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5 things we learned from the Packers’ loss over the Arizona Cardinals

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5 things we learned from the Packers’ loss over the Arizona Cardinals

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GREEN BAY, Wis. – At some point in the second quarter Sunday, it seemed like the Cardinals had finally caught a break. After appearing to suffer a concussion, Marvin Harrison Jr. left the medical tent and sat on the sideline with a tablet. On a day full of misery, perhaps the health of their top receiver could be a bright spot.

Then, just as that thought began to sink in, the defense surrendered a 44-yard touchdown to Christian Watson, a bomb over a shredded secondary. Back on the sideline, the coaches called Harrison off the field and sent him to the locker room. He didn’t return.

Because this was, even if it briefly threatened otherwise, an afternoon in which nothing could go right. A week after an upset by the 49ers, the Cardinals were crushed by the Packers 34-13 in a loss that was uninspired from kickoff.

That’s what we learned about the Cardinals in the loss.

The Cardinals are inconsistent

A week ago, the Cardinals had their best performance of the season. On Sunday they showed their worst performance of the season.

After six games, this is now a trend. Remember Week 2 when they scored 41 points and looked like an explosive offense against the Rams? What followed was their worst two-game offensive stretch since Kyler Murray’s rookie year, in which they scored a total of 27 points in two losses.

Somehow, after those home losses last week in San Francisco, they pulled off a big win. On Sunday things got down to earth again.

“To be a good team, you have to be consistent,” Murray said. “I think we just have to look in the mirror. I don’t know if we feel like we’ve done anything because we beat the 49ers last week. I don’t know what it is, but this can’t be happening.”

There were some similarities between the last two games. The Cardinals couldn’t get the offensive line going or pressure the quarterback. But last week they made up for those difficulties with big plays in crucial moments. On Sunday they did the opposite and things quickly turned ugly.

Self-inflicted mistakes condemned the Cardinals

Entering this week, the Cardinals had committed just 19 penalties in five games. Her discipline was a topic of conversation all week in Tempe.

So much for that. On Sunday, they nearly doubled their tally this season with 13 penalties for 100 yards. Five of those were pre-snap fouls – three neutral zone violations, one false start and one delay of game.

“This is non-negotiable for us,” said head coach Jonathan Gannon. “Untypical for us. That’s what we need to pay attention to, why these things happened. And do a better job there. Since there are always bang-bang games, you shouldn’t go back until the ball is broken.”

It wasn’t just the pre-snap penalties, though. The Cardinals’ biggest penalty came in the second quarter when a horse collar tackle negated a deflected Packers punt. One play later, Green Bay found itself in the end zone.

The Cardinals also didn’t take care of the ball and committed three turnovers – all due to fumbles.

“I haven’t felt like we’ve played a game like this since JG got here, where we made one stupid mistake after another and didn’t take care of the ball,” Murray said. “I feel like we took care of the ball pretty well. And today we didn’t do it. In the NFL you get beaten with that.”

Sunday was an injury nightmare

The Cardinals had six players who left Sunday’s game due to injuries and did not return: Harrison (concussion), defensive tackle Bilal Nichols (stinger), linebacker Kyzir White (knee), left guard Evan Brown (ankle), cornerback Sean Murphy – Bunting (neck) and safety Joey Blount (hamstring).

Running back James Conner also played sparingly in the second half and worked with trainers on the sideline, but Gannon insisted afterward that his inaction was due to the game’s script.

“That means we were really down and had to throw,” Gannon said.

Regardless of Conner’s status, the numerous injuries are a major concern. With two offensive players already out and the defense thin, the Cardinals can’t afford injuries to these groups. And while Harrison has struggled in recent weeks, he has an explosiveness that the rest of the Cardinals’ offense lacks.

The Cardinals pass rush was nonexistent

The first half carried a consistent theme for the Packers offense. No matter what was happening on the field, Jordan Love was able to stand in the pocket, completely unfazed, and allow his receivers to get open.

Against a quarterback like Love, it will always lead to the same result. By halftime, he had completed 16 of 22 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns.

“I’m not really sure (what happened),” Gannon said. “We have to influence the quarterback better.”

According to Pro Football Focus, the Cardinals managed just four pressures on 23 of Love’s dropbacks in the first half. This was largely because the Packers failed to generate pressure with four-man rushes, but even when they blitzed, the Packers responded by destroying them with screen passes. It was another reminder of the importance of winning up front and the lack of talent on the Cardinals’ defensive line.

The Cardinals’ injury-plagued offensive line is a concern

Against a weak Packers pass rush, the Cardinals offensive line held firm in the passing game. They didn’t allow a sack – partly because of Murray’s mobility, but also because of their effort.

The running game, however, wasn’t that encouraging. Without right guard Will Hernandez (out for the season) and right tackle Jonah Williams (possibly out for the season), the Cardinals wouldn’t be able to generate any forward momentum. They have been without Williams since Week 1, but this was their first game without Hernandez and it didn’t bode well.

This offense is all about running the ball and everything else goes from there. On Sunday’s first drive, they tried to stick with that strategy, gaining a yard on the first two plays and eventually punting. In the game they had 23 carries for just 89 yards.

This ineffective ground game puts too much strain on the passing attack. This pressure often leads to results like on Sunday, when the Cardinals were outclassed for 60 minutes.

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