The Arizona Cardinals snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday with a 25-23 last-second win over the Atlanta Falcons at home. It came in the 2023 debut of quarterback Kyler Murray, playing in a game for the first time since tearing his ACL and meniscus last December.
They got big performances from some and some dud performances from others.
Who were the studs and duds from the game on Sunday?
We have them below.
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STUD: TE Trey McBride
This is an easy choice. He caught eight passes for 131 yards and set up the game-winning Matt Prater field goal as time expired with a 33-yard catch.
It was the first 100-yard game of his career and the first by a Cardinals tight end in 34 years, as well as only the third ever.
DUD: C Hjalte Froholdt
Froholdt ruined the Cardinals’ first scoring drive of the game. He was responsible for false start (on everyone but the center, as he simply forgot to snap the ball) and then was flagged for a holding penalty, which turned a promising drive into a 51-yard field goal.
STUD: LB BJ Ojulari
It was Ojulari’s best game as a pro. His role grew and he didn’t disappoint. He had two sacks and eight total tackles. The second-round pick now has three sacks in his last three games.
DUD: The officiating
The Cardinals had problems with penalties with 11 total for 112 yards. However, they were victim to at least three awfully weak calls that hurt them.
Dennis Gardeck’s roughing the passer penalty turned what would have been a punt into what eventually was a touchdown.
Paris Johnson was flagged for a really weak (shouldn’t have been called) holding penalty on a scramble by Kyler Murray.
The other was the pass interference penalty on Antonio Hamilton that set up the Falcons’ go-ahead touchdown with 2:33 left.
STUD: K Matt Prater
Prater went 4-for-4 on field goals. He made two from beyond 50 yards, becoming the team’s all-time leader in made field goals from at least 50 yards.
Then he hit the game-winning 23-yard kick as time expired. That’s a pretty good game for a kicker.
