Local Packers fans confident their team will beat Cardinals in rematch

Yes, it has been six years since the Arizona Cardinals hosted a National Football League playoff game and it has been two weeks since the team took the field.

The Packers could have cornerback Sam Shields back in the lineup on Saturday in Arizona.

Defensive tackle Frostee Rucker was limited in practice every single day of this week and he is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game with the Packers. Bakhtiari’s absence forced the Packers to start Don Barclay in Week 16 against the Cardinals and his inability to slow the Cardinals pass rushers played a big role in a 38-8 Cardinals win.

The Packers have new life after their offense put up 35 points at Washington last week.

The things they did well in Washington Sunday to win the Wild Card game are going to be their keys tonight – get rhythm on offense and destroy the rhythm of Carson Palmer.

But they have not won a playoff game under Arians. Hitting Palmer could force errant throws, his career has been marred by high interception totals up until this season.

Unnoticed among the throes of other laurels and accolades has been the play of Arizona’s Offensive Line.

This Green Bay team isn’t as formidable as the 2014 squad that finished 13-5, coming within one game of reaching the Super Bowl.

PACKERS-CARDS: Three weeks ago, the Cardinals beat the Packers by 30 points. He threw a pair of touchdowns and both Eddie Lacy and James Starks made the most out of their 12 carries apiece, each rushing for a touchdown with 63 and 53 yards, respectively. Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinal receivers will be looking at big games in this contest. They waited until falling behind 11-0 last week against the Skins and letting the Cardinals jump out in front could be deadly.

“Stuff happens all the time”, Rodgers said. Maybe that game would be in Arizona, maybe it wouldn’t. They had to call a timeout in one such instance in their first meeting.

I am predicting the Arizona Cardinals will win on Saturday night at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Redskins were held to 84 yards on the ground as well, certainly Arizona will want to establish the ground game with David Johnson to open up the ball through the air. In the previous two games – also against playoff teams – it didn’t work out that way.

That was a heart-breaking loss, but one we all expected. This weekend the Cardinals will be without Cory Redding and Alex Okafor because of injury, but it should not impact the outcome of the game.

According to the Packers The Green Bay Packers’ opponents for 2016 are as follows.

The last time these teams met, on December 27, the Cardinals had virtually unfettered access into the backfield with eight sacks of Rodgers and nine overall.

Agree or not if you’re a Cardinals fan, but Rodgers is spot on: The pressure in this game is all on the Cardinals – and particularly quarterback Carson Palmer (more on him in a moment).

That touchdown and the two-point conversion were the only scoring opportunities Green Bay had versus the Cardinals.