by The Patriots moved to 7-6 on the season after earning a “Monday Night Football” win over the Cardinals, 27-13. The win not only pushes New England back above .500, it places them as the No. 1 seed. 7 in the AFC playoff picture, leapfrogging the Chargers and Jets.
This was a game filled with a wide array of injuries, but none more noteworthy than Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. He suffered a non-contact knee injury on just the third play of the game and had to be carried off the field. Initial tests reportedly indicate that Murray is feared to have torn his anterior cruciate ligament, which would end his season if/when an MRI confirms it. That would push Colt McCoy full circle under center like it was Monday night.
Under duress, McCoy was solid and helped Arizona jump into a field lead by halftime. Thanks to two consecutive possessions sandwiched around halftime that both resulted in field goals, New England was able to knot things 13 apiece early in the second half, but it was largely another unstable offensive side of the ball outing for the Patriots.
However, their defense was able to catapult them to a win after scoring turnovers on back-to-back drives late in the third quarter. The first was a Kyle Dugger forced fumble off DeAndre Hopkins that Raekwon McMillan collected and returned 29 yards for the touchdown to make it 20-13. On the next Cardinals possession, Josh Uche knocked a pitch from McCoy out of his way and landed in the arms of rookie Marcus Jones. The offense then put together a five-play, 63-yard touchdown drive, featuring a 39-yard reception from Hunter Henry to go up by two scores en route to the win.
Mac Jones was 24 for 35 on the night for 235 yards and an interception. With the backfield slammed, rookie running backs Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris jumped at the chance, as each was able to find the end zone. On the Arizona side, McCoy finished with 246 yards and an interception on 27 of 40 passes. James Conner rushed 15 times for 85 yards and a touchdown.
For a more detailed look at how this game played out, check out our takeaways below.
Because the Patriots won
For most of this game, it looked like the offense would once again be the end of New England. There were a number of questionable play calls, including a first down with 10 seconds left in the first half that nearly led to a turnover that would have eliminated a scoring opportunity. There were also moments in this game where Mac Jones was visibly frustrated with the way the offense operated.
That said, it’s amazing how a few key defensive plays can not only turn the script around for this game, but lighten the mood on the New England sideline. In the second half, the Patriots defense gobbled up Arizona’s offense and put continued pressure on Colt McCoy. As a team, New England compiled six sacks and half of them came from linebacker Josh Uche. Matt Judon was also a mainstay in the Cardinals’ backfield, adding 1.5 sacks to his already career-high totals.
That constant pressure helped launch a second-half shutout and also contributed to one of the key turnovers in this game. After Dugger’s forced fumble on Hopkins and McMillan’s scoop-and-score, Uche was able to quickly pressure McCoy for the next possession. He rocketed out the left side of the line and hit McCoy just as he was trying to hit Hopkins with a deep ball to the left sideline. That changed the ball’s trajectory and it landed in the arms of Marcus Jones to spark an eventual touchdown by the offense and complete the 14-point swing. New England has now scored 85 points in turnovers this season, which is the most in the NFL.
While the offense certainly needs to get into better rhythm for a full game, that touchdown after Jones’ interception was a promising step. The key play on that drive was an unusual, though welcome, deep throw to Hunter Henry 39 yards that put them inside the 5-yard line. If they can start introducing more of those deep shots into their offense, it will go a long way in helping New England enter the postseason.
One other note regarding the offense: With Damien Harris (thigh) previously ruled out for this game and Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) leaving the contest early, New England saw rookies Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr. step up in important way. The first-year backs each found the end zone and tallied for 96 rushing yards on an average of 7.3 yards per carry.
Because the cardinals have lost
Sure, it’s never ideal to lose a franchise quarterback to injury just three plays in a game, but this was a game-winning matchup for Arizona even with Colt McCoy in center. He was able to move the ball early against this Patriots defense, but he couldn’t put them away entirely, as he scored a touchdown in only one of his three red zone trips in the first half.
In the closing seconds of the first half, Kliff Kingsbury continued his theme of being hyper-aggressive on fourth down and kept his offense on the field with 36 seconds remaining at the New England 32-yard line. McCoy had Trey McBride open flat for a first down, but the veteran quarterback didn’t get enough on the ball, allowing Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai to back him up and force a turnover on downs. That gave the ball back to the Patriots, who scurried down the field and kicked a field goal to make a three-pointer. That missed opportunity on fourth down late in the second quarter didn’t stop Kingsbury from pushing the envelope to fourth down on the team’s next possession, in which he also failed to convert.
It was after that point that the Patriots defense clamped down on the Cardinals and began creating turnovers that catapulted them to a win.
Other than some questionable decisions about critical lows and poor play down the offensive line, the Cardinals were largely undisciplined. They were called for eight penalties, with some key erasure plays early, including an illegal move that took away a third-and-13 conversion by Hopkins on his second possession of the night. The infraction effectively killed the drive.
Turning point
The main swing in this game was undoubtedly Hopkins’ fumble returned for a touchdown. Shortly before that, the Cardinals defense forced a quick three-and-out by the Patriots offense that lasted just over 90 seconds, and it looked like New England was reeling from an internal burn. However, that scoop-and-score from McMillan breathed new life into the club and sparked a 14-0 run that would give the Patriots a win.
Hopkins was extremely sloppy with his handling of the football during the fumble, holding the ball in one hand and outstretched with his arm away from his chest. This allowed Dugger plenty of room to clear it.
Game play
James Conner’s 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter may have gotten lost in the confusion of the loss, but it was a huge show of strength from the veteran. He took first-and-goal from the 10-yard line down the gut, and it looked like he was going to be stopped for a minimal gain, when he ran into a collection of white jerseys around the line of scrimmage. Conner had other plans, however, and decided to fight his way into the end zone, taking Patriots safety Devin McCourty with him.
What’s next
From here, the Cardinals will travel to Denver to face the Broncos, who currently have starting quarterback Russell Wilson in concussion protocol. Meanwhile, the Patriots will stay out West, as they face the Raiders in Las Vegas next Sunday.
