Statistically, Arizona was the better team…all game. In essentially every category the Cardinals beat the Packers:

• 1^st Downs
• 3^rd Downs & Efficiency
• Total Yards
• Penalties
• Time of Possession

The major difference? The field goal drive before half that the offense was able to get into field goal range with only 7 seconds left on the clock. That was a huge momentum stabilizer and put the Packers within a touchdown getting the ball coming out of the half. The 2^nd was the lone turnover in the game. Rashan Gary’s strip sack led to a touchdown and tying the game. This is the prime example of how turnovers can flip a game – putting the lesser-playing team on top. The phrase “the better team lost” applies here as Arizona was the better team on Sunday, but the phrase “(they) didn’t deserve to win” almost never applies as the winning team found a way to score more points, which is the point.

That, and Micah Parsons. The man had 10 QB pressures, 4 tackles for loss, and obviously the 3 sacks. Each sack occurred in a huge situation. The first came on 3^rd & Goal from the Packers’ 8-yard line, holding Arizona to an opening drive Field Goal instead of a Touchdown. The Cardinals opened the game with a 15-play, 59-yard drive that took 7:26 off the clock and set the tone for how they were going to play.

Parsons’ 2^nd sack came with 9:50 left in the 4^th quarter on 3^rd & Goal, again. It kept Arizona out of the end zone once again and they settled for a Field Goal. Giving Arizona a 23-20 lead.

His last sack came on the last drive of the game, on 1^st & 10 from Green Bay’s 26-yard line. It forced Arizona to use a timeout and put them way behind the sticks (making the 1^st down line further than expected to gain with the remaining downs).

Stats Can Lie

While Jacoby Brissett put up a “monster” game, I can make the case that Jordan Love played better. Brissett’s stat line of 25/36 (69.4%), 279 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 110.8 rating. However, he failed to get rid of the ball and took 6 sacks, one led to a game-changing fumble (referenced earlier) while Love was 19/29 (65.5%), 179 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, and a 93.9 rating. Love took 1 sack, missed 2 throws, but when it mattered, he came through. On the final drive Jordan was 2/3 for 22 yards with the 15-yarder coming on 4^th & 2 from Arizona’s 29-yard line. The Packers were well within Field Goal range (having Havrisik nailing a franchise-record 61-yarder right before half). Clutch matters, and Love proved it once again.