The Green Bay Packers are headed back to the Valley -- and this team might not resemble the squad that was embarrassed in University of Phoenix Stadium just two weeks ago.
On Sunday evening, we learned the Arizona Cardinals will kick off their playoff season by hosting the Packers in what will be a rematch of a Week 16 matchup in which the Cards dismantled Green Bay 38-8 in Glendale.
But the Packers team on display during its 35-18 Wild Card win at the Washington Redskins on Sunday looks a bit more formidable than the team Arizona destroyed.
Here are three things to keep in mind as we prepare for Cards vs. Pack, Part II, which begins Saturday at 6:15 p.m.
1. The Pack will look for payback
Yes, the Packers will be motivated to play better after their beat-down at the hands of the Cards two weeks ago. But the Pack's frustration in Arizona goes back further than that -- all the way to 2009, in fact.
In the final week of the '09 regular season, visiting Green Bay routed the Cards 33-7 in what was a meaningless game for Arizona, which was locked into the No. 4 playoff seed. But one week later, the Packers returned to Arizona for a Wild Card game.
In that contest, the Cardinals won a 51-45 shootout in overtime thanks to an Aaron Rodgers fumble returned for a touchdown -- but the win came with a bit of controversy, as a facemask penalty against the Cardinals' Michael Adams could have been called on that final play. It's a game (and play) that Rodgers undoubtedly remembers well.
2. Welcome back, Aaron Rodgers
After an imposter had apparently taken over Rodgers' body in the final three weeks of the regular season, the Packers' Super Bowl-winning signal caller returned to action in the second quarter Sunday at the Redskins. After completing just 1 of 6 passes to start the game, Rodgers completed 20 of his final 30 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
To be fair, Rodgers has been playing behind an injury-depleted offensive line, and the Cardinals sacked him eight times in their last meeting. But that wasn't a problem for the 11-year pro Sunday against a Redskins team that had recorded an NFL-best 17 sacks in its last four regular-season games. If that same Aaron Rodgers rolls into Glendale on Saturday... look out.
3. The Cards could run over the Packers
Last week's debacle against the Seahawks aside, the Cardinals' rushing offense has been outstanding in recent weeks thanks to David Johnson, who has averaged 4.6 yards per carry during his rookie season and added 457 receiving yards.
That presents a problem for the Packers, who allowed 4.5 yards per carry in the regular season, the fourth most in the NFL. In their Week 16 matchup, the Cards combined for 121 rushing yards on 26 carries (4.7 yards per rush) against Green Bay. And then, there's this.
Just 6 teams gave up more 25+ yard runs this season than the #Packers #GBvsWAS https://t.co/cqnGQEJS5X pic.twitter.com/J6Fb3beI2b
— ProFootballReference (@pfref) January 10, 2016
Cards QB Carson Palmer has had an MVP-caliber season, but Arizona's ability to run the ball has kept defenses guessing all year. David Johnson's rushing ability could help keep Green Bay's defense off-balance and allow Palmer and the Cards' elite receiving unit to carve up the Pack -- again.
