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Aaron Rodgers completed less than half his passes, but the four his Green Bay Packers put into the end zone were more than enough to wipe out the Arizona Cardinals by a final score of 31-17. After an undefeated start to their season, the Cardinals—now reliant on John Skelton at quarterback—have dropped five straight, sending them below .500 and within one win of the NFC West basement.
The Cardinals' moribund rushing game simply puts more pressure on their average quarterbacks than, well, an average quarterback can handle. Skelton finished 23-for-46 for 306 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, aided by just 51 yards on 17 carries from LaRod Stephens-Howling.
The Packers, meanwhile, rushed more than usual—counting eight for 33 yards from Rodgers himself they put the ball on the ground 39 times for 176 yards.
The Cardinals were never a great team, and their being undefeated had a lot to do with circumstance, so it's no surprise that they were unable to take on the Packers at Lambeau Field. Even when Kolb comes back they'll have a hard time recapturing that form, but they should at least have it in them to, well, win another game. It's now been more than a month since the Rams ended their unbeaten streak with a 17-3 NFC West statement game; now the Cardinals are a loss and a Rams win away from the divisional basement.