As well and as top ranked as Arizona’s defense has been all season, a steady pass rush is its one weakness, and it could be exploited against a seemingly healthier Packers offensive and a quarterback of Rodgers’ ilk.
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Going back to their Week 15 win at the Oakland Raiders, when Bakhtiari sustained the injury, the Packers have started a different player at left tackle in each of the last four games. When Rollins got hurt last week, undrafted rookie free agent Ladarius Gunter stepped in and played well. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers did not do anything special in the matchup but did not turn the ball over, something he did in the first encounter with Arizona Cardinals by throwing an interception. Now, the Packers were without their two starting tackles during the game, but eight sacks are eight sacks. That’s a positive. But these teams met in the desert after Christmas and the Packers were no match for Arizona, losing 38-8, gaining 178 yards, with season-highs in turnovers (4) and sacks (9) and playing at times without four starting offensive linemen. Green Bay played well defensively last week in a road win at Washington, the front seven caused Kirk Cousins problems all game and sacked him six times. Palmer finished the regular season having thrown for 4671 touchdowns, 35 touchdowns and a passer rating of 104.6. “Our energy just wasn’t there”, he said. The last win against the Packers came back in Week 16 in what was arguably the Cardinals’ best showing of the season. The 30-year old is just a steady playmaker on whom Arizona will rely to try to smother Green Bay’s passing attack for a second time this season.
It appears Packers tight end Andrew Quarless has played his final snaps of this postseason.
The Packers were without two players at Wednesday’s practice.
When the Green Bay offence can roll up a nice-sized lead, he and his pass-rushing teammates can let loose.
“Mentally, I just want to go, want to go, want to go”, Bakhtiari said.
They have not won a playoff game since the 2009 season, when they defeated the Packers 51-45 in overtime in the wild-card round.
The Dec. 27 victory over the Packers capped a nine-game winning streak for Arizona.
How much did the frigid weather play a factor? But Arizona coach Bruce Arians entered that contest with the intent of resting his starters after the opening half to keep them fresh for the playoffs. This, in my opinion makes the running-backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks the biggest keys to the game.
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If the Cardinals can get some consistency on the ground going early, it could soften up the Green Bay defense allowing the play action to take form. But sometimes in the National Football League playoffs, uncommon upsets occur. Lackluster blind-side protection is one of the main reasons Rodgers was planted to the turf so often in Week 16, but Bakhtiari practiced this week and likely will return for Saturday’s game.
