GREEN BAY – This week can be boiled down to one thing the Packers are focused on, and one thing they aren't.
They are putting all their energy and attention toward getting their first road win of the season.
"We haven't won yet," QB Jordan Love said of playing away from home. "An L and a tie. We've got to find a way to go out there and be our best on the road and get over that hump."
Meanwhile, they aren't paying any mind to Arizona's 2-4 record, and for good reason.
The Cardinals are on an incredibly unfortunate string of close losses that rivals any team's worst month of agony. Arizona started 2-0, and then over its last four games …
- Scored a safety with three minutes left to take a two-point lead at San Francisco, but then failed to run out the clock, gave the ball back to the 49ers with 1:46 left and lost 16-15 on a walk-off field goal.
- Rallied from 14 down in the fourth quarter at Seattle to tie the game with 28 seconds left, only to have the ensuing kickoff fail to reach the landing zone, giving the Seahawks the ball at their 40. Three plays later, Seattle was in position to make a walk-off kick for a 23-20 final.
- Didn't extend a 21-6 lead in the fourth quarter vs. Tennessee when RB Emari Demercado let go of the ball just before he crossed the goal line on what would've been a 72-yard TD run. The fumble and touchback gave possession back to the Titans, whose subsequent comeback included an interception near the Arizona goal line that Cardinals S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson fumbled. The ball wound up in the end zone, recovered for a TD by Tennessee, which then got a defensive stop and drove for a walk-off field goal, 22-21.
- Couldn't get the game-winning score last week at Indianapolis despite a first down on the Colts' 12-yard line with 1:16 left. On fourth down from the 9, star TE Trey McBride appeared to be held in the end zone as QB Jacoby Brissett's pass came his way, but it wasn't called and the Colts held on, 31-27.
Four losses by a grand total of nine points. The Cardinals became the first team since the 1970 league merger to lose on a walk-off field goal as time expired in three straight games.
The Titans have since fired their head coach, but Arizona's other three losses came to teams that are now a combined 13-5. They've gone toe-to-toe with several of the league's better clubs.
Which brings it back to Green Bay's visit Sunday. The Packers would like to claim they're in that upper echelon, too, but after beating two of the last four standing in the NFC postseason last year to start the new season, things turned. Cleveland's only victory this season came at Green Bay's expense, and the Packers could only escape sub-.500 Dallas with a tie.
They got back in the win column at home last week, but that first win on the road still must be earned.
So who exactly are these Packers? In short, they're a team in tune with any struggles or miscues being more about themselves than their opponents.
"(Shoot), we've got to do what we've got to do," All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney said. "Regardless of what they're going through, how many games they've lost, how many games they've won, we've got to control what we can control and that's go out there and play and go out there and execute.
"We're not really thinking about their previous games – obviously, we're looking at them – but wins and losses, that doesn't really mean much in this league. You can go in there and play anybody and anything can happen on a Sunday. I think we're very aware of that and we're locked in and focused."
Micah Parsons said Thursday's practice might've been the defense's best of the season so far. The offensive line continues to get healthier. Christian Watson is on the verge of rejoining the receiving corps.
Plenty of arrows appear to be pointing up, and Head Coach Matt LaFleur wants them to lead to one thing.
"I don't think we've played a complete game to date," he said. "We've had moments in each phase that have been really good, but to do it collectively for four quarters, I don't think we've done that, and we're going to need to do that against a really strong football team."
