The Arizona Cardinals stuck to the script and walked away with a comfortable victory this weekend against the still winless New York Jets. The game went how most expected as the Jets could not keep up with the Cardinals and lost by a large margin.
Arizona jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and never look back as they would head into halftime up 17-3. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray ran in the second score of the game late in the second quarter to extend Arizona’s lead. In contrast, the Jets could not move the ball at all in the first half as five of their six drives ended in either a punt or turnover on downs. Joe Flacco and the Jets offense only totaled 146 yards. Speaking of Flacco, his first start for the Jets was not likely how he planned. The longtime veteran quarterback completed 54 percent of his passes for 195 yards and just one touchdown pass.
The second half saw a bit more life from both offenses. The Cardinals tacked another 13 points to seal their 30-10 victory over the Jets. Meanwhile, Arizona wideout DeAndre Hopkins continued his dominant season with six receptions, 131 receiving yards, and a touchdown grab. This game was Hopkins third of the season with 100 or more receiving yards. Additionally, running back Kenyan Drake added 60 yards on the ground and a third-quarter touchdown run. Murray, Drake, and Chase Edmonds all had a rushing touchdown in this one. Wideout Christian Kirk also put up 78 receiving yards.
Jets running back Le’Veon Bell returned to the lineup this week and, despite the severe loss, had an alright day running for 60 yards on 13 carries. However, the Jets played from behind all game, hindering running the ball useless, and Bell saw just one reception all game. Additionally, wideout Jamison Crowder had his third game with 100 or more receiving yards and hauled in the 11-yard touchdown pass from Flacco in the third quarter.
Combined with a poor offensive performance from the Jets, the Cardinals defense got a boost of confidence this weekend, holding the Jets to 285 total yards and just 10 points. Safety Budda Baker led the team in tackles with 10, and also picked up a sack. The linebacker duo of De’Vondre Campbell and Jordan Hicks totaled 19 tackles between them. At the same time, Dennis Gardeck led the team in sacks with two.
Highlights
Safe to say @ChaseEdmonds22 enjoys playing at MetLife Stadium.
📺 #AZvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/X2xvgwHyCO
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 11, 2020
Edmonds dashes for a 29-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
8️⃣2️⃣ always making things happen.
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/NZzZMC7hSS
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 11, 2020
Crowder reaches for the goal line to give the Jets the score.
Ladies & Gentlemen…. @DeAndreHopkins pic.twitter.com/dU8HnFNmWi
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 11, 2020
Hopkins hauls in a late-game touchdown pass to put the nail in the coffin.
Despite the convincing win, the Cardinals lost a pivotal piece to their defense early in the game. Outside linebacker Chandler Jones went down early and did not return. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has already said that he fears Jones is done for the season. Murray continued to be a dual-threat on offense and kept the Jets defense on their toes. They move to 3-2 on the season, but consistency will be critical for Arizona moving forward.
For the Jets, things still look gloom and doom as of now. Sam Darnold is currently week-to-week with a shoulder injury and is questionable for the team’s Week 6 game against the Miami Dolphins. New York will have to find some offense if they want to win a single game this season. Regardless, the Jets may as well start thinking about who they want to take with the no. 1 overall draft pick in the upcoming draft.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Ethan Hewett on Twitter @hewett_ethan
Main Image Credit:
Embed from Getty Images
