Cardinals vs. Packers: Don’t call it a rematch, Cardinals say
Team expecting much tougher game vs. Packers
Binge-watching Making a Murderer would be a good alternative. Or perhaps revisiting Die Hard or the Harry Potter movies in honor of Alan Rickman.
Either would be a better, and about as productive, use of the Arizona Cardinals’ time than watching film of their last game against the Green Bay Packers ahead of Saturday’s rematch in the NFC divisional round.
“We’re focused on the 2016 Green Bay Packers. That was the ’ 15 Packers, and things have changed a little bit,” Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer said. “So we’re not taking much, and there’s not a lot of confidence that we are carrying over from that game.”
Coaches and players say things like that all the time, and it usually means about as much as them taking it one game at a time or just wanting to go out and execute their game plan. In other words, nothing. In this case, however, it’s more than just talk. Though the Cardinals and Packers met three weeks ago, Arizona will not be seeing the same team that it bulldozed 38-8 in one of its more impressive performances of the season.
The names on Green Bay’s roster are the same, but the Packers looked like a completely different team in beating the Washington Redskins in the wild-card round Sunday than they have for most of the season. Starting with defending NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers.
For the first time in four weeks, and only the second time since Nov. 22, Rodgers didn’t throw an interception. He was sacked just one time, his fewest takedowns since Week 3.
But most important for Green Bay, Rodgers finally seemed to be on the same page with his offense, even connecting on a few deep balls with James Jones and Davante Adams.
The running game also got out of neutral, with Eddie Lacy and James Starks combining for 116 yards and two scores. Lacy also had his longest run of the season, breaking several tackles on a 30-yard gain that set up Starks’ go-ahead touchdown.
“That’s the offense that probably everyone would think would be synonymous with the Green Bay Packers, when you think about what Aaron Rodgers does and what they do on offense,” Arizona defensive coordinator James Bettcher said. “They did a great job with tempo and moving the ball, very effective running the ball. They looked really in sync. Their tempo was good.
“We expect those guys to play like that when we play them on Saturday.”
Injuries have contributed to the Packers’ lack of consistency, and nowhere more so than with the offensive line. The Packers haven’t had their regular starting line on
the field since Nov. 22 because of injuries first to right guard T.J. Lang and right tackle Bryan Bulaga, then center Corey Linsley and, the last three games, left tackle David Bakhtiari.
When Green Bay and Arizona last met, the Packers tried Don Barclay at left tackle. Rodgers might as well have been a tackling dummy, with the Cardi- nals sacking him eight times.
Bakhtiari practiced again Thursday, and the Packers are hopeful he’ll be able to play Saturday.
“They should have all their starters back. That makes a huge difference,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians said. “Anytime you’re playing with backups, especially tackles, on the road, it’s tough.”
Green Bay also could get back Sam Shields, its Pro Bowl cornerback who has missed the last five games with a concussion.
The Cardinals, meanwhile don’t have Tyrann Mathieu, whose breakout season — he had a career-high five interceptions, including a pick-six — ended with a torn anterior cruciate ligament against the Philadelphia Eagles. They’ll also be missing starting linebacker Alex Okafor, who was placed on injured reserve with a non-football injury that Arians wasn’t in the mood to discuss.
“Next man up,” Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson said. “We definitely don’t say those words lightly. We mean it. Guys who are backing up the starters, they understand how much that role is important to them and to this football team, because we don’t want to have a drop-off.”
Not at this time of year, when the winner gets a game closer to the Super Bowl and the loser gets a seat on the couch. That alone will crank up the intensity for a game that’s a rematch in name only.