Right now, their defensive backfield looks like a scene from “Gone With the Wind”, where we see the fallout from a Civil War battle – just men lined up and bandaged. However, the Cardinals were a different team in the second half (as Arians explained, it was like night and day). The Bengals may have lost their second straight game on a last-second field goal by the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night, but by no means is it time to start jumping ship.
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In the NFC West Report, we keep you covered on the San Francisco 49ers divisional rivals.
Here are some things to ponder in the wake of Arizona’s victory.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis also stood by the decision and pointed to the defense and its inability to stop Palmer and the Cardinals from gaining 57 yards in three plays as the bigger issue. Keenum hurt the team with a fumble late in the fourth quarter to set up Baltimore’s game-winning field goal.
Marvin Lewis and Domata Peko were confused by the penalty that set up Chandler Catanzaro for an easy, game-winning field goal.
The Cincinnati defensive tackle was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct for calling out offensive signals to try to confuse the Arizona Cardinals as they lined up to spike the ball leading up to a field-goal attempt.
Can you trust a team that blew a halftime lead, climbed back out of a 10-point hole to tie the game, then melted down in the final 58 seconds when overtime seemed like a sure thing? Yet I believe that both teams were happy with how their respective quarterback played. “He’s alerting a run and not anything to do with what they’re saying”. ‘I trust our guys to execute.
Peko said that he has never seen a flag thrown for that call in his 10 years as a pro. Per Stats & Information, the Cardinals sent pressure on 18 of the 71 snaps Dalton took Sunday night.
The Cincinnati Bengals got home shortly before sunrise and watched a little video of their latest loss, one that reminded them they’re missing more than just sleep.
Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald echoed what his quarterback said. J.J. Nelson might win that race. Nelson caught four passes for 142 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown reception.
“I was just thankful to get that first touchdown”, he said.
Dalton was equally imposing on the other side of the ball, ending the game with 315 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
With their fourth consecutive victory, the Cardinals (8-2) maintained their three-game division lead and their one-game edge in the race for the No. 2 seed in the NFC postseason.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown (12) celebrates his touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, November 22, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. There was no indication how serious it might be.
There was a scary moment in the second quarter as Arizona guard Mike Iupati was taken from the game in an ambulance after suffering a neck injury in the second quarter.
Dennard done?: Lewis said during Monday’s press conference that he didn’t have an update on Darqueze Dennard’s shoulder injury, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the cornerback needs surgery and is out for the year.
Catanzaro who went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, has been one of the key discoveries by Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians and his staff. Just think, there were only two placekickers taken in that aforementioned draft in Nate Freese (Boston College) and Zach Hocker (Arkansas), and neither one of those kickers are employed in the National Football League as of this writing.
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“They were very loud and demonstrative with their shifts”. “We’ve been in places that have been louder”.
