SCOUTING REPORT: CARDINALS AT PACKERS
The Cardinals meet the Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The game kicks off at 11 a.m. and is televised on Channel 10.
Bob McManaman offers his scouting report and prediction for the game.
Cardinals on offense
The Cardinals want to use the final five games of the season in a number of ways and one of the biggest is to see some rapid growth development out of rookie quarterback Josh Rosen. It’s been a lot of hit and miss lately and the statistics haven’t been kind. Rosen ranks 32nd out of 34 qualifying QBs in passer rating (68.9), 32nd in completion percentage (55.5), 34th in yards per passing attempt (6.28) and 31st in interception percentage (4.5). Mix in the fact that he a) will be playing in the hostile environment of Lambeau Field with icy cold weather conditions and b) will have a rookie starting at right tackle in Korey Cunningham, and it’s difficult to see Rosen making much progress on Sunday. The best hope for the Cardinals is that they can establish a rushing attack with David Johnson against a run defense that’s allowing 122.9 yards per game. Arizona has to try to stay out of third-and-long situations. The Cardinals rank last in the league in third-down conversions (29.5 percent). Rosen also has to protect the football and create some space for himself when the Packers bring the blitz, which they do more often than not. Green Bay’s trio of nose tackle Kenny Clark and linebackers Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell can be especially disruptive. Rosen would be well served by targeting Larry Fitzgerald as often as possible. Fitzgerald has six touchdowns in five career games against Green Bay, including the postseason.
Cardinals on defense
Trying to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers is one thing. Trying to prevent him from doing damage while he’s escaping your clutches is quite another. Rodgers can fleet and side-step his way out of trouble as well as anyone so the Cardinals’ pursuit has to be relentless. This is a game where if they can seal the edge and make Rodgers move forward, defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche can be there to swallow him up. Nkemdiche, though, has yet to string together back-to-back dominating performances so don’t hold your breath. Green Bay has run the ball the thirdfewest amount of times in the league, but the Packers average 5.0 yards per attempt, tied for third best. New starting middle linebacker Gerald Hodges, who replaces the injured Josh Bynes, has to make a difference. Keep an eye on another new starter, cornerback David Amerson, who gets his shot following the release of both Jamar Taylor and Bene’ Benwikere. Expect Rodgers to try to pick on Amerson frequently in this game. The return of do-everything safety Budda Baker from a knee injury should help. Meanwhile, this seems like the perfect opportunity for cornerback Patrick Peterson to draw full-time man coverage on Davante Adams, who is on pace to set Packers’ single-season records for receptions (112), receiving yards (1,519) and receiving touchdowns (18).
Special teams
The Cardinals are on their third kicker this season, as former Arizona State star Zane Gonzalez gets his chance to audition for a job next season over these final five weeks. It’ll be interesting to see if the offense can get the ball in the red zone for Gonzalez to even attempt any field goals. Weather conditions could become a factor. That shouldn’t be a problem for Cardinals kick returner T.J. Logan, who has been brilliant since taking over the role from Brandon Williams.
Bottom line
There’s a reason why the Cardinals are listed as 14-point underdogs. They’re bad. They’ve never won at Lambeau Field, having gone 0-6 there, and they haven’t shown any consistency on either side of the ball to make anyone think they can pull of a surprise here. The Packers are 4-0-1 at home and as up-and-down as they’ve been this season, they should win handily.
Prediction
Packers 36, Cardinals 20