Jets vs. Cardinals: What Was the Most Important Play of the Game?

The Arizona Cardinals seem to be undergoing something of a personality change. Johnson is a burgeoning star (if he isn’t one already) and talented on so many fronts even coach Bruce Arians had to compliment him Tuesday after a couple weeks of noting what Johnson hadn’t done yet.

“It’s been huge for us”, he said. “We haven’t always been able to”. There was a series where he made two or three huge plays and put us in a position to score. “We didn’t change much as all of what we were doing. We’re still how we are”.

“No. It’s what we want to do”, he said. I just wanted to give him some reps. You’ve got to feed him. There hasn’t been a ton of it (in the past). Entering the game, the Jets had allowed 20.6 rushing yards per game outside the tackles, seventh-best in the NFL. We’re not winning the game.

The result improves Arizona to 3-3, while the Jets record now reads 1-5 after a poor start to the season.

The statistics also underscore how incredibly efficient the Cardinals were passing the ball for big chunks in 2015.

Carson Palmer’s touchdown pass to Michael Floyd settled the final score.

New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was atrocious again Monday night, leading his team to just three points while throwing his 11th interception of the season.

“Everybody loves the home run ball”, Palmer said, “but completions are completions”.

“The way we ran the ball against that rush defense was incredible”, Palmer said, particularly praising Arizona’s two new starting guards, John Wetzel and Earl Watford. “They forced us to get rid of it quick and we did a good job capitalizing in those situations”.

Johnson scored a spectacular 58-yard touchdown as well as two short-range efforts from two yards each to take his tally to the season for eight.

With the game out of reach, Geno Smith was fielded in the fourth quarter and was looking good toward orchestrating a drive before he was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu.

It also does not hurt that the Cardinals faced two of the worst teams they will see this season. “We can’t play like that and he can’t play like that if he’s going to have penalties and get handsy like that”. “He just kind of walked right in, especially on one of them”.

There were 19 penalties in the sloppy game – 10 against NY, nine against Arizona.

Arizona scored on a pair of 14-play drives in the second half.

He’s loving the load he’s being asked to carry.

“All over the place, across the board, just wasn’t good enough”, he said. Patrick Peterson called it “probably the first time that we played as a team for 60 minutes”.

“Run blocking is fun”.

I would say it is tough to go wrong with the Johnson touchdown. The defensive front got a good push on nearly every running play, and the back end sealed the deal in case anyone broke through initial contact. “He did a great job of setting up his second level blocks, and then he showed that explosion and that speed down the sideline”. “If I decide to make a move, (you’ll) know tomorrow”. The Cardinals rush defense was phenomenal behind DE Calais Campbell and LB Chandler Jones, keeping RB Matt Forte to only 19 yards off 9 rushes. “That’s worthy of a game ball for a blocking unit”.

The decision proved costly for NY (albeit not as costly as any of its offensive play-calling), as Palmer dissected the man coverage throughout the night and got the ball out of his hands quickly.

Actually, it was one Super Bowl ring in eight National Football League seasons, but obviously, Bowles didn’t take the advice.

The Cardinals won’t change their approach.

“We’ve had success with the coaches and players that we have”, he said.