Cardinals’ Kenyan Drake cracks the safe, explodes against Seattle

There goes that man, again.

After posting career bests in last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake picked up right where he left off Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Needing little to get going, the RB quickly impacted the matchup up north.

After watching Russell Wilson and the Seahawks drive 89 yards on nine plays, ending their first possession of the game with a 3-yard touchdown to Nick Bellore, the Cardinals needed something to quiet the crowd and get momentum back on their side.

Mission accomplished.

Kenyan Drake has just exploded since getting traded to the desert. That includes this 80 run to tie it up in Seattle🔥 pic.twitter.com/dZVR6QMIUV

— FG 🏈🎄 (@ForeverGridiron) December 22, 2019

“KD was on, he set the tone with that long one and kept going all night,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Paul Calvisi after the game. “He’s a tough, tough player, competitive player. He took two really big shots that kinda knocked him out for a second but he wanted back in there and wanted the ball at the end.”

Going right back to what worked just a week prior, the Cardinals turned to Drake on the first play of the drive.

That’s all he needed.

Patiently following his lead blockers before burning through the open hole, Drake sprinted down the sideline, gassing Seattle defenders on the way to the 80-yard score.

The TD marks the fifth score in five quarters of play for Drake, who continues to build a strong resume with free agency on the horizon.

And don’t think that’s not on the mind of the running back, who broke open the safe and secured the bag to cap off the long scamper.

That Kenyan Drake TD run was only surpassed by the Kenyan Drake TD celebration.

— Vince Marotta (@Vincemarotta) December 22, 2019

He wasn’t done there.

Looking to hold off the Seahawks up 20-13 and without starting quarterback Kyler Murray, the Cardinals went back to Drake for the presumable dagger, rushing three yards for his second touchdown of the day.

27-13 #AZCardinals Kenyan Drake touchdown #redsea #AZvsSEA #NFL pic.twitter.com/6Ew5TIa6jC

— GlendaleCardinals (@YotesGlendale) December 23, 2019

All told, Drake finished the game with 155 yards, a new career-high, and two scores on 21 carries. It’s the second straight 100-yard performance for the back, who now has three games over the century mark since joining the Cardinals.

Kenyan Drake is only the 7th Cardinals player to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since the team moved to the Valley in 1988. He joins David Johnson, Chris Johnson, Edgerrin James (twice), Marcel Shipp, Johnny Johnson (twice) and Earl Ferrell.

— Vince Marotta (@Vincemarotta) December 22, 2019

With six touchdowns in the last seven days, Drake trails only Ernie Nevers (9) for the most rushing scores in any two-game span.

“He’s just hungry, I feel like you can tell that when he gets the ball he wants the ball,” quarterback Kyler Murray told reporters after the game. “If he’s not getting the ball he’s telling everybody he wants the ball. I think it’s something you like to see out of a running back, kinda demand the ball, be angry, run hard and he does that.

“He’s versatile, I feel like there’s really not anything that he cannot do on the football field.”

He’s only played seven games with the Cardinals, but Drake is already showing why he was a target at the trade deadline and the potential back of the future in the Valley.

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