The Packers’ team flight was delayed for six hours on Saturday before their game in Arizona, which may be why they came out a bit flat, falling behind by 10 points early. While stranded on the tarmac, the team didn’t waste any time and conducted another set of walkthroughs, and once they shook off the cobwebs from heading West on short rest, they staged a furious rally led by Josh Jacobs, who scored two touchdowns for the third consecutive game, and Micah Parsons, who had three sacks in a game for the first time in his career.
The Cardinals almost took a 10-point lead into halftime after backup quarterback Jacoby Brisset, subbing for an injured Kyler Murray, hit tight end Trey McBride for a 15-yard score with just seven seconds left. After Chad Ryland put the ensuing kickoff into the end zone for a touchback, importantly taking no time off the clock, Jordan Love managed to hit Romeo Doubs for 22 yards, and backup kicker Lucas Havrisik drilled a team record 61-yard field goal to keep it a one-score game.
The Packers tied things up early in the third quarter when Jordan Love hit consecutive 17-yard passes to Doubs and Matthew Golden, followed by a seven-yard touchdown run from Josh Jacobs. The Cardinals went back in front one drive later as a busted coverage allowed McBride to get wide open for a 12-yard touchdown, but Love and the Packers countered immediately with a long drive of their own, culminating in a seven-yard score to Tucker Kraft.
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Fourth Quarter Action
The Packers finally went up for good on another Jacobs touchdown run after stopping Brisset on a 4th and one sneak, and while the Cardinals made things interesting late in the fourth quarter, Micah Parsons ensured there would be no upset, recording a nine-yard sack of Brisset, and bringing immediate pressure on every pass attempt.
Arizona is now 2-5, but they’ve only been outscored by 14 points on the season, and every single game they’ve played has been a one-score affair. They are a better team than their record suggests, and while this game was closer than many expected, the Cardinals haven’t been pushovers against anyone.
That said, there is one issue that the Packers need to address immediately, which almost cost them the game. That is Nate Hobbs as an outside corner. Hobbs continues to start at outside corner, and he has been a complete disaster so far in that role. On the three biggest passing plays of the day for the Cardinals, Hobbs was the corner in coverage, and he was also tagged with a crucial defensive holding penalty, leading to a Chad Ryland field goal. After a quarter, it was clear that Jacoby Brisset was attacking Hobbs whenever he could, often to great success.
Addressing Weak Spots
I don’t really blame Hobbs for his struggles. Before joining the Packers, as a member of the Raiders Hobbs primarily played slot corner, where he was generally very good. The Raiders also used him outside occasionally, but even then, he tended to struggle. Hobbs is clearly a primary slot corner, and at best, an emergency outside corner, and the Packers insistence in playing him outside makes no sense. Carrington Valentine, a far superior outside corner to Hobbs, had two snaps in this game, while Javon Bullard, who has historically been worse than Hobbs in the slot, received the majority of slot corner snaps.
Green Bay needs to address this issue because it is destroying the secondary across the board. Corner is a week spot for the Packers in terms of depth, but Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine outside with Nate Hobbs inside should be at least average. Playing them out of position is just shooting yourself in the foot for no reason whatsoever.
Next week, the Packers face Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh, in a highly anticipated matchup against the former Packer legend. The Steelers traded for All-Pro deep threat receiver DK Metcalf in the offseason. Metcalf developed an instant rapport with Rodgers, and averages 18.5 yards per reception with four scores so far. If Metcalf, an enormous outside receiver, is matched up with Hobbs even once in this game, the Packers will have a long day in front of them.