The Green Bay Packers left it very late to complete a comeback 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale.
The Green Bay Packers’ flight was delayed by five hours getting into Arizona, and it was a shaky start, matching their sluggish arrival.
The opening drive looked promising, but quarterback Jordan Love and wide receiver Romeo Doubs misfired on a 4th-and-5 that should have been a touchdown.
It was also the first time this season that Green Bay conceded points in the first quarter.
And there is a strange pattern emerging. The 4-1-1 Packers have now won four games this year, each time scoring exactly 27 points.
All you need is Love… and all he needs is Josh Jacobs
The offense was fine without ever really getting into a high gear. The run game clearly missed Josh Jacobs – struggling with a calf injury –when he was off the field. With him limited, the ground attack never truly found rhythm.
When Jacobs did play, he reminded everyone why the offense is better when it runs through him. With 13 carries, 55 yards and two touchdowns while playing through his injury, it was a gritty, vital performance that made the difference late.
Tucker Kraft – five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown – was again a bright spark. He hauled in a crucial fourth-down conversion at the end and continues to make the most of his limited targets.
Matthew Golden – four catches for 37 yards – contributed several key third-down grabs and looks increasingly settled alongside Love.
Quarterback Jordan Love finished 19 of 29 for 179 yards, one touchdown and a 71.7 QBR. Not flashy, but solid and composed, especially in the second half. He used his legs well when needed and made good decisions with the game on the line.
Offensive play-calling drew mixed reviews. There were moments of unnecessary caution on third down, but credit is due for two well-timed drives at the end of either half. One led to a franchise-record 61-yard field goal, the other to the game-winning touchdown.
Havrisik’s heroics
On the topic of record field goals, kicker Lucas Havrisik deserves his own paragraph.
Signed only eight days earlier, he was flawless against the Bengals and once again, he made all five kicks (three PATs and two field goals) including a remarkable 61-yard effort before half-time – the longest field goal in Green Bay Packers history.
For a player still learning names in the locker room, it was an outstanding display of composure.
Parsons plays wrecking ball
Defensively, the front did its job on the edge. Micah Parsons was sensational, with three sacks, four tackles for loss and five quarterback hits.
He was doubled and tripled for most of the game and still found ways to dominate, with two of those sacks coming on crucial third downs that kept the Cardinals to field goals.
Rashan Gary produced a pivotal strip sack recovered by Evan Williams –the Packers first takeaway since Week 3 – and a huge 4th-and-1 stop near midfield set up Jacobs’ winning touchdown.
Lost in coverage – Secondary concerns
While the front excelled, the secondary struggled.
The Packers gave up too many chunk plays on key downs, with cornerback Nate Hobbs having a difficult afternoon.
Tight end Trey McBride – one of the league’s best – was a constant thorn, catching two touchdowns and repeatedly finding space in the middle of the field.
Pressure was good. Coverage was not. It is an issue the Packers must address quickly before facing stronger passing attacks later in the season.
Discipline and details
Special teams flags remain an issue, as do pre-snap penalties.
At this point, they are not just annoying, they are momentum killers.
It is a recurring theme that Head Coach Matt LaFleur will surely want to fix.
A win is a win – but questions remain
Wins are hard to come by in the NFL, and this one counts all the same.
But the last two victories – against Cincinnati and now Arizona – show there is plenty still to improve.
The comeback and composure in key moments are definite positives. Yet the inconsistency, lapses in discipline and defensive soft spots remain frustrating for a team that has shown how dominant it can be early on this season.
Still, four wins from six keeps the Packers at the top of the NFC North.
Next up, an emotional reunion on the road with former quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers – a test that will show exactly where this team stands.
