An injury-plagued night with ugly offensive efforts on both sides fell in the New England Patriots’ favor on Monday, as they pulled away late and held on for a 27-13 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
The Patriots caught a break on the third play of the game, when Cardinals starting quarterback Kyler Murray went down with what looked like a serious knee injury.
And yet, even with Murray out, the Cardinals continued to put up a significant fight against the Patriots. The defense consistently generated pressure on Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and even came away with an interception. On the offensive side of the ball, they were able to get their running game going with James Conner against a Patriots’ defensive front that has typically shut down opposing rushers.
Things looked bleak early on.
But then the tide turned with a shocking mistake made by Cardinals star wideout DeAndre Hopkins, who coughed up a forced fumble by Kyle Dugger that was returned for a touchdown by Patriots linebacker Raekown McMillan.
Scooping & scoring.@KingDugg_3 @Kwon_daTRUTH #NEvsAZ on ESPN pic.twitter.com/Klyw15OdPb
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 13, 2022
Not long after that play, Mac Jones led the Patriots on a touchdown drive after linking up with tight end Hunter Henry on a 39-yard reception to put the team on the goal line. Rookie running back Pierre Strong Jr. did the honors in running the ball into the end zone and ultimately putting the game out of reach.
It was a big night for the rookies with Strong and Kevin Harris both getting their first NFL touchdowns, along with cornerback Marcus Jones coming away with his first interception.
The victory over the Cardinals put the Patriots back in the playoff picture with the No. 7 seed. Of course, they’ll have their work cut out for them in keeping that spot with games against the Las Vegas Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills left on the schedule.
There are also some key injuries to monitor following the game, including running back Rhamondre Stevenson, receiver DeVante Parker, cornerback Jack Jones and safety Devin McCourty.
A win is a win, but it’s hard to feel confident about the Patriots considering how flat they looked offensively against a Cardinals team that ranks among the worst teams in the league on defense. There were still a lot of snuffed out screens and a lack of vertical plays downfield to keep the defense honest.
The opportunity to take a victory lap is surely there, but don’t be surprised if some Patriots fans are just fine with breathing a sigh of relief that they didn’t lose in an upset to a McCoy-led Cardinals team.
