Back in Week 3, a Packers worst-case scenario emerged that risks becoming a trend.
In Cleveland, the Packers coughed up a lead, and Jordan Love threw an untimely interception late in the fourth quarter that set up a touchdown, a blocked field goal attempt by Green Bay then set the Browns up to split the uprights on their own game-winning try in a 13-10 stunner.
The killer instinct Green Bay lacked that afternoon in Cleveland’s presence has been wildly inconsistent through the first five games of Green Bay’s 2025 campaign.
Packers warned that lingering concern could rear its head vs. Arizona
Green Bay defensive end Micah Parsons (1) signals to teammates before the snap against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 27-18.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Sunday, the Packers fly to Arizona to take on a Cardinals team that can’t seem to get out of its own way, nor stop making costly mental mistakes so far this season.
So, over at Pro Football Focus, NFL analyst Thomas Valentine warns that the Packers playing down to the Cardinals’ level could prove disastrous, based on how that played out for Green Bay earlier this season.
“Not to slight the Cardinals,” Valentine writes for PFF. “But with the line opening at -6.5, the Packers are expected to clean up on Sunday against a Cardinals team that could be missing Kyler Murray again. However, in recent weeks, the Packers have struggled to dispose of opponents in a lower tier, losing to the Browns and scraping by the Bengals in Week 6. The Packers’ 84.5 team PFF grade is fourth in the NFL, and they’ll be hoping to effectively get the job done against a Cardinals group that has lost four straight games.”
Matt LaFleur’s team boasts the more talented roster, and are riding the high of taking down the Bengals last weekend, but if Green Bay gets caught looking ahead to a Week 8 showdown against Aaron Rodgers and the AFC North-leading Steelers by taking the Cardinals lightly, it could be the recipe for a nightmare in the desert.
Sep 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love (10) calls out coverage against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images