Bird Bits: Cardinals go OT for win over Miami
Sep 30, 2012, 9:41 PM | Updated: Oct 1, 2012, 2:05 am
Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a football game. So, we will give you Bird Bits providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from the Cardinals’ 24-21 overtime win over the Miami Dolphins..Final Score: Cardinals 24, Dolphins 21
The Good:
Jay Feely booted a 46-yard field goal with 8:29 remaining in overtime to lift the Cardinals to an improbable 24-21 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Kevin Kolb finished 29-of-48 for 324 yards, and hit Andre Roberts on a 15-yard touchdown pass on fourth and ten with :22 remaining in regulation.
The Cardinals are 4-0 for the first time since 1974.
The Bad:
Where do we start?
The biggest fears of Cardinals fans heading into the season was the offensive line — most notably the tackles. Through the first three games, the inexperienced pair of bookends — D’Anthony Batiste and Bobby Massie held their own. That was not the case on Sunday. Miami defensive end Cameron Wake feasted, mostly on Massie, for a career-high 4.5 sacks. Miami terrorized Kevin Kolb all afternoon long, sacking him eight times.
The Arizona running game was absolutely non-existent — the Cardinals gained just 28 yards on 15 carries. Their longest play in the run game was a measly 5 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Arizona allowed rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill to throw for a career-high 418 yards. The Cardinals’ pass defense was also skewered by Brian Hartline, who had a career-high 12 catches for 253 yards and an 80-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to put Miami back in the lead.
Kolb committed a costly turnover in the fourth quarter. After Patrick Peterson returned a Miami fumble 61 yards to the Dolphins’ three-yard line, Kolb threw a terrible pass intended for Larry Fitzgerald in the end zone that was picked off by Sean Smith. On the next play, Tannehill hit Hartline on the 80-yard scoring strike.
Noted:
• Larry Fitzgerald caught a pass in his 121st consecutive game, tying a franchise record held by Mel Gray.
• Five of the last eight games played at University of Phoenix Stadium have gone into overtime. The Cardinals have won all five, and have eight straight home wins to their credit.
• Jay Feely’s game-winning 46-yard field goal was his 18th consecutive made attempt. It ties his own 2010 mark for the second-longest streak in team history.
• This was the first time since September 12, 1999 that the Cardinals have come back to win a game they trailed by 13 or more points at halftime. That day, the Cardinals trailed the Philadelphia Eagles 24-6 at the break, only to come back and win 25-24.
• The Cardinals became only the ninth NFL franchise with 500 all-time regular season victories.
He Said It:
“I don’t know what it is with us, that we have to take it to the last moment of the game, but we’re winning and that’s all that matters.” — Wide receiver Andre Roberts, who finished with six catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
Coming Up Next:
The Cardinals hit the road for an NFC West showdown in St. Louis against the Rams Thursday night at the Edward Jones Dome. The game will be televised nationally by the NFL Network.
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