Big Red Recap: Arizona Cardinals bounce back in tight win over Kansas City
Dec 8, 2014, 1:53 AM | Updated: 1:53 am
GLENDALE, Ariz. — That felt like an Arizona Cardinals football game.
After back-to-back losses on the road, the Cardinals returned to University of Phoenix Stadium and returned to their proven formula of winning football.
Drew Stanton hit Jaron Brown on a 26-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, giving the Cardinals a lead they would never relinquish. Arizona’s defense stepped up, held the Kansas City Chiefs scoreless in the second half, while forcing two turnovers in a 17-14 win that pushed their record to 10-3 on the season.
The offense got a big shot in the arm from an unlikely candidate. Kerwynn Williams, a practice squad running back who was elevated to the active roster Friday, ran for 100 yards on 19 carries on the day.
“This was another typical Cardinals football game,” head coach Bruce Arians said. “We played hard and made a mistake or two, but when it comes to second-half football, this team has showed its resiliency — especially at home.”
The Chiefs’ second turnover of the game was an absolute killer. Quarterback Alex Smith hit tight end Travis Kelce on an 18-yard completion down to the Arizona 22-yard line with just about five-and-a-half minutes left. After the play, a replay was showed on the big screen that caused Arians to challenge the call.
Replays showed that Kelce started to lose possession after a hit from Deone Bucannon. After the tackle, the ball squirted loose and Cardinals’ defensive back Justin Bethel jumped on it. After review, referee Craig Wrolstad announced the call was reversed and Arizona took over possession.
“From my vision, I thought he regained possession of the ball, but I’m not making that call,” Kansas City head coach Andy Reid said. “You’ve got to keep the ball high and tight in that area and we have to make sure…I can’t. Go on to something besides the officials. I don’t have anything good to say.”
Kansas City (7-6) controlled the first half, thanks to running back Jamaal Charles. The seventh-year back busted off a beautiful 63-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and added an 18-yard scoring reception in the late stages of the second quarter.
The Cardinals’ defense would bend in the second half, allowing 191 total yards after halftime, but they didn’t break.
With the win, the Cardinals retain a one-game lead for first place in the NFC West over the Seattle Seahawks, who beat Philadelphia Sunday, with just three games to play.
THE GOOD
A resurgent running game, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Arizona. With running back Andre Ellington on the shelf Sunday and beyond (more on that later), Arians used a committee to put a spark in the ground game. Stepfan Taylor started and Marion Grice got some carries, but it was Williams who stole the show with his first 100-yard game.
In fact, Williams had appeared in two other NFL games, but had never carried the football before Sunday.
The Cardinals needed improvement on third down situations, and got it. Arizona converted 40 percent (6-of-15) third downs Sunday, a major improvement over their 21 percent rate over the previous two games.
THE BAD
After a stellar start to the season, rookie kicker Chandler Catanzaro has cooled off. The Clemson product kicked three field goals in Sunday’s win, but missed two very makeable chances, including a 33-yarder that would have stretched the league to six points with 1:09 remaining. It didn’t factor largely in the outcome, as Kansas City couldn’t get into field goal range on their final drive, but has to be a concern moving forward. Catanzaro has missed four out of his last 10 field goal attempts.
HE SAID IT
“Just in case you don’t know who Kerwynn Williams is, he’s number 33.” — Arians
UNSUNG HERO
Linebacker Alex Okafor continued his breakout 2014 season, with two tackles, a quarterback sack and a huge interception stalling a Chiefs’ drive deep in Cardinals’ territory in the third quarter.
NOTED
• Williams became the Cardinals’ first 100-yard rusher in 2014, and the first since Ellington had 154 against Atlanta in Week 8 of 2013 — a span of 19 games.
• The Cardinals have notched back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1975-76.
• Arizona’s 16-play drive in the second quarter was their second-longest of 2014.
BAD NEWS
Arians announced that Ellington will fly to Philadelphia Monday and will have season-ending sports hernia surgery.
WHAT’S NEXT
Short week for the Cardinals as they travel to St. Louis to battle the Rams Thursday night in the first of three straight NFC West games to end the regular season.
The game kicks off at 6:25 p.m. Thursday at the Edward Jones Dome and can be heard on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM with pregame coverage starting at 2:00.
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