Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals experienced what a Thursday Night Football contest is like on a national stage, produced by Prime Video, against NFC West Division foe the Seattle Seahawks. Most teams dislike the fact that the turnaround from Sunday games is just four days, but they enjoy the 10 days that follow the outcome.
Both teams needed a victory going into the game. Arizona stood at 2-1-0 after losing to the division leader San Francisco 49ers, in a contest they should have won. Seattle also entered the game with a 2-1-0 record, so the winner would have not only the upper hand in the division but an important division win, which is pivotal towards the end of the schedule. Seattle had beaten the Cardinals seven straight matches.
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The home game for the Cardinals was very quiet for most of the game because the Cardinals lacked any offense for three and a half quarters. Despite a deficit of 20-6, Arizona came back to tie the game, then lost it 23-20 with just 33 seconds left on the game clock.
So, who played well for the Cardinals? Who didn’t?
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither – This guy was everywhere all game. On the Seahawks’ first possession, they thought they were going to be cute and go for it at the Arizona 48-yard line with a fourth-and-one. It was Davis-Gaither who shot the gap after beating LG Grey Zabel and nailed RB Zach Charbonnet for no gain. Two plays earlier, he recognized the running play and was able to tackle RB Kenneth Walker for a three-yard loss. Davis-Gaither stopped Charbonnet for a two-yard loss early in the second quarter, then two plays later hit Walker for a four-yard gain on the third-and-19 to force a punt. Early in the fourth quarter, he stopped Walker on a first-and-goal. Led all Arizona defenders in tackles with 10.
Fourth quarter QB Kyler Murray – Whatever woke him up, he needs to do that earlier. With just over nine minutes left in the game, Murray went to work.On the second play, Murray scrambled for 29 yards to get to Seattle’s 30. Hit McBride for nine yards, was sacked, and then threw the perfect pass to WR Marvin Harrison in the left corner of the end zone over the Seahawks’ best pass defender, CB Devon Witherspoon. Great management and vision of the field. On the Cardinals’ next drive, now down seven, he orchestrated a 12-play 57-yard drive that took just 2:48 off the clock. This included a successful fourth-and-four play in which Murray found WR Michael Wilson for a five-yard gain that moved the sticks with 3:01 left in the game. Another sack that was followed by a 15-yard completion that Murray laid in perfectly to WR Greg Dortch on a key third-and-nine. Then Murray found Harrison, who gained 18 on a third-and-five. Murray then laid out a smooth pass to RB Emari Demercado, who easily found the end zone...
