GREEN BAY – The Packers wrapped up their preseason with a 42-38 comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Friday night at Lambeau Field.
Both teams rested their starters, and the battle of backups was full of explosive plays as players fought for roster spots. Teams must be down to the league-mandated 53-man roster by 5 p.m. CT Sunday.
The Packers trailed by 11 points late in the fourth quarter, but QB Kyle McCord led the rally with two TD passes to WR Kisean Johnson sandwiched around an interception by Arron Mosby. The game-winning score came with 20 seconds left.
One last-ditch drive by the Cardinals ended with a Hail Mary falling incomplete at the goal line.
Also on Green Bay's side, WR J. Michael Sturdivant caught six passes for 112 yards, including a 29-yard TD, while WR Will Sheppard had three catches for 26 yards and a TD, and added an 81-yard punt return for a score. Johnson finished with four catches for 52 yards and the two late scores.
McCord was 22-of-35 for 226 yards and four TDs (119.5 passer rating).
One of the Packers' earlier TDs was set up by an interception from EDGE Nyjalik Kelly, who also had a sack and three tackles for loss in the game.
The Cardinals racked up 492 total yards to the Packers' 282.
For Arizona, QB Gardner Minshew was 7-of-9 for 126 yards and a TD, while Kedon Slovis went 21-of-35 for 223 yards with a TD and two INTs.
WR Simi Fehoko caught five passes for 94 yards and two scores (one from 41 yards), TE Rivaldo Fairweather had eight grabs for 89 yards, and WR Jalen Brooks had four catches for 57 yards.
Cardinals RB Evan Hull carried 16 times for 107 yards and two TDs, one of them a 47-yard scamper.
Here's a recap of all the action:
Packers and Cardinals tied at 3 after first quarter
The Packers won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Kyle McCord started at quarterback for Green Bay, which went three-and-out on its first possession after the Packers' first-year quarterback couldn't connect with Bo Melton on back-to-back throws.
Daniel Whelan placed a 55-yard punt near the Cardinals' sideline and linebacker TJ Quinn punched the ball out from Ihmir Smith-Marsette's grasp, bouncing out of bounds at the 12.
Gardner Minshew moved the ball effectively during an 11-play opening scoring drive. The Packers held Arizona to a 35-yard Chad Ryland field goal after Arron Mosby broke up a first-down pass and Dani Dennis-Sutton sacked Minshew for a 10-yard sack on the next play.
Green Bay started from its own 35 after the touchback. McCord converted the initial first down with a 12-yard pass to Will Sheppard on a crossing route to the Cardinals' 40.
Isaiah Neyor gave Green Bay another first down when he ripped a pass away from cornerback Elijah Jones for a 9-yard completion on third-and-3.
Pierre Strong Jr. was tackled for a 4-yard loss on a first-down checkdown. Jaden Nixon gained seven yards on a third-and-11 draw to set up Trey Smack's 36-yard field goal to tie the game at 3 with 2 minutes, 16 seconds left in the first quarter.
Minshew hit Jalen Brooks for a 20-yard completion to push the ball to the Arizona 35. Smith-Marsette broke a tackle to extend a 19-yard completion to the Packers' 41, as the first quarter came to an end.
Packers lead Cardinals 24-20 at halftime
On the first play of the second quarter, Minshew threw a 41-yard touchdown to Simi Fehoko to put the Cardinals up 10-3.
The Packers came right back, though, with McCord finding J. Michael Sturdivant over the middle for a 36-yard completion and then a 29-yard touchdown on the very next play to tie the game at 10 with 14:06 left in the first half.
Kedon Slovis replaced Gardner Minshew at quarterback on the Cardinals' next series, but it was running back Evan Hull who kept the points coming. The second-year running back broke a 47-yard touchdown run up the middle to put Arizona back ahead 17-10 with 10:48 left in the first half.
Green Bay went three-and-out after Eku Leota and Zach Carter combined for a sack of McCord on third-and-6. The defense gave the Packers' offense the ball back, though, after Jaden Crumedy knocked down Slovis to force a pass that Nyjalik Kelly intercepted at the Arizona 28.
Damien Martinez broke a 15-yard run up the middle and then Sheppard extended a pass to the flat to a 12-yard touchdown to tie the game at 17 with 7:44 left in the first half.
The Cardinals converted the initial first down with a 4-yard pass to Reggie Virgil but were forced to punt after a holding penalty on second down.
Sheppard returned Jack Browning's punt 81 yards down for a touchdown down the left sideline to put the Packers ahead for the first time, 24-17, with 4:06 left in the first half.
Slovis led the Cardinals into Packers' territory before Jonathan Ford stopped Hull for no gain on first down and Slovis' third-and-6 pass fell incomplete. Green Bay took over at its 9 but went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Cardinals with 59 seconds left.
Arizona took over at its 37 but lost seven yards when Anthony Campbell sacked Slovis on first down. Slovis worked out of it with a 22-yard pass to Smith-Marsette, who got out of bounds with 19 seconds left.
Fairweather caught a 20-yard pass to set up Ryland's 25-yard field goal to tie the game at 24 at halftime.
Cardinals lead Packers 31-24 after three
The second half began with Rivaldo Fairweather breaking a tackle and extending for a 33-yard pass to the Green Bay 27.
Slovis converted a fourth-and-2 with a 5-yard pass to Virgil to the Packers' 14. That's as far as the Cardinals would get, as they settled for a 27-yard Ryland field goal to cut Green Bay's lead to 24-23 with 9:30 left in the third quarter.
A holding penalty on Darian Kinnard set up first-and-18 after a Nixon 6-yard run. The Packers worked out of it when Sturdivant high-pointed a 17-yard pass from McCord on second-and-16.
McCord was sacked for a 13-yard loss but nearly converted on third-and-21 with a beautiful deep ball for Neyor, who dropped it. Arizona took over at its 33 after Daniel Whelan's 39-yard punt.
Kelly sacked Slovis on second down and Crumedy batted down a third-and-16 pass at the line of scrimmage to force the Cardinals three-and-out.
Green Bay gave the ball back to Arizona when Damien Martinez fumbled on first-and-10 from the 21. One minute later, Hull scored a 1-yard touchdown to put the Cardinals back up front 31-24 after a successful two-point conversion with 1:47 left in the third quarter.
McCord found an open Sturdivant for 21 yards and the first down at the Arizona 44. The play put Sturdivant over 100 receiving yards on the evening.
Packers rally to beat Cardinals 42-38 to close the preseason
The fourth quarter began with Nixon picking up seven yards and a first down to the Arizona 29. McCord scrambled four yards to pick up the next first down following an 8-yard pass to Neyor.
The drive stalled at the Cardinals' 19. Smack made a 37-yard field goal to cut Arizona lead to 31-27 with 11:53 remaining.
Kelly got his third tackle for a loss while tackling Tre Stewart for a 6-yard loss. He got a hit on Slovis on the next play, but Slovis completed an 18-yard pass to Fehoko to convert on third-and-13 from the Arizona 43.
Fehoko completed the 13-play scoring drive with a 9-yard touchdown with 4:55 remaining, extending the Cardinals' lead to 38-27.
A defensive pass interference penalty and two quick 7-yard passes from McCord moved Green Bay across midfield. McCord was sacked for a 7-yard loss on the next play.
Green Bay went for it on fourth-and-17 and received a fresh set of downs when Starling Thomas was called for defensive pass interference. On the next play, McCord fired a 28-yard touchdown to Kisean Johnson down the right sideline.
Damien Martinez converted the two-point play out of a shotgun draw to cut the Cardinals' lead to 38-35 with 3:19 remaining.
Nazir Stackhouse knocked down Slovis to force an interception coming out of the two-minute warning. Arron Mosby picked it off and returned it to the Arizona 44.
Jaden Nixon gained 12 yards up the middle, Kaden Prather caught a slant for 10 yards and Johnson gained eight to set up second-and-3 at the Cardinals' 15. Nixon converted with a 5-yard carry.
McCord threw a second TD pass to Johnson two plays later as Green Bay retook the lead, 42-38, with 20 seconds left.
The Cardinals moved the ball up to the Green Bay 48 before burning their second timeout with four seconds left. The Hail Mary fell incomplete to end the game.
