Defense leads Patriots to 27-13 win over Cardinals on Monday Night Football
BOSTON -- It wasn't a pretty win, but the Patriots got a much-needed victory Monday night in Arizona. The New England defense made a game-changing play in the third quarter, as the Patriots beat the Cardinals 27-13 on Monday Night Football.
The Patriots snapped a two-game skid with the win and are now 7-6 on the season, keeping their playoff hopes alive for another week. New England is now slotted in as the final Wild Card team in the AFC.
Monday night's game was an ugly one filled with unfortuante injuries on both sides. Kyler Murray left after three plays after suffering a non-contact knee injury, which is never good for any player, let alone a running quarterback. The Patriots were already thin at receiver with Jakobi Meyers out with a concussion, and then lost DeVante Parker to a head injury in the first quarter.
Corner Jack Jones (knee) and running back Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) also left the game in the first half, leaving the Patriots extremely shorthanded on skill players.
As ugly as it was on the injury front, it was just as ugly for the Patriots on offense for most of the game. New England punted away its first possession, and on their second, Mac Jones was hit as he threw and was picked off. The Cardinals turned that into a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
The Patriots answered with a touchdown drive, with rookie Kevin Harris capping things off with a 14-yard touchdown run. Yes, the Patriots scored in the red zone for the first time since Week 9 to take a 7-3 lead.
But the Pats punted away their next possession, which was derailed by a delay of game on a third-and-9, and Arizona went on a 7-play, 63-yard scoring drive. James Connor rushed it in from 10 yards out to put the Cardinals on top 13-7.
New England followed that up with a quick three-and-out, but got the ball back after the Cardinals went for it on a fourth-and-1 at the New England 32. Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai got a hand on Colt McCoy's fourth-down pass to tight end Trey McBride to end the possession and give the ball to the New England offense.
Jones hit Hunter Henry for a 30-yard connection to get the Patriots into Arizona territory, but the Pats had to settle for a field goal when Harris fumbled Jones' handoff a few plays later. Folk's 51-yarder before the half cut Arizona's lead to 13-10.
More frustration from Jones boiled over early in the third quarter, after the Patriots had to burn an early timeout with the play clock winding down. He angrily waved off offensive play-caller Matt Patricia, with a choice word mixed in for his coach for the second straight week.
Rookie running back Pierre Strong Jr. broke off a nice 44-yard run on a first-and-20 a few plays later, setting the Patriots up at the Arizona 12. But New England settled for a 23-yard Folk field goal when facing a fourth-and-2 at the Arizona 4-yard line, tying things at 13-13.
The two teams traded possessions, and that's when the New England defense came up with the big play of the game. After McCoy hit DeAndre Hopkins with a short pass, Kyle Dugger knocked the ball out of the receiver's hands (it wasn't hard, since Hopkins was carrying it like a loaf of bread) and Raekwon McMillan scooped it up and ran 23 yards for the defensive score to put the Pats on top 20-13.
That was the fourth defensive touchdown for the Patriots this season, which is the second-most in the NFL.
The defense came up with another big play on Arizona's next drive. After sacking McCoy on first down, Josh Uche hit the QB as he threw on second down. McCoy's errant pass was picked off by Marcus Jones for the rookie's first career interception, and gave the ball back to the Patriots at the New England 37.
The offense looked like a real offense on the ensuing drive. Jones kept things going by hitting Kendrick Bourne for 16 yards on a third-and-5 to end the third quarter. He then dialed up another deep connection with Henry, this one for 39 yards that brought the Patriots to the Arizona 3-yard line. Rookie Pierre Strong rushed it in on the next play for his first career touchdown, giving New England a 27-13 lead.
The New England defense really took off from there, and ended the night with two takeaways and six sacks on McCoy. Uche came up with three of those sacks, and is up to 10 sacks on the season -- all of which have come in the last five games.
Jones was 24-for-34 for 235 yards in the win, and Henry led the team with 70 receiving yards off three catches. The offense had a few nice drives in the game, but the unit still doesn't look right.
The Patriots will now stay out west for next Sunday's tilt against Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders.
