Cardinals QB Carson Palmer connects with J.J. Nelson on 80-yard touchdown
Dec 24, 2016, 4:15 PM | Updated: 8:04 pm
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
J.J. Nelson is streaking.
In the second quarter of the Arizona Cardinals’ 34-31 win against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, the diminutive wideout recorded his fourth straight game with a touchdown pass after catching only two in the first 10 games of 2016.
And Nelson did it by streaking past two Seattle defenders on a post route and hauling in an 80-yard bomb thrown by quarterback Carson Palmer.
Nelson pulled down the deep ball — it went 49 yards through the air — by getting a step in between two Seahawks defensive backs, Steven Terrell and Jeremy Lane. But the two Seattle players ran into one another attempting to tackle the speedy receiver, allowing Nelson to waltz into the end zone.
“J.J. is healthy, he is an explosive player,” Bruce Arians told the media afterward. “We sent Larry (Fitzgerald) through the middle, that would get J.J. one on one with the corner. All we needed was time. Carson bought time and put it out there for him.”
J.J. Nelson brings in a MASSIVE 80-yard touchdown from Carson Palmer! #BeRedSeeRed #ARIvsSEA pic.twitter.com/IeY5kg3YZ7
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) December 24, 2016
The play gave Arizona a 14-0 lead with 3:54 left in the first half.
It held some eyebrow-raising historical relevance, too. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the play was the longest pass play allowed by the Seahawks since 1998, when the Kansas City Chiefs’ Rich Gannon hit Andre Rison for an 80-yard passing play.
Nelson, in his second NFL season out of University of Alabama-Birmingham, had three catches for 132 yards and the touchdown against the Seahawks.
Heading into Saturday, Nelson had 27 receptions for 361 yards and five touchdowns.
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