Cardinals @ Packers
Final Score: Packers 34, Cardinals 13
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
The Arizona Cardinals came into Lambeau Field off of a monumental comeback victory over the division rival San Francisco 49ers and were looking to keep the momentum. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers entered Sunday off a gutsy win over the Los Angeles Rams, having to navigate a tumultuous week centered around their wide receiver room drama. The Cardinals came out completely flat, looking hungover from an emotional victory the week prior while the Packers were firing on all cylinders from the jump. Jordan Love looked sharp, the Packers’ defense looked dominant against a below-average Arizona offensive line, and Green Bay rode an early lead to an easy victory. Let’s dig in.
Three Up
- Jordan Love – He made several great throws on his way to another outstanding fantasy weekend.
- Romeo Doubs – The squeaky wheel most certainly got the grease. After sitting out practices and missing last week’s game due to team suspension, Doubs pulled in two touchdowns.
- Trey McBride – Marvin Harrison Jr. left this one early, so McBride was the focal point of the Cardinals’ passing game, just like old times (last season).
Two Down
- James Conner – Conner carried the ball just seven times and was non-existent in the second half after coughing up a fumble.
- Marvin Harrison Jr – He left this one early with what appeared to be a concussion and did not return.
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray: 22/32, 214 Yards, TD | 7 Carries, 14 Yards, Fumble (Lost)
Kyler had a rough day in the pocket, didn’t have much time to throw, and didn’t generate much offense – especially in the early going. It didn’t help that he lost his top receiver in the first quarter, but Murray looked wholly unimpressive. Much of that seems to be due to the play-calling. The scheme is hard to figure out as far as what the Cardinals are trying to accomplish. Whatever it was, they failed on Sunday. Murray lost a fumble late in the game, putting a rotten cherry on top of the Cardinals’ garbage sundae.
Running Back
James Conner: 7 Carries, 24 Yards, Fumble (Lost) | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 22 Yards
Conner was scripted out of this game from the jump as the Packers took a massive early lead and carried just seven times. He was targeted in the passing game a lot until he fumbled in the third quarter. After the giveaway, Conner didn’t see the field for the rest of the game, as Demercado got 17 of the remaining 18 snaps. It could be due to the condition of his ankle, which got taped on the sideline and may have factored into his lack of action after that.
https://twitter.com/Nate_Tice/status/1845545424939262434
Trey Benson: 5 Carries, 26 Yards
Benson was clearly the spell back for Conner in this one, but it’s worth mentioning that he got nearly as many carries as the top back, and took the only snap the Demercado came off the field after Conner’s third quarter fumble.
Emari Demercado: 4 Carries, 25 Yards | 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 39 Yards
Demercado was in the game for double the amount of offensive snaps of Conner and Benson, taking all the passing down work and negative game script action in the second half. With as bad as the offensive line played, Demercado was one of Murray’s favorite dump-off targets and would be well worth a look in PPR leagues.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 2 Targets
Harrison Jr. was on the field for just eight snaps before suffering what appeared to be a concussion-like injury. He was removed from the game and did not return, finishing without a catch.
Michael Wilson: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 21 Yards, TD
One would expect Wilson’s role to increase once Harrison left the game, but his usage was not what most had hoped, pulling in only two receptions. He did snag the Cardinals’ only touchdown of the day, pulling in a tough contested catch in the end zone for a score.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1845531283511984431
Trey McBride: 8 Targets, 8 Receptions, 96 Yards
Remember last season when Kyler Murray and Trey McBride forged an unstoppable fantasy duo that was locked into a boatload of catches and solid yardage numbers? Oh yeah, I remember. We got a flashback of that on Sunday after Harrison left the game. McBride was on the receiving end of nearly every pass, catching all eight of his targets with most being first-read looks. For most high-profile receiving duos, having two healthy studs benefits both (see Chase/Higgins, Cincinnati) but in this case McBride managers might be hoping for Harrison to sit out a couple weeks to heal up and let their star tight end shine.
Greg Dortch: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 36 Yards
Dortch was the Cardinals’ slot receiving specialist yet again, pulling in three of his five targets for 36 yards. His most notable play of the game was coughing up a fumble in the second half. Not a great day.
Xavier Weaver: 1 Target
No production in this one, but worth mentioning that Weaver was on the field for 41 snaps, all of them after Harrison went down with an injury. His 41 offensive snaps ranked second among Cardinals’ wide receivers.
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Jordan Love: 22/32, 258 Yards, 4 TDs, INT | 5 Carries, 13 Yards
Love looked really good under center on Sunday afternoon, leading the Packers to scores on six out of nine drives. His lone blemish of the game was a ball intended for Melton, where the receiver lost his footing and instead of hitting his guy in the chest, went right into the hands of a Cardinals defender. Other than that one bad break, Love was phenomenal, distributing the ball all around the field to nine different receivers. His best throw of the day was a bomb to a wide open Christian Watson, moving the safety and hitting the receiver in stride for an easy touchdown.
THIS is what Christian Watson brings to the #Packers offense!
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) October 13, 2024
Running Back
Josh Jacobs: 18 Carries, 62 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 28 Yards
Jacobs played his typical workhorse role, toting the ball 18 times for 62 yards and pulling in three receptions as well. Jacobs was on the field for 66% of the Packers’ running back snaps and his role is one of the most secure in all of football.
Emanuel Wilson: 7 Carries, 54 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 19 Yards
Wilson looked explosive on nearly all of his touches, averaging over 7.0 yards per carry and taking his one reception for a 19-yard gain. He’s an excellent complement to Jacobs, though he remains firmly behind him on the Packers’ depth chart.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Christian Watson: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 68 Yards, TD
Watson appears to be back in good health, and when he is healthy, he is dangerous. He runs good routes and blocks extremely well, helping the Packers on both facets of their offense. Against what appeared to be man coverage, Watson broke free for a long 44-yard touchdown. He’s been better all career against man-to-man coverage, and fantasy managers may want to take that into consideration when debating whether to start him in coming weeks.
Romeo Doubs: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 49 Yards, 2 TDs
After missing last week due to suspension (from missing practices), Doubs came back into the lineup and found the end zone twice. On his first touchdown, he ran an out-breaking route and made a defender miss before diving into the end zone for the score. On his second touchdown, Doubs had to track and pull in a jump bal on the goal line and tiptoe his way inside the pylon.
It was fascinating to watch the out-pouring of love from his teammates on both scores, directly adjacent to Doubs’ lack of perceived excitement and enthusiasm. His body language on both scores wasn’t typical of an NFL wide receiver. Though he claimed to be “fine” in post-game questioning, he just doesn’t look excited to be out there.
https://twitter.com/packers/status/1845543467146998038
Jayden Reed: 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 28 Yards, TD | 1 Carry
Reed was the most targeted Packers wide receiver, pulling in all six of his targets, including a touchdown catch. Reed continues to be the most consistent piece of the Green Bay offense as Matt LaFleur is interested in getting the slot receiver involved in many different ways.
https://twitter.com/packers/status/1845515130379137102
Tucker Kraft: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 13 Yards
After a massive blow-up week, Kraft was ho-hum in this one, catching just two passes for 13 yards.
Dontayvion Wicks: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Wicks made one catch before leaving this game with an injury, an apparent sprained shoulder. Fantasy managers should monitor the situation going into next week.
Bo Melton: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards | 2 Carries, 27 Yards