Arizona Cardinals get tricky with flea flicker to A.J. Green vs. 49ers

Well, that’s one way to find pay dirt.

The Arizona Cardinals got tricky with it early on against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, scoring the first touchdown of the game behind a 77-yard flea flicker to wide receiver A.J. Green on just the second play from scrimmage.

IT'S TRICKY 😉@ajgreen_18 x #BirdCityFootball pic.twitter.com/nUPrZoGISG

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 8, 2023

Receiving the handoff, Pharoh Cooper ran to the outside before firing the ball back to quarterback David Blough, who proceeded to throw it up to the pass catcher.

Entering Week 18, Green had tallied 145 receiving yards. He put up more than half of that on the TD grab. He also doubled his touchdown output on the catch.

The touchdown marked Green’s 70th of his career in what could be his final game after 12 NFL seasons.

It’s also the longest play of the Cardinals’ season.

“I don’t know yet (if I’ll quit playing),” Green said Thursday. “That’s a decision I’ll have to make with my family, but whatever that decision is, I’m at peace with it. I feel like I’ve been true to this game my whole career. I did everything the right way. If it’s my time to walk away, I’ll be ready.

“My factor is my family,” the wideout added. “I don’t know if I want to move my boys again if it’s not (in Arizona). That’d be the biggest thing.”

Despite the early trickery, Arizona wasn’t able to completely cash in on the touchdown, missing the extra point.

And the lead the Cardinals quickly garnered was dashed the very next possession behind a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended with a 21-yard pass from QB and Arizona native Brock Purdy to running back Christian McCaffrey.

Green’s TD catch was about the only bright spot offensively for Arizona, who scored just once more in a 38-13 loss to San Francisco.

The wideout finished what could be his final NFL game with three catches on five targets for 91 yards and the score.

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