Oh how the mighty have fallen. The Arizona Cardinals have now dropped their third straight game against the Indianapolis Colts 22-16 on Christmas night.
Quarterback Carson Wentz threw a pair of touchdowns, Jonathan Taylor ran for 108 yards as the injury riddled Colts continued on their hot streak against a Cardinals team that is reeling.
Indianapolis (9-6) have now won three straight, six of their last seven overall. As for Arizona (10-5) they failed to cling a playoff spot for the third straight, losing positioning in the NFC Playoff picture.
Colts handle Arizona
Indianapolis set the tone right from the get go. On the Colts opening play on offense, Taylor broke out a 43-yard run that would be the start to his 108-yard performance. From there it would only take the Colts five more plays to get their first score of the night, a 1-yard touchdown pass from Went to T.Y. Hilton to take a 7-0 lead.
Arizona rebound from the score rather quickly. After picking up the first down on the ensuing drive, Kyler Murray would fake a handoff and rush for 57-yards before being tackled infant of the end zone. The Cardinals would follow that up with a 2-yard score from Chase Edmonds. Matt Prater would miss the extra point and the Colts held on to the lead.
On the ensuing drive, the Colts would match the ball 40-yard downfield and would set them up for the field goal attempt. Kicker Michael Badgley missed a 53-yard field goal attempt with 14:14 left in the second quarter. Later in the second quarter, the Colts would add to more points on a safety, taking a 9-6 lead.
Arizona would take the lead early in the third quarter, with Murray finding Antoine Wesley for a 24-yard touchdown, the first of Wesley’s NFL career.
Later on in the third quarter, the Colts would put together a 10 play, 56-yard drive that ended with a 37-yard field goal from Badgley to give the Colts a 15-13 lead.
The biggest play of the game and dagger that crushed the Arizona Cardinals hopes of winning the game came in the fourth when Wentz found Dezmon Patmon in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown that gave the Cardinals a 22-13 lead.
Wentz would finish the game 18-28, throwing for 225 yards.
Sloppy play hurts Arizona
At times, Arizona looked lost out there on the field.
Being without their starting holder, backup quarterback Colt McCoy would handle that duty in the first half. Kick Matt Prater missed a 51-yard field goal on their first possession, missing an extra point attempt on the teams first scoring drive, and missed a field goal from 41-yards out with 11:12 left to play in the fourth.
Max Garcia continues to struggle when asked to sub in for starting center Rodney Hudson. In the second quarter a low, bad snap from Garcia to Kyler Murray would lead to an automatic safety which extended the Colts lead. Murray picked up the ball after the snap, and flung it from the end zone but, he couldn’t clear the tackle box in the process and a flag was thrown for intentional grounding in the end zone.
Murray would finish the game 27-45, throwing for 245 yards. Murray and Edmonds would handle the bulk of the rushing for the Cardinals, combing for 130 yards on 20 rushes.
Injuries
Colts: Tackle Eric Fisher left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury. Tight end Jack Doyle exited the game in the first half due to an ankle and knee injury. Guard Chris Reed exited the game in the second quarter with a back injury.
Arizona: Marco Wilson would hurt his shoulder near the end of the first and did not return.
Covid Inactives
Linebacker Darius Leonard, receiver Zach Pascal and safety Khari Willis were put on the COVID-19 list earlier Saturday. Indianapolis had seven total players on the list.
The Cardinals were missing three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson, along with punter Andy Lee.
Up Next
Colts will host the Las Vegas Raiders on January 2nd and will close out the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville January 9th
The Cardinals will travel to Dallas to take on the finish the Dallas Cowboys (January 2nd) and conclude the season at home against the Seattle Seahawks (January 9th).