The Arizona Cardinals faced the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 of the 2019 NFL season. Here are are some highlights from the game.
Coming into this game, the Cardinals had a three-game winning streak and were hoping to pull off a big upset. Meanwhile, the Saints were unsure about whether veteran Drew Brees would be starting, or if they would be handing the ball to Teddy Bridgewater. The Saints decided that Brees was ready to return, and he didn’t disappoint, leading them to a 31-9 victory.
Through the third quarter, the Cardinals were only losing 10-6. But after a bad fourth-down decision and some poor defense, the game slipped away to 31-9.
The Cardinals entered semi-confident that they could pull off a stunning win and increase their winning streak to four games. Kyler Murray again showed why he is an NFL-caliber quarterback, but he didn’t have his best game. Murray only completed 19 of 33 pass attempts for 220 yards. The Saints’ defense was very dominant, and they didn’t let the Cardinals score any touchdowns. Despite the excellence of the Saints’ defense, Murray didn’t throw any interceptions.
This season, the Cardinals seemed to have amazing depth at running back. David Johnson was looking like a Pro Bowler, and Chase Edmonds was seeming to be one of the top backups in the league. However, Johnson has been battling an ankle injury, and Edmonds injured his hamstring in this game. While Johnson is likely out for the upcoming game against the undefeated 49ers, Edmonds still has some hope that he will play. Arizona acquired Kenyan Drake from Miami in case Edmonds can’t play on a short week.
The worst part of this loss for the Cardinals was Larry Fitzgerald’s struggle to get two feet in bounds. Fitzgerald was in the back of the end zone when Murray lofted a beautiful pass his way. He caught it, but on his way down only planted one foot before falling out of the end zone.
The Cardinals’ defense also struggled, as they didn’t sack Drew Brees at all and allowed 31 points.
Brees played this game as if he hadn’t missed any time at all. He finished the game completing 34 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. This is the team’s sixth consecutive win; their only loss came in Week 2 when Brees left the game injured.
The Saints’ receivers played very well, and they took advantage of the weak spots in the Cardinals’ defense.
Next week, the Saints are on a bye. They will return in Week 10 to play the Atlanta Falcons (1-7) at 1:00 p.m. EST. This will be another home game for the Saints, and they will last likely capitalize on the bad season the Falcons are having.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals will head back home to face the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. This will be a Thursday night game that will start at 5:20 p.m. PST on FOX.
