The Packers' ball-hawking defense has the Cardinals' attention

Published Oct. 10, 2024 6:18 p.m. ET

Associated Press

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is well aware of the Green Bay Packers’ penchant for creating turnovers.

Murray wants to make sure he doesn’t become the latest QB to throw a ball into the hands of Packers safety Xavier McKinney.

“I’m not out there playind scared or anything like that, but we understand going into this game that that’s something that they do well,” Murray said.

The Packers (3-2) have an NFL-leading 14 takeaways. McKinney has intercepted passes in each of Green Bay’s first five games.

McKinney has a pick in six straight games, a streak that started in the final week of the 2023 season when he was with the New York Giants.

Green Bay is coming off a 24-19 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in which McKinney recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass on back-to-back series, with both takeaways leading to Packers touchdowns.

“If I’m soaking in, ‘Oh, I did this,’ that ain’t going to help us as a team and as a defense,” said McKinney, who was honored as NFC defensive player of the week. “I’m just trying each and every week, if I do something, celebrate it 24 hours and then we’re on to the next.”

The Cardinals (2-3) want to make sure they’re not dwelling on their 24-23 triumph at San Francisco.

Murray and James Conner rushed for a combined 169 yards against the 49ers. They face a Packers defense that allowed 134 yards rushing against the Rams, with Kyren Williams gaining 102.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he’s impressed with the elusiveness of Murray, who rushed for 83 yards on seven carries at San Francisco.

“We showed the guys a bunch of clips of him just making multiple defenders miss in the pocket and his ability to create and extend and make those off-schedule, chunks down the field,” LaFleur said. “He’s extremely dangerous. He’s probably playing as good as he’s ever played.”

Love’s highs and lows

Packers quarterback Jordan Love has thrown for 873 yards and eight touchdowns in three starts while showing plenty of big-play ability. He had a 66-yard touchdown completion to Tucker Kraft and threw a 53-yard strike to Jayden Reed that set up a touchdown.

But he also has been picked off five times. Love took care of the ball much better last season: He threw 21 touchdown passes with only one interception during one nine-game stretch.

“I’m an aggressive quarterback,” Love said. “I’m always trying to push the ball downfield. I believe in my arm talent and the guys around me, they’re going to make plays, things like that. But you’ve got to say true to your reads, go through progressions, and if they’re taking stuff away, be able to find those checkdowns.”

Murray’s moves

Murray occasionally bristles at the notion he’s a running quarterback, but there’s little doubt the Cardinals are at their best when he’s a threat on the ground.

He ran for a 50-yard touchdown against the 49ers, hitting a 21.27 mph sprint speed, according to NFL NextGen Stats. That’s the fastest run for a QB in the past eight years.

The Cardinals’ two wins this season have been Murray’s two most productive games running the ball.

Sibling rivalry

Packers receiver Bo Melton could get a chance to match up and catch up with his younger brother, Cardinals rookie cornerback Max Melton.

“It’s been circled on the schedule — on my family’s schedule — since preseason,” Bo said. “Definitely going to be a surreal moment. Can’t wait to play against him, can’t wait to enjoy that for our family.”

Watch out for Reed

Reed had six catches for 78 yards and two carries for 19 yards against the Rams. He has 21 catches for 414 yards and two touchdowns plus eight carries for 110 yards and a TD.

The only other players ever to have at least 400 yards receiving and 100 yards rushing in the first five games of a season were Washington’s Wilbur Moore (1943), the New York Giants’ Frank Gifford (1959), Philadelphia’s Timmy Brown (1965), San Francisco’s Paul Hofer (1980) and San Francisco’s Roger Craig (1985).

Avoiding penalties

The Cardinals have committed a league-low 3.8 penalties per game. They were penalized just one time for 5 yards against San Francisco.

“Our guys understand the crews that are calling the games, and we try to educate them on that, what they’re looking for or what the NFL is putting emphasis on,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “It’s going good right now.”

The Packers have committed eight penalties per game. Only five teams (Dallas, Miami, Cleveland, Baltimore and Houston) are being penalized more often.

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AP Sports Writer David Brandt contributed to this report.

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