Who has the advantage in Week 8?

The Green Bay Packers (6-1) and Arizona Cardinals (7-0) will clash Thursday night at State Farm Stadium in one of the most highly anticipated primetime games of the 2021 season so far.

Both NFC heavyweights will be missing key players on a short week, but an excellent quarterback matchup and exciting talent all over the field for both teams should make Thursday night an electric and highly entertaining contest.

Football is a complicated game, but finding the reasons for winning individual matchups between teams is often a straightforward exercise. What wins games? Excellent quarterback play, winning the line of scrimmage, taking care of the football and taking it away, controlling the important situations and overcoming or taking advantage of the injury situation.

In our weekly preview series, Zach Kruse from Packers Wire and Jess Root from Cards Wire went deep into the matchup to determine who has the advantage at the five key factors for winning football games in the NFL.

QB play

Kyler Murray.

Packers Wire: For the first time all season, the Packers won’t have a sizable advantage at the quarterback position. Aaron Rodgers is playing incredibly well since Week 1, completing 70 percent of his passes with 15 touchdown passes, one interception and a passer rating of 118.6, but Kyler Murray is a legitimate MVP favorite after seven games. Now in Year 3, Murray looks like the complete package. Rodgers’ experience gives him the edge here in a few areas, but overall this should be one of the best quarterbacking matchups of the season. Without a few weapons at receiver, the Packers need Rodgers to be the ultimate game manager, which isn’t a diss. If he can play a clean game and distribute the ball decisively and effectively, the Packers will have a chance.

Story continues

Cards Wire: Kyler Murray has been playing at an MVP level, and it has been by throwing the ball. He has three receivers now pacing to surpass or be near 1,000 yards. No one has more completions for more…