One of the biggest games of the 2021 NFL season happens tonight. The Green Bay Packers (6-1) will battle the Arizona Cardinals (7-0) for the top spot in the NFC. Week 8 of Thursday Night Football kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET on the NFL Network and Fox. It will also stream on Amazon Prime Video, the NFL App and the Yahoo Sports App.
The Packers have won their last six games after losing the season opener against the New Orleans Saints. And while Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been playing at a high level, the offense will be shorthanded as the team’s top three receivers will likely be inactive. Davante Adams will miss the game after testing positive for COVID-19. Allen Lazard was also placed on the COVID-19 list and Marquez Valdes-Scantling is dealing with a hamstring injury.
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“There’s a little bit of a shock factor, for sure, when it’s Davante but we dealt with it last year,” Rodgers said of Adams’ placement on the COVID list, per NFL.com. “We’re maybe slightly more healthy than some of the other teams as far as not having as many cases, but there have been cases here and we’ve dealt with ’em. But when I heard (Adams’ No.) 17, I was hoping that it was going to be one of those false positives for sure.”
The Packers are facing a Cardinals team that is averaging 32 points per game while only allowing 16.3 points per game. Quarterback Kyler Murray is having an MVP-type season, throwing for 2,002 yards, 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions with a 116.8 passer rating. Outside linebackers Chandler Jones and Markus Golden have a combined 11 sacks and eight tackles for loss.
“I don’t make it too much,” Murray said when talking about the matchup against Rodgers and the Packers, per the team’s official website. “It’s a primetime game on TV, but it’s another game for me. I have to go out there and execute, and if I don’t, we know the end result. He’s probably my favorite quarterback to watch,” Murray added. “The way he plays the game, his swag, what he’s done in his career – I admire him a lot. I’ll probably be able to meet him, which is pretty cool. So, I’m looking forward to it.”
