions can get a little dry sometimes for the Green Bay Packers.
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A close score is not projected this week when the Green Bay Packers, a substantial seven-point underdog, take on Arizona.
Based on regular season averages, it certainly looks like the Cardinals are the much better team on the defensive end.
But after the Packers overcame an 11-0 deficit to win 35-18 at Washington in Sunday’s wild-card round, the Cardinals’ eyes were opened.
Carson Palmer is coming off the best season in his 12 years in the league and is poised to earn his first post-season win against the Packers. The Cardinals sacked him eight times and also made sure the Packers did not get on track with their running game either.
But this year Arizona looks even stronger, and it almost captured the top seed in the conference. If you are looking for a candidate, it might be Chandler Catanzaro of the Cardinals – he missed five extra points in the regular season, including three in the final six games – or Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka, who shanked four PATs but only missed two field goals (29 of 31) during the regular season.
Getting after Rodgers with the ferocity and frequency they did in December would go a long way toward the Cardinals having success and advancing to the NFC Championship Game. The team is ranked fifth in the league in total defense and the Packers must do something about linebacker Calais Campbell.
The Green Bay Packers rebounded from a late-season stumble with an impressive road victory over the Washington Redskins in the opening round of the playoffs on Sunday. It was a vintage performance by the Arizona defense, the most aggressive in the NFL.
That’s great. It’s the starting point for actually making a run. “So it’s going to be a more competitive game, I bet”.
Maybe there’s a way that can work in Green Bay’s favor.
However, the last three quarters, as previously mentioned, is where things got hot for the Packers.
“I talked to him today man, just asking him if he’s ready, you know, I mean he’s a gamer”, receiver James Jones said.
The Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals meet Saturday night in a divisional round playoff game at U of Phoenix Stadium. The key was being able to run the ball, which helped take pressure off Aaron Rodgers. We’re banking on Reid finding a gimmick play or two for De’Anthony Thomas to show off his 4.3 speed.
“There aren’t too many times you have an opportunity to go back and have a re-do”, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. Running back David Johnson hurt the Packers via the pass (three catches, 88 yards) in the first meeting, as did receiver Michael Floyd (six catches, 111 yards).
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“If you would have asked me before JC Tretter’s performnace last week (at Washington), I would have said Bakhtiari”, said Tauscher. As for the Arizona defense, a few key match ups could decide this game.
