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| Other Week 16 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI at NE | ATL at MIN | BAL at DAL | BUF at DEN | CAR at NYG | CIN at CLE | GB at CHI | HOU at OAK |
| IND at JAX | MIA at KC | NO at DET | NYJ at SEA | PHI at WAS | PIT at TEN | SD at TB | SF at STL |
Week 16 Game Recap: Arizona Cardinals 7, New England Patriots 47
What you need to know
| Arizona Cardinals |
QB Kurt Warner clearly was affected by the snowing and cold weather, as the Cardinals had zero yards in the first quarter. He finished the game with only 30 yards on six of 18 attempts. He was pulled with 3:27 left in the third quarter so Matt Leinart could get some work. RB Tim Hightower was also ineffective with only 17 yards on ten carries. With little threat from the passing game, the Patriots were able to stifle the running game as well.
WR Larry Fitzgerald had 101 yards on three receptions. He dropped several passes, however, his stats were saved by a 78 yard touchdown catch on a hitch and go late in the fourth quarter.
WR Anquan Boldin and RB J.J. Arrington did not play due to injuries.
| New England Patriots |
QB Matt Cassel had an outstanding game throwing for 345 yards and three touchdowns on 20 of 36 attempts. He was in command of the game from the start.
RB Sammy Morris was the workhorse back as he had 133 yards of combined offense (88 rushing, 45 receiving.)
WR Randy Moss was quiet in the first half but started the second half taking a quick screen 76 yards for a touchdown. He finished with 87 yards in two catches. WR Wes Welker also had a touchdown and finished with 68 yards on seven catches. He also returned punts in this game. WR Jabar Gaffney was the game's leading receiver with a season high 90 yards on five catches.
What you ought to know
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 6 - 18 - 30 - 0 TD / 0 INT |
Warner had just 30 yards passing on six of 18 attempts. He was sacked once. The only positive from this outing was that Warner did not have a turnover. He never looked comfortable in the snowy weather and seemed to be missing WR Anquan Boldin.
| QB Matt Leinart, Pass: 6 - 14 - 138 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0 |
Leinart came in with 3:27 to play in the third period, and looked rusty. He missed his first five passes and had two fumbles in his first series. He completed six of 14 passes for 138 yards and one interception. His interception was a deflection off the hands of a Cardinals' receiver. He completed a 78 yard touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald on a hitch and go late in the fourth quarter.
| RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 10 - 17 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (6 targets) |
Hightower was ineffective in this game and finished with only 17 yards on ten attempts. He caught two balls out of the backfield for just ten yards. Hightower fumbled once on a screen pass.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 4 - 19 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) |
James carried the ball four times for 19 yards. He caught one ball of the backfield for six yards.
| RB J.J. Arrington |
Did not play in this game due to his injury.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 3 - 101 - 1 (10 targets) |
Fitzgerald's game was saved when he caught a 78-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. That catch gave him 101 yards on three catches. Otherwise, Fitzgerald had a tough game with several dropped passes due to the weather conditions.
| WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 2 - 36 - 0 (4 targets) |
Urban caught two balls for 36 yards, both coming from Leinart.
| WR Early Doucet, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (4 targets) |
Doucet had two catches for 11 yards. He was elevated to playing status due to Boldin sitting out this game.
| WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) |
Breaston could only come up with one catch for six yards.
| WR Anquan Boldin |
Boldin did not play in this game due to his shoulder injury.
| PK Neil Rackers 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points |
Rackers had only one extra point attempt.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The Cardinals' rush defense gave up two short touchdown runs to LaMont Jordan in the first quarter, and never really did anything to stop the Patriots offense all game.
| ARI Pass Defense |
Gave up a two touchdowns to the Patriots in the first half and several long plays over the middle. The pass defense looked horrid, as many of the Patriot receivers were wide open, including a 76 yard touchdown to Randy Moss where the receiver was untouched on a short quick screen play.
| QB Matt Cassel, Pass: 20 - 36 - 345 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 19 - 0 |
Cassel looked well in control of the offense leading the team to a 31 point first half lead. He also had a key fourth down 16 yard scramble to keep a drive alive en route to the team's fourth touchdown drive. Cassel finished the game with 345 yards on 20 of 36 attempts and three touchdown passes. (11, 15 and 76 yards.)
| QB Kevin OConnell, Pass: 1 - 2 - -2 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - -6 - 0 |
OConnell came in at the 14:51 mark of the fourth period. He threw only twice and was relegated to handing off to Morris and Jordan to finish the game.
| RB LaMont Jordan, Rush: 20 - 78 - 2 |
Jordan had the game's first two touchdowns (two and three yards) to give the Patriots a 14-0 lead. He finished with 78 yards on 20 carries. He was the Patriots go to guy in the red zone.
| RB Sammy Morris, Rush: 15 - 88 - 0, Rec: 2 - 45 - 0 (4 targets) |
Morris started the game and took a screen pass 44 yards in the first period. He finished the game with 88 yards on 15 carries. He added 45 yards on two receptions. He lost touches in the red zone to Lamont Jordan, and was absent for a few series in the first half, but otherwise played a productive game.
| RB Kevin Faulk, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 3 - 27 - 1 (5 targets) |
Faulk took a screen play 15 yards for a touchdown in the second period to give the Patriots a 21-0 lead. He had only one rush, but was not needed in the offense on this day.
| RB Heath Evans, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 28 - 0 (1 targets) |
Evans took his only reception 28 yards.
| WR Wes Welker, Rec: 7 - 68 - 1 (10 targets) |
Scored on an 11 yard pass in the second quarter to extend the Patriots lead to 28-0. He also returned punts in this game, and set up New England's first touchdown drive with a long punt return. He finished with seven catches (team high) for 68 yards. Most of Welker's catches were underneath the linebackers.
| WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 5 - 90 - 0 (7 targets) |
Gaffney was the Patriots' main offensive threat in the first half. Gaffney had a 37 yard catch to set up the Patriots third touchdown on the day. He finished the day with 90 yards on five receptions. It was his best output of the season.
| WR Randy Moss, Rec: 2 - 87 - 1 (7 targets) |
Moss had a sub-par first-half dropping two long passes that could have easily gone for touchdowns. He redeemed himself on the first play of the second half, when he took a quick screen 76 yards for the Patriots' fifth touchdown on the day. It was Moss's 11 touchdown of the year, and the Patriots' longest touchdown pass of the season. He went untouched in the end zone.
| PK Stephen Gostkowski 4 - 4 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 17 points |
Gostkowski hit a 38 yard attempt to end the first half, and then connected on 35, 24 and 30 yard efforts in the second half. He was perfect on all five extra point attempts.
| NE Rush Defense |
The New England rush defense was totally in command of this game and dominated the Cardinals offensive line, albeit weather aided. They gave up only 44 yards on the day, and gave up only two first downs via the rush. The longest rush of the day allowed was 12 yards.
| NE Pass Defense |
Aided by the weather taking the Cardinals out of their strength on offense, the pass defense played well limiting the Cardinals to just 168 yards on the day. They did allow Larry Fitzgerald to score from 76 yards out in the fourth period, during garbage time. They sacked Warner and Leinart twice times, and caused three turnovers, all contributed to Leinart (two fumbles and one interception.)