Rookies, Kyler Murray Injury Help Desperate Patriots Keep Season Alive With Victory over Cardinals
With their season gasping for air Monday night in the desert, the desperate New England Patriots found life support by turning to new faces and relying on an old friend.
An injury to Kyler Murray didn't hurt their cause, either.
Trailing the Arizona Cardinals 13-7 early in the third quarter, besieged by key injuries and with frustrated quarterback Mac Jones visibly irate, the Patriots rallied to score 20 unanswered points - including a defensive score and the first career touchdown by rookie running back Pierre Strong Jr. - for a crucial 27-13 victory that keeps their playoff hopes alive. At 7-6, the Patriots vaulted into seventh place in the AFC and are in the playoffs with four games remaining.
The Patriots got 156 scrimmage yards from rookies, their most in a game since 2013. And it's the first time they've had two rookies (Strong and Kevin Harris) score touchdowns in the same game since David Thomas and Lawrence Maroney in 2006.
"We came here to win the game and we got the W," said Mac Jones. "Shout out to the defense for making some big plays."
With injuries forcing them to play without their two leading rushers (Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris) and top three receivers (Jakobi Meyers, Stevenson and DeVante Parker), the Patriots' offense predictably sputtered. But the defense, as it has done all season, again helped bail them out with six sacks (three by Josh Uche) of Murray fill-in Colt McCoy, an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown.
The Cardinals didn't score in the game's final 33 minutes.
Mac Jones' frustrations, which began bubbling over in their Dec. 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills, spilled out again. Only three plays into their first possession of the third quarter offensive play-caller Matt Patricia's communication was too slow to the huddle, forcing the Pats to ridiculously burn a timeout.
"F-ck!" ESPN's cameras caught Mac Jones screaming as he stormed toward the sideline. "Come on!"
As he returned to the huddle after the timeout, the quarterback turned back to Patricia and demonstrably, dismissively waved off further communication.
Said Mac Jones, "At the end of the day it's an emotional game and I think that everyone feeds off emotion. And at times we’re too flat. That’s what I try to do, motivate my guys."
Despite the lagging flow of information, a delay-of-game penalty, two pre-snap flags and a tipped interception, the Pats were tied 13-13 midway through the quarter after Strong's 44-yard run set up a short Nick Folk field goal.
They took a 20-13 lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter on linebacker Raekwon McMillan's fumble return. Safety Kyle Dugger caused the turnover by stripping Cardinals' receiver DeAndre Hopkins after a catch, and McMillan scooped and scored from 23 yards.
On a team that needs all the help it can get scoring, it was New England's league-leading fifth non-offensive touchdown of the season.
The Pats pushed the lead to 14 points when - after Marcus Jones' interception - Mac Jones hit tight end Hunter Henry with a gorgeous 39-yard strike that set up Strong's score.
To offset their numerous injuries to front-line players, New England got the first career touchdowns from Strong and Harris and the first career interception by Marcus Jones.
The Patriots won their first prime-time game of the season and improved to 5-10 in marquee games since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season.
At full strength, neither the Patriots nor Cardinals have played like a winning team this season. But on a Monday night in which both were ravaged of offensive stars by injuries, it was also obvious neither has even a remote chance of returning to State Farm Stadium in Glendale when Super Bowl LVII is played February 12.
In an ugly game that started with a shocking, non-contract injury to Murray, the Patriots also lost receiver Parker (head), Stevenson (ankle) and cornerback Jack Jones (knee) in the first quarter. New England also started the game without Meyers because of a concussion suffered against the Bills.
Murray, who signed a five-year, $230 million contract in July, was injured on the game's third snap. He was scrambling out of the pocket to his right when he planted his right leg. With no Patriots close by, Murray's leg seemed to land awkwardly and slightly buckle. He went to the ground and eventually left the field on a cart, with a towel over his head.
The Patriots took a 7-3 lead thanks to a couple of rookies, as second-round draft pick Tyquan Thornton gained two first downs with catches before Harris scored on a 14-yard scamper up the middle.
Harris, New England's sixth-round draft pick last April, entered the game with only four NFL carries. The Red-Zone touchdown was New England's first since Week 9.
James Conner's 10-yard run gave the Cardinals a 13-7 lead late in the first half. Arizona had five drives inside the Patriots' 35-yard line, but came away with just the lone touchdown. Pats' linebacker Jahlani Tavai thwarted a drive before halftime with a tipped pass for an incompletion on fourth down.
The Patriots got a 30-yard completion from Mac Jones to Henry to set up Nick Folk's 51-yard field goal and pull within 13-10 on the half's final play.
The Patriots play at the 5-8 Las Vegas Raiders Sunday before a season-ending gauntlet against the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.
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