The Arizona Cardinals temporarily lost Kyler Murray due to a injury.
ARIZONA — Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray briefly exited action in the third quarter against the New England Patriots after being hit after a passing attempt.
Murray was hit late – which drew a personal foul against New England – and promptly went to the blue medical tent.
He exited the tent and remained on the sideline. On Arizona’s ensuing drive, he went back into the game.
Clayton Tune filled in for Murray while he was out, completing both of his passing attempts for eight yards.
The Cardinals currently lead 16-3 at the time of publish.
Earlier this week, Arizona’s three-game losing streak was brought up in Murray’s press conference, where he responded with the following:
“We weren’t thinking about that, but we understood what was at stake. To let it go and not play our best, that was the tough part. It stings (and) hurts, but we have to get over it and put all the energy into New England coming in here on Sunday. Last year we were kind of in a similar situation as them, then went on the road to Pittsburgh, Philly and (won).
“They’re going to come in here and play hard. We understand that and we have to be ready to go.”
Murray also spoke on the importance of Jonathan Gannon to the team’s leadership during the skid.
“Very important. Obviously, he’s our coach. He is the temperament of the team. Every morning, he comes with juice. Every morning, he comes with the right message. He can feel the energy of the team when we feel that we may let one go or (are) disappointed in ourselves, but at the end of the day, we have another opportunity to go out there and be great. Another opportunity to go out there and win. If we want to do what we want to do, which we still have a chance to, we have to worry about this week and win this game.”
What we learned as Arizona Cardinals ride James Conner’s big day to victory over Patriot
After three straight losses, Sunday was a welcome reprieve for the Cardinals. It took just one drive for their first points, two drives for their first touchdown and three quarters to drive Patriots fans from State Farm Stadium, the final result already beyond doubt.
With a 30-17 win over New England, the Cardinals moved to 7-7 and returned to the win column after over a month of losing ways.
Here’s what we learned in the victory:
Cardinals showed resilience
No, the Patriots are not very good. But the Cardinals were coming off a three-game losing streak with their playoff hopes likely gone. Last week, their “motor” was insufficient, in Jonathan Gannon’s words. Considering those circumstances, there was a legitimate question as to whether the Cardinals would be visibly deflated on Sunday.
They played, though, like a team that believes it’s still fighting for a playoff spot. Consider their first touchdown, which came when right tackle Jonah Williams athletically chased down a fumble in the end zone, preventing a turnover and putting six points on the board.
That was a pure effort play and it spoke to a team that has been well-trained to not lie down, even when its season may effectively be over.
Kyler Murray’s string of questionable decision making continued
Murray did not officially throw an interception on Sunday, snapping a stretch of five interceptions in three games since the bye. His recklessness with the football, though, continued.
On one third-quarter play, Murray did well in evading a sack but then tried to shotput a pass to Michael Wilson that was easily intercepted. The pick was negated by a roughing-the-passer penalty against New England, but it was another example of Murray not making smart decisions.
The interception was the most egregious moment, but he also repeatedly tried to pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. in tight coverage and escaped clean pockets, leading to wasted offensive plays.
Run game was impressive
With a weaker opponent in the building after three straight difficult matchups, the Cardinals’ run game once again shone. James Conner finished with 110 yards on 16 carries and Murray added 11 yards on five attempts. The Cardinals averaged 5.1 yards per carry and finished with 163 rushing yards, their most since Week 9.
Speaking of Harrison, he played better than his two-catch, 32-yard stat line would indicate. He had a 14-yard catch on a comeback route brought back when the Cardinals accepted a defensive penalty. Later, he beat Christian Gonzalez — one of the league’s better corners — on a fade route but couldn’t convert it into a touchdown on a contested catch attempt.
Cardinals pass defense was excellent
Last week, Cardinals corners struggled mightily against Seattle, a rare poor performance in an encouraging season for that group.
On Sunday, against a far less imposing group of Patriots receivers, the Cardinals’ pass defense once again impressed. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye finished with just 202 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Neither nickel Garrett Williams nor outside corner Max Melton — two key young pieces — was charged with allowing a reception, per Pro Football Focus.
Again, the performance came against an offense devoid of much talent. But it was nonetheless a welcome response from the Cardinals’ young secondary.
Cardinals season is still alive
The Cardinals still need significant help to make the playoffs, but Sunday’s win kept their hopes alive.
If they can win out — against the Panthers, Rams and 49ers — then they would need the Seahawks to drop three of their final four games. Given that Seattle has Minnesota and the Rams among their final four games, that’s not impossible.
For the Cardinals, the schedule gets harder from here. Even the 3-11 Panthers should pose more of a test than the Patriots mustered on Sunday. But at least that game will have meaning.
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