👋 GOOD MORNING

Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 — Happy Monday! I sure hope you had a good weekend. We’ll dive in to the Cardinals’ playoff hopes in a moment, but out of the gate I’ve got to give a little shoutout to the Suns, who won twice over the weekend following the return of Kevin Durant.

It’s just the second time they have won two straight since Nov. 8, so yeah, it’s been a while.

It should be noted, too, that both of those wins came without Bradley Beal in the lineup. Injuries have been a recurring theme throughout the early NBA season, but it seems like the only player Phoenix can’t live without is KD. Devin Booker has certainly benefitted from his return, recording 62 points over his last two games, while Durant scored 30 in his first game back, and 20 in last night’s win over Portland.

There’s a lot of work to be done if the Suns want to make any sort of noise this spring, but the weekend’s wins offer encouragement heading into the holidays.

On to the show!

Cardinals Take Care of Business in Must-Win Game

One down, three to go.

Sunday’s 30-17 victory over the Patriots was the win the Cardinals (and their fans) were looking for, snapping a three-game slide while at least keeping pace in the NFC playoff race. Yes, a whole lot still needs to go Arizona’s way for a shot at the postseason, but the team took a tiny step towards that goal while returning to .500 overall.

If you’re a glass-is-half-full type person, Arizona has won five of its last eight games. Of course, it’s all a matter of perspective: if you align more on the pessimistic side of things, they have just one win over their last four.

Whatever your stance, it’s impossible to be upset with Arizona’s win, where it outlasted New England to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Offense Effective Enough, and a Little Luck Never Hurts

Kyler Murray wasn’t exactly lights out, but his 97.1 passer rating was more than enough to help the Cardinals to a win that felt closer than what the final score shows. The 27-year-old quarterback, who rushed five times for just 11 yards, was 23-for-30 and took care of the ball — he may not have thrown a touchdown, but both he and running back James Conner helped Arizona win the time of possession battle by almost nine minutes.

Murray was extremely critical of himself following last week’s loss to the Seahawks, and he most definitely passed his follow-up test when it mattered most.

“Offensively we can be better, but it definitely feels good to come out with a win,” Murray said. “Especially a win that we felt like we should come here and do what we’re supposed to do. To come out here and do it, it feels good.”

Conner put together yet another efficient performance, running for 110 yards and two touchdowns, including a 53-yard scamper in the first quarter that both set the tone and helped set up the Cardinals’ first touchdown of the game.

He’s closing in on his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season.

“It’s definitely a good start, we’ll just say it’s a good start,” Conner said. “The game of football is won up front, and I thought the line brought it today. Receivers and tight ends were blocking on the outside, so it was a group effort.”

The Cardinals were as lucky as they were good. Greg Dortch fumbled near the goal line on their first touchdown drive of the game, but he was bailed out by Jonah Williams’ quick thinking after the offensive lineman fell on the ball before it could bounce out of the back of the end zone.

In the third quarter Murray inexplicably threw an interception with an ill-advised throw while the team was deep in its own territory, but the play was ultimately negated by a roughing the passer penalty.

So goes life in the NFL, where you have to be both good and lucky to win on any given Sunday.

“That willl forever be a teach tape there, because if that goes out of bounds, obviously, that’s their ball,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said of Williams’ fumble recovery. “We have to protect the ball, first of all, but I thought it was an excellent play by him, just maxing out effort there.

“I think it was the first time he’s scored since sixth grade. He was juiced.”

Defense Stood Tall When it Needed To

The Patriots recorded 311 total yards on offense, and Arizona’s defense stood tall on two consecutive drives in the third quarter as New England was trying to climb back into it, effectively doing what playoff teams do.

First, the D forced a turnover on downs as the Patriots attempted to convert on a 4th-and-1 from the Cardinals’ four yard line, wasting a nine-play, 66-yard drive. On the very next possession Sean Murphy-Bunting notched a right-place-right-time interception following a fortuitous bounce, setting up a nine-play drive that resulted in a touchdown, and effectively put the game out of reach extending its lead to 23-3.

“I think the defense did a great job today,” Murray said. “Really had our backs, I think it was just a great team win.”

Hat tip to kicker Chad Ryland, as well, who was 3-for-3 with a long of 49 yards. His leg helped Arizona to a 16-3 lead before the offense found the end zone two more times.

It’s Going to Take More Than This To Make the playoffs

The Cardinals put together a response fans had hoped to see, and also got a little help from the Green Bay Packers, who topped the Seahawks last night. Seattle still leads the division by a game and holds any tiebreaker over the Cardinals, but games against the 11-2 Vikings and 8-6 Rams loom large, keeping a ray of hope wide open for Arizona fans.

Next week’s road “test” against the 3-10 Panthers, who have lost four straight and frankly have more motivation to lose, than win, will loom large all week. It’s a perfect opportunity for the Cardinals to keep pace in the playoff race, but also a chance for a season to be lost.

“I’m not looking forward, today was the focus,” Murray said. “It has to be that way, otherwise, I don’t even want to look forward to it. We took care of business today, go back and watch the tape and get ready for the Panthers.”

It’s been three seasons since fans have seen NFL football matter approaching Christmas. Here’s hoping the Cardinals don’t overlook the Panthers as the season continues to hang in the balance.

“We’re playing meaningful football in December right now,” Gannon said. “We’ll just reset ourselves. We know we have a two-day trip going to Carolina, they play hard, and they’re well coached.”

ICYMI:
Cardinals’ win against Patriots wasn’t always pretty, but maybe it’s the spark they needed
3 Diamondbacks takeaways after eventful Winter Meetings week across MLB
A Jimmy Butler trade to the Suns is unlikely, for a number of reasons
Full PHNX Coverage

🧢 TIP OF THE HAT BY BRANDED BILLS
Teddy Bear toss goals are the best goals. Kudos to the Tucson Roadrunners!