The Arizona Cardinals Week 8 game against the Green Bay Packers was a wild contest throughout the entire evening. This Thursday Night matchup was a roller coaster for both franchises, that ultimately led to Green Bay earning the win. We'll be evaluating this Cardinals-Packers matchup with some Cardinals Week 8 takeaways in mind.

Arizona's defense put on an impressive display without superstar pass rusher JJ Watt. His absence was noticeable, but it wasn't like the Cardinals were torched either. Even so, Green Bay took advantage and ran the ball successfully throughout the game.

Offensively, there were some key takeaways outside of AJ Green's obvious mental error in the final moments of the game. For starters, Chase Edmonds and James Conner have been fantastic for Arizona so far. They should continue that trend throughout the rest of the season. Additionally, Kyler Murray seemed to struggle whenever DeAndre Hopkins wasn't on the field, which was often on Thursday night.

With that said, here are three Cardinals Week 8 takeaways from their game against the Packers.

*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*

Cardinals Week 8 Takeaways

3. JJ Watt was sorely missed against the Packers

The Cardinals pass rush was noticeably weaker and they couldn't stop the run to save their lives (well, they did on the Packers' final drive of the game, but still). Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon combined for 137 rushing yards and a touchdown on the evening. This was a solid performance out of Green Bay, considering Arizona has been stuffing the run throughout most of this season.

Hopefully, the coaching staff can make adjustments, as losing JJ Watt might be detrimental to the team's success. The good news is, the Cardinals kept it competitive against a tough Packers team and had a legitimate chance to win the game in the final seconds. We'll see how the defense transitions with Watt out of the lineup for the remainder of the year.

2. Chase Edmonds and James Conner are an elite running back duo

They only had 12 carries between them, but Chase Edmonds and James Conner finished the game with a combined 52 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Edmonds also provided an extra 39 receiving yards on the evening. The Cardinals running back duo left their mark on this game and they've looked great since Week 1.

Look for these two to continue providing consistency out of the backfield for Arizona. Edmonds and Conner both play a vital role in the Cardinals' offensive scheme. Without them, Arizona would have struggled against the Packers.

1. Kyler Murray looked pedestrian without DeAndre Hopkins

This was the first game this season where Kyler Murray looked human. Unfortunately, DeAndre Hopkins was off and on the field throughout the game dealing with a hamstring issue. Without him on the field, the Cardinals struggled to move the ball at times. Typically hamstring problems are a lingering issue. However, it might not be serious as Hopkins attempted to play through it multiple times.

We'll see how it plays out for the Cardinals, as Murray needs his top receiver on the field. Considering how deep the NFC is right now, Arizona must be at their best to remain at the top of the rankings for the rest of the season.