Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals
· National Football LeagueKyler Murray leads game-winning drive in return from ACL injury as Cardinals beat Falcons 25-23
The Arizona Cardinals quarterback bounced around in the pocket for a moment before retreating backward, evading multiple defenders while running to his left before reversing back to his right side and sprinting up the field for a spectacular 13-yard run that set up the game-winning field goal.
It's been 11 months since Murray has been able to pull one of those jaw-dropping moves. It didn't take him long to prove he's still got it.
“Honestly, I thought they had a pretty good contain,” Murray said. “But God blessed me with the ability to do things like that."
Murray threw for 249 yards and ran for a touchdown in his return from an ACL tear, Matt Prater made a game-winning 23-yard field goal as time expired and the Cardinals snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the Atlanta Falcons 25-23 on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Murray made a pair of important plays on the game-winning drive, providing reminders of why he was the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 and also why the Cardinals (2-8) signed him to a $230.5 million contract before the 2022 season.
The 13-yard scramble on third-and-10 — after evading multiple sack attempts — helped keep Arizona’s game-winning drive alive. Then Murray hit tight end Trey McBride on a 33-yard pass that set up the short field goal.
“He made plays with his legs, he made plays with arm,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “Obviously, a jolt of energy and belief within our team. That's why he is who he is. Couldn't be happier for the guy.”
Murray helped make it an easy field goal for Prater, who also connected from 56, 51 and 46 yards.
McBride finished with eight catches for 131 yards, James Conner ran for 73 yards and Murray completed 19 of 32 passes. Rookie BJ Ojulari had two sacks for the Cardinals. It was the first 100-yard receiving game for an Arizona tight end since 1989.
“It felt good to have Kyler back, felt good to get this offense moving a little bit, it was a lot of fun," McBride said. "Kyler is a heckuva player.”
The Falcons pushed ahead 23-22 with 2:33 remaining on Desmond Ridder’s 9-yard run to the left corner of the end zone. Atlanta’s 2-point conversion failed, which allowed the Cardinals to play for a game-winning field goal.
The 24-year-old Ridder started the team's first eight games of the season before losing his job to Taylor Heinicke, but was forced into the game in the fourth quarter after Heinicke hurt his hamstring.
Heinicke was 8 of 15 passing for 55 yards and a touchdown. Ridder was 4 of 6 for 39 yards.
Atlanta (4-6) has lost three straight, and six of its past eight, heading into a bye week.
“We're frustrated — anybody would be when you come up short,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “We have to fix what's been our issues and find a way to get back in the win column.”
Murray — who hadn't played a game in 335 days — scored his first touchdown of the season with 10 seconds left in the first half, faking a handoff to Conner before keeping the ball himself and running 6 yards into the end zone, cutting the Falcons lead to 14-12 entering halftime.
Backup quarterback Clayton Tune and the offensive line pushed the pile for a 1-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left in the third quarter that gave the Cardinals a 22-17 lead.
Murray — a two-time Pro Bowl selection — tore the ACL in his right knee on Dec. 12, 2022, against the New England Patriots. The Cardinals have had several fill-in quarterbacks in the interim, including Colt McCoy, Trace McSorley, David Blough, Joshua Dobbs and Tune.
None of them had much success. The Cardinals had a 1-13 record over that span.
But it's clear Arizona is a different team with Murray on the field.
“The energy, the vibe, everything was good,” McBride said. "We were coming into this game with a lot of confidence. We knew this was a good game for us, Kyler's coming back, we're playing at home. We were juiced up and excited.
“We wanted to play good for him.”
Atlanta's Bijan Robinson ran for a 5-yard touchdown late in the first half — completing a 13-play, 76-yard drive — to give the Falcons a 14-6 lead late in the second quarter. Robinson finished with 95 yards rushing on 22 carries.
Nate Landman intercepted an off-the-mark Murray pass in the middle of the third quarter, returning it 25 yards to the Arizona 14. The Falcons settled for a field goal on the ensuing drive to take a 17-15 advantage.
The Falcons have lost the past three games by a combined 10 points.
INJURIES
Cardinals starting left tackle D.J. Humphries (ankle) and running back Emari Demercado (toe) were among six inactives. ... Conner (knee) returned after missing the past four games while on injured reserve. ... Atlanta receiver Drake London (groin) returned after missing one game. ... Heinicke was hurt while trying to run for a first down early in the fourth.
UP NEXT
Falcons: Host New Orleans on Nov. 26.
Cardinals: Travel to Houston next Sunday.
How can I watch Falcons vs. Cardinals?
- TV Channel: Falcons at Cardinals 2021-22 NFL, week 10 is broadcasted nationally on CBS - Paramount+ NFL on CBS 2021 - Try it FREE!.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
In Canada, viewers can watch Falcons vs. Cardinals on DAZN.
Scoring Summary
FG | 1st Period 4:48 | Matt Prater 51 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 2nd Period 13:27 | Scott Miller 2 Yd pass from Taylor Heinicke (Younghoe Koo Kick) | |
FG | 2nd Period 10:32 | Matt Prater 46 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 2nd Period 4:07 | Bijan Robinson 5 Yd Run (Younghoe Koo Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 0:10 | Kyler Murray 6 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) | |
FG | 3rd Period 9:16 | Matt Prater 56 Yd Field Goal | |
FG | 3rd Period 5:18 | Younghoe Koo 36 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 3rd Period 0:19 | Clayton Tune 1 Yd Run (Matt Prater Kick) | |
TD | 4th Period 2:33 | Desmond Ridder 9 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) | |
FG | 4th Period 0:00 | Matt Prater 23 Yd Field Goal |
Statistics
ATL | ARI | |
---|---|---|
20 | 1st Downs | 20 |
5 | Passing 1st downs | 11 |
11 | Rushing 1st downs | 8 |
4 | 1st downs from penalties | 1 |
7-14 | 3rd down efficiency | 3-11 |
1-2 | 4th down efficiency | 1-1 |
65 | Total Plays | 60 |
254 | Total Yards | 352 |
3.9 | Yards per Play | 5.9 |
10 | Total Drives | 10 |
70 | Passing | 230 |
12-21 | Comp-Att | 19-32 |
2.9 | Yards per pass | 6.8 |
0 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
3-24 | Sacks-Yards Lost | 2-19 |
184 | Rushing | 122 |
41 | Rushing Attempts | 26 |
4.5 | Yards per rush | 4.7 |
3-4 | Red Zone (Made-Att) | 2-4 |
4-43 | Penalties | 11-112 |
0 | Turnovers | 1 |
0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
0 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
0 | Defensive / Special Teams TDs | 0 |
31:42 | Possession | 28:18 |
Game Information
Location: Glendale, AZ
Attendance: 62,861 · Capacity:
2023 NFC South Standings
TEAM | W | L | PCT | T | PF | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tampa Bay | 9 | 8 | .529 | 0 | 348 | 325 |
New Orleans | 9 | 8 | .529 | 0 | 402 | 327 |
Atlanta | 7 | 10 | .412 | 0 | 321 | 373 |
Carolina | 2 | 15 | .118 | 0 | 236 | 416 |
2023 NFC West Standings
TEAM | W | L | PCT | T | PF | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Francisco | 12 | 5 | .706 | 0 | 491 | 298 |
Los Angeles | 10 | 7 | .588 | 0 | 404 | 377 |
Seattle | 9 | 8 | .529 | 0 | 364 | 402 |
Arizona | 4 | 13 | .235 | 0 | 330 | 455 |
NFL News
SC Featured: 'Family over everything' for Giants TE Theo Johnson
Dive deep into the life of Penn State letterman and Giants TE Theo Johnson leading up to the 2024 NFL draft.
Minor league turtle delay recalls other moments of wildlife on the field
A turtle briefly delayed a minor league game on Saturday, but it's far from the first time an animal stole the show at a sporting event.
Veteran LB Bud Dupree, 31, signs with Los Angeles Chargers
Linebacker Bud Dupree, 31, who had his best season since 2020, notching 6.5 sacks and 39 tackles with 8 tackles for loss and 8 quarterback hits as a Falcon last year, is signing a contract with the Chargers, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Saturday.
Broncos QB Bo Nix had 'pretty good practice,' says Sean Payton
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a "pretty good practice" on Saturday, Broncos coach Sean Payton said Saturday.
Jerod Mayo gives his early impression of QB Drake Maye
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo discusses quarterback Drake Maye's debut at rookie minicamp.