The Bengals traveled to Arizona to take on the Cardinals in a battle of the winless on Sunday in Week 5 of the NFL season.
Entering this game, it seemed to be a pretty even matchup. With both teams searching for their first win, Arizona fans had some confidence. Coming off of a tough home loss to the Seahawks in Week 4, the Cardinals came in with a strong desire to win. Kyler Murray was starting to look like the highly touted rookie people thought he was, and Larry Fitzgerald was proving to be the leader the team needs.
Recap
The Cardinals managed to pull away with a very close first victory over the Bengals.
Kyler Murray had a terrific game and the rest of the offense, as well as the defense, was able to back up their rookie quarterback. Murray rushed for 93 yards and completed 20 of 32 passes for 253 yards.
This week has been an especially dramatic week for the Cardinals team and staff as owner Bill Bidwill passed away on Oct. 2. With some of Bidwill’s family present at the game, the Cardinals showed why we should still have some faith in them. Murray had his best NFL game, and he was only sacked once. Zane Gonzalez also had a very good turn around from last week, making four of five attempted field goals.
The receivers, notably David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, had a great game. The veteran Fitzgerald had a team-best six catches for 58 total yards. Johnson ran for 91 yards and added 65 receiving yards. Running back Chase Edmonds ran for 68 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown that put the Cardinals ahead by 14 points.
Since the Bengals knew the Cardinals were a mostly passing team, they played two safeties high. This turned this game into a more running game for the offense.
This is the first game where the Cardinals have topped their opponents from a statistics perspective. Netting 514 total yards compared to the Bengals’ 370, they clearly seemed to be the better team.
Murray was a true star in this game, and he ran for a 24 yard scramble that set up the winning field goal. Zane Gonzalez hit the 31-yard kick with under a minute left to put the Cardinals ahead.
Injuries
David Johnson suffered a minor back injury sometime in the first half. Despite this, he stayed in the game and posted 156 scrimmage yards. Cornerback Tramaine Brock also momentarily left the game with a knee injury before returning, but later exited with a shoulder injury and did not return.
Looking Ahead
Next week, the Cardinals are set to square off against the Falcons in Arizona. As the Falcons are struggling, the Cardinals should be able to keep their confidence running high and get a second win.
