Acme Packing Company
The Green Bay Packers did not lead until two minutes were remaining in the game on Sunday, but they did just enough in the second half — and got a few big plays from their recently-embattled defense — to emerge victorious in their matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Josh Jacobs scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:50 left on the clock, his second score of the day, and the Packers got a trio of sacks from Micah Parsons, one on the final drive to help keep the Cardinals from taking the lead back late.
In the first half, the Packers looked like a group of people who had just sat through significant travel issues the day before. They did, of course, as they sat on the tarmac in Green Bay for several hours on Saturday due to mechanical issues with their airplane. Their quality play arrived late as well on Sunday, but one player who delivered in the first half was kicker Lucas Havrisik.
Havrisik hit a 61-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, setting a new franchise record and giving the Packers a critical three points. That proved to be a meaningful difference, as the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter meant that Arizona needed a touchdown instead of a field goal of their own to win the game.
For the first time all season, the Packers’ defense allowed points in the first quarter of a game, doing so on the game’s opening drive. Jacoby Brissett drove the Cardinals down the field with some quick passing and a quarterback sneak on 3rd-and-1, while running back Bam Knight picked up 23 rushing yards on four carries. However, Micah Parsons delivered a red zone stop to hold the Cardinals to a field goal. After recording a pair of pressures early in the drive, he made a tackle for no gain on a 1st down run, then picked up a sack on 3rd down to force the Cardinals to a field goal.
Arizona’s opening drive took 15 plays and half of the first quarter, as the Packers’ offense took the field for the first time with under 7:30 on the clock. The Packers’ offense moved into the edge of field goal range, with Matt LaFleur keeping his offense on the field twice on fourth down. The first was a 4th-and-2 at midfield and Jordan Love converted with a quick out to Matthew Golden, but a few plays later, Love missed Romeo Doubs with a deep ball on 4th-and-5 from the 38 for a turnover on downs.
The Packers looked like they would get their first defensive turnover since week three on the Cardinals’ second drive, but had to settle for a punt instead. Keisean Nixon punched the football out of the hands of Marvin Harrison, Jr., but the play was ruled incomplete after review, and the Packers took over at their own 20 following a touchback on the ensuing punt.
Josh Jacobs, who was active after being a game-time...
