The Green Bay Packers have seen some exciting flashes from their linebacker duo of Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker, but Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals is a big week for them to establish themselves as one of the best LB tandems in the NFL.
Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will have to roll out different gameplans depending on which quarterback ends up starting for Arizona on Sunday, with Jacoby Brissett serving as the team’s starter last week against the Indianapolis Colts while Kyler Murray’s status for Week 7 remains up in the air with a foot injury. However, one thing that will stay consistent, regardless of who is under center for the Cardinals, is Hafley’s plan to stop the run, because he’ll likely be leaning heavily on his two young linebackers in Cooper and Walker.
The Cardinals rank just 25th in rushing DVOA this season, according to FTN Fantasy. What’s more is that according to Syed Sports, the Cardinals have the highest outside run rate in the league, along with the lowest inside run rate.
That’s an almost dream scenario for the Packers, given the current state of their defense. The interior of the defense has looked suspect since Devonte Wyatt suffered a knee injury against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, and teams have been willing to try and expose that weakness by running up the middle.
However, the talent on Green Bay’s roster is built to handle the outside run. Rashan Gary has been a vastly-improved run defender in Hafley’s scheme, and the narrative surrounding Micah Parsons’ ability to stop the run has been vastly overblown.
On top of having EDGE players capable of holding outside contain, the Packers also have an exciting young duo of linebackers who bring different skill sets to the position. Cooper has flashed in his 1.5 seasons in Green Bay, possessing excellent play speed and instincts to fly all over the field, even cleaning up run plays from the backside thanks to his relentless motor.
As for Walker, the former first-round pick has been wildly inconsistent throughout his NFL career, but started to show signs of being a reliable full-time starter by the tail end of the 2024 season. This year, he’s looked much more comfortable and decisive to make plays in the middle of Green Bay’s defense.
As if this wasn’t an already favorable matchup for Hafley and the Packers defense, the Cardinals are incredibly thin at running back. James Conner is out for the year with a foot injury, backup Trey Benson is on injured reserve, and third-string RB Emari Demercado was listed as a non-participant at Wednesday’s practice with an ankle injury that he suffered during last week’s game against the Colts.
That leaves Bam Knight and Michael Carter as Arizona’s only two running backs currently healthy and on the 53-man roster. Neither back has had a major impact over their respective NFL careers, but they’ll be leaned on heavily if Arizona hopes to establish the run.
It’s a matchup nightmare for the Cardinals, but one that directly benefits Green Bay’s defense, especially if Walker and Cooper are locked in on Sunday.
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