In the second half of Sunday's game against the Packers, it felt a little like 2023.

Kyler Murray was finding Trey McBride often, and the tight end was doing what McBride does. "He is who he is," Murray said of his teammate. "I have all the confidence in the world in him."

Last year, the Cardinals didn't have Marvin Harrison Jr., and in the second half they didn't have Harrison either – more on that later – and McBride was that much more important. He finished with his best statistical game of the season (eight catches, 96 yards) and the Cardinals will very much take such games.

Of course, it didn't happen in a vacuum, and it was a rare bright spot in a disappointing loss. The penalties can't happen, especially the pre-snap ones that have nothing to do with judgement calls. The injuries will happen, but goodness, hopefully not so many. The outcome was way too close to what the Cardinals did against the Commanders and not nearly enough of what they did against the 49ers (even if the Cardinals hadn't won that day.)

Jordan Love is a good quarterback, but he was able to do the things he's good at. Love had 44-yard and 20-yard touchdown passes over the top, the exact thing Jonathan Gannon warned about during the week. And with a small margin for error – and without Harrison – the Cardinals can't afford three lost fumbles. Or have Murray overthrow rookie Xavier Weaver in the end zone.

The Cardinals have an extra day to prep for Monday Night Football and the Chargers this week. They need a big performance. They need one every week, but washing the taste away of Green Bay is crucial.

-- It's been a bumpy first six weeks of an NFL career for Marvin Harrison Jr. He didn't get a catch on Sunday after hitting his head on a defender's leg. He came out and after a stop in the blue medical tent looked like he wanted/expected to go back in. Instead, the medical team told him no and he was eventually taken back to the locker room. Gannon said he didn't have an update, but I assume he'll be in the protocol this week.

-- With Harrison down, the Cardinals deployed a three-wide receiver set of Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and rookie Xavier Weaver at one point.

-- The Melton brothers – WR Bo for the Packers and CB Max for the Cardinals – got to match up at least once during the game and traded jerseys afterward.

-- DL Bilal Nichols, playing in his 100th career game, was the extra captain this week. Nichols also suffered a stinger for a second straight game, in the first half, and unlike last week was ruled out immediately and didn't return.

-- The Cardinals had a season-low 16 first downs. They have struggled on third downs for the last four games, converting 30 percent.

-- The Cardinals, including their interception by Sean Murphy-Bunting on Sunday, have taken the ball away eight times this season but have yet to score a touchdown as a result. They have four field goals.

-- Trystan Colon started at right guard although rookie Isaiah Adams was also used there. Adams ended up at left guard by game's end when Evan Brown hurt his ankle.

-- The Cardinals scoring a TD on their first drive of the game ended after five games. The Cardinals went three-and-out, with two James Conner runs gaining one yard and then Murray missing Harrison when Murray thought Harrison was going further downfield and Harrison stopped. Murray took the blame for the mix-up after the game.

-- The last word comes from Gannon.

"We can't play in a hole like that. It's too hard to overcome. ... Ultimately we just didn't play clean enough."

Time to fly home.