Packers-Cardinals matchup features showdown between two of the best QBs in the NFC

Now there's Jayden Daniels and, to some degree, Caleb Williams. But for the most part, the best young quarterbacks in football play in the AFC. The good quarterbacks in the NFC are older, more experienced players like Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford — let's discuss Brock Purdy another day. The fact is that on Sunday, […]

Wendell Ferreira NFL News Writer
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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the first half at State Farm Stadium.
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Now there's Jayden Daniels and, to some degree, Caleb Williams. But for the most part, the best young quarterbacks in football play in the AFC. The good quarterbacks in the NFC are older, more experienced players like Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford — let's discuss Brock Purdy another day. The fact is that on Sunday, at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers-Arizona Cardinals matchup will feature two of the best young quarterbacks in football in Jordan Love and Kyler Murray.

They are not perfect and their growth in the NFL hasn't been linear. But both Love and Murray have an extremely high ceiling, and this is what you can expect from this game. So far this season, Kyler is eighth in adjusted EPA/play, while Love is 17th — excluding turnovers, Love goes to 12th, showing exactly where he has to improve.

How to watch

After two consecutive weeks with CBS games against the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, the Green Bay Packers will be back on Fox for the game versus the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, at Lambeau Field. The kickoff will be at noon (CT). The broadcast team will have Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnston.

The early games on Fox for week six
Red: Cardinals at Packers; Blue: Browns at Eagles; Green: Buccaneers at Saints.506sports.com

The Packers-Cardinals game will occupy the first Fox window on Sunday. There are only two other games in this window, Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints.

For the markets where the Packers game won't be broadcasted, the option is a Sunday Ticket subscription.

Outside of the United States, the NFL offers a GamePass option via a worldwide partnership with DAZN.

Players to watch

Romeo Doubs

The wide receiver missed the Rams game, suspended by the team after missing two practices because he was unhappy with his role. Now he's back, but he hasn't talked to the media, so it's not clear how well the situation is solved. Jayden Reed is the best and most explosive receiver on the Packer, but Doubs is still a reliable piece of the offense.

Rashan Gary

Gary has had his worst season, with only one sack and six total pressures through five games. Against Murray, it will be a difficult gameplanning decision between allowing the edge rushers to hunt the quarterback or to set the edge. Either way, the Packers highest-paid defender in history has to be more efficient.

Carrington Valentine

It's becoming clear that Valentine is the second best cornerback on the Packers, ahead of Eric Stokes. Last week, he was important against the Rams, allowing a 39.6 passer rating when targeted — against 66.4 from Keisean Nixon and 120.8 from Eric Stokes.

Trystan Colon

Right guard Will Hernandez is out for season with a knee injury, so Colon is the new starter. The Cardinals have had a decent protection setup for Murray, but losing a central piece could be impactful.

Marvin Harrison

The rookie first-round pick is coming off his worst game since week 1, as he had only two catches for 36 yards against the San Francisco 49ers. But he had had three games with at least 45 yards and a touchdown in a row, including 130 yards and two scores against the Detroit Lions in week 2. His big play potential is just crazy.

LJ Collier

The former first-round pick has been bad against the run, with a 39.2 PFF run defense grade. And keeping the game on schedule has been huge for the Packers this season to avoid bad plays on third down. The Cardinals are 31st in run stop win rate according to ESPN, so Collier and the other pieces of the interior have to play at a higher level.

NFC standings

The Packers are fourth in the NFC North, but it's the only division in football where everyone is ahead of .500. The Detroit Lions (3-1) and the Chicago Bears (3-2) also have three wins, and it's the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) who's well ahead.

In the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers (3-3) and the Seattle Seahawks (3-3) are tied after the Thursday Night Football game, and the Arizona Cardinals (2-3) can join them with a win at Lambeau.