The Packers and Cardinals met in a preseason NFL match on 29 August 2026, and the visitors came away with a 42:38 victory in what was an unusually open contest. Both sides threw everything forward from the opening drive, which is perhaps what you expect when the clock starts and the result doesn't matter. To be fair, neither defence looked particularly organised, and by then the scoreboard was already doing its own talking.
The game swung between leads several times, with neither side willing to settle. The Packers had looked sharp against the Broncos on 22 August, winning 33:13, but that form hadn't quite carried over against the Steelers a week earlier. The Cardinals, meanwhile, had dropped two of their three preseason matches — a heavy loss to the Cowboys followed by a narrow defeat to Carolina. This time they didn't fade.
What struck me watching was how quickly the momentum shifted. One team would build a lead, then the other would answer with a sustained drive. It reminded me of those old documentaries where coaches talk about preseason as a chance to find identity rather than just accumulate yards. By then it was clear this wouldn't be a tight game, and the final score reflected that lack of urgency from both defences.
There were no statistics provided on possession or shots, but the numbers speak for themselves. Eighty points between two teams in a match that isn't even counting toward the standings says something about the approach both coaching staffs took. One side kept knocking on the door, the other answered. And here's the thing — it wasn't about who was better, but who was willing to take more risks.
The result means the Cardinals move to two wins and two losses in preseason, while the Packers sit at two wins and two losses as well. Neither position matters, of course, but the way this game finished suggests both teams still have questions to answer before September. The Packers will have to decide what they want their offence to look like, and the Cardinals will need to figure out whether this level of scoring can be sustained when it actually counts.
