Cardinals at Packers -- Week 9
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis. (grass, outdoors)
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Spread: Packers by 7.5
Forecast: Sunny, mid-40s, slight chance of rain
Records: Packers (Overall: 5-3, NFC North: 1-0); Cardinals (Overall: 4-4, NFC West: 1-2)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- These teams haven’t met since January 2010, when they played in back-to-back weeks, first in the final game of the regular season and then in the first round of the playoffs. Jan 10, 2010: Cardinals 51, Packers 45; Jan. 3, 2010: Packers 33, Cardinals 7. Series record: The Packers hold a 44-23-4 edge in the all-time series, including each of the previous six meetings at home.
What matters: Getting to the bye (relatively) healthy. Green Bay has been decimated by injuries, including many to key starters. The Packers are limping toward their bye next week, with 14 players on the injury list, including such notable names as WRs Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, TE Jermichael Finley, NT B.J. Raji and SS Charles Woodson. Of course, coach Mike McCarthy would have you believe his hobbled Packers aren't thinking about the bye and are focusing only on the Cardinals, as he told reporters repeatedly this week. Still, a couple of players let slip that McCarthy offered them a carrot: win Sunday and they can have a couple of extra days off.
Who matters: QB Aaron Rodgers and RB Alex Green. The Cardinals have a laughable offense but their defense will put the Packers to the test. That won’t matter if Rodgers is superlative. When he plays his best, the Packers are unbeatable, evidenced by their 25-0 record when Rodgers has a passer rating of 115 or higher. If Rodgers is rolling Sunday, the Cards don’t have a chance, even with their fourth-ranked pass defense. Green matters because, as has been spoken, written and reiterated ad nauseum the past two weeks, the Packers are committed to running the ball to maintain offensive balance, even if it’s unproductive. Green can make that dedication easier to stomach if he doubles the average of 2.4 yards per carry he has accumulated in three starts.
Key matchups: OLB Clay Matthews vs. Cardinals LT D’Anthony Batiste. Matthews is second in the NFL with nine sacks. Batiste is a 30-year-old journeyman who’s done a poor job replacing Levi Brown, the only decent offensive lineman Arizona had. Expect the Cardinals to double-team Matthews with Batiste and ex-Packers LG Daryn Colledge. Still, it could get ugly. … Packers CBs vs. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is the only weapon the Cardinals have, but he’s a dangerous one, and the Packers secondary has struggled against opponents’ top wideouts. The job will likely belong to Tramon Williams, who’s having a nice year, but Davon House, who made his first career start last week, could be on him, too. This week, S Morgan Burnett called Fitzgerald one of the best receivers ever to play in the NFL.
Injuries of note: (Deep breath…) WR Jennings (groin/abdomen), FB John Kuhn (hamstring), LB Nick Perry (knee), CB Sam Shields (ankle), DB Woodson (collarbone) and DE Jerel Worthy (concussion) are out. WR Nelson will be a game-time decision, but the guess here is he’ll be held out so as to not re-aggravate his hamstring injury right before the bye week. S Jerron McMillian hurt his back in practice and is questionable.
Inside stuff: In last week’s win over the Jaguars, the Packers brought in backup interior OL Evan Dietrich-Smith as an extra blocker out of the backfield in an unusual jumbo run package. They used it just twice but had some of their only rushing success of the game. On a third-and-1 run play, Dietrich-Smith leveled the first defensive lineman through, allowing Green to achieve a rare first down on the ground. The other time, Dietrich-Smith plowed over his man, allowing RB James Starks to spring for an 8-yard gain. In the locker room this week, Dietrich-Smith talked extensively about the package and said he and everyone on offense “had fun” running it. Expect to see “EDS” and the jumbo arrangement more on Sunday.
Connections: Packers safeties coach Darren Perry coached with Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, assistant head coach/offensive line Russ Grimm, special teams coach Kevin Spencer, defensive coordinator Ray Horton and linebackers coach Matt Raich on the Pittsburgh Steelers staff.
Stat you should know: 1. Last week, the Packers recovered their first fumble of the season. Brad Jones, in his second start at ILB, forced it, and S Morgan recovered it. It was so easy, you wonder why it took two months to find one. Green Bay has nine interceptions but just the one fumble recovery. Against shaky QB John Skelton and third- and fourth-string Cardinals RBs, there could be balls on the ground on Sunday.
Bulletin board quote: "This (Cardinals) team has athletes, but they're not putting it together well right now. We should go out there and play fast and start fast from the beginning." -- Jermichael Finley
Looking ahead: Hallelujah, it’s the bye! The depleted Packers are off next week and then return with tough road games at Detroit and at the New York Giants. Then it’s a bevy of divisional games.
Prediction: Packers 30, Cardinals 10
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.
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