OK, it’s Week 6. And it’s not like the Cardinals have played the consistent football they’d like nor sport a record they’d prefer if we’re going to talk about being atop the NFC West. However …
The 49ers beating the Seahawks Thursday night means it only takes a 3-3 record to own a share of first in the division. And that’s what the Cardinals would have if they can go to Lambeau and beat the Packers – a team, it should be noted, that will be one the Cards could ultimately battle for a playoff spot, so head-to-head there might matter. Besides, to be talking such things less than two weeks after the debacle against the Commanders speaks not only to the week-to-week nature of the NFL but also the resiliency of Jonathan Gannon’s team.
So yeah, first place, no matter when it might happen, carries a little weight. In my opinion. To get there, the Cardinals have to win a second straight game for the first time since 2021.
Now, to do it in Lambeau can be a chore. The stadium is iconic, but more importantly, the opponent is good. The Cardinals have had a ton of memorable games games against the Packers in Arizona, playoffs and otherwise. Fewer in Green Bay, where it’s been a tough visit. But the last one was memorable, despite it being a generally wretched year with Steve Wilks and Josh Rosen. It was snowing hard pregame and in the first half, pretty darn cold, and the Cardinals pulled out a win in large part because Larry Fitzgerald made an amazing diving catch on third-and-forever. (The Packers fired Mike McCarthy after that game, the news coming so fast we were on the plane but hadn’t even taken off back to Arizona yet.)
This game will have more at stake. Meaningful football is fun.
— The Cardinals had a huge win against the 49ers, but three second-half takeaways helps mightily in that equation. The Packers already have 14 takeaways, including nine(!) interceptions, five from safety Xavier McKinney. Kyler Murray will need to be careful with the ball. That’s an obvious, but the Cardinals have to find a way to force Jordan Love into a mistake. Love is good but he hasn’t been great.
As for “hunting” turnovers on defense, I thought Gannon gave an insightful comment about it.
“There’s probably a healthy blend,” Gannon said. “The first thing you have to have players realize is the value of the ball, and our guys understand that. Then they have to understand when they have opportunities, when they can come up…
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