The Birds fly high over the Football Team 30-15 (9-20-20)
By: Drew Willingham
Headline Photo Credit: Ross D. Franklin/AP & Washington Football Team
As the NFL celebrates 100 years, Week 2 would showcase the 125th meeting between the Cardinals and the Football Team out of Washington. Before this contest, Washington led the rivalry with a 76-46-2 record while remaining under .500 in road games against Arizona. Despite a peculiar offseason that included a name change for Washington, they entered this week with a winning record resulting from a historic comeback victory against a Division rival in Week 1. Both teams were 1-0 with 2nd year starting Quarterbacks who looked to keep the momentum going for their respective teams.
The first half would continue to showcase the emergence of Arizona’s offense under the leadership of QB Kyler Murray and newly acquired Superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins. The duo would convert two critical third downs to set up the first score of the game in which they both connected on a touchdown pass. Murray would rush it in from the red zone to score another Touchdown, followed by two field goals by Gonzalez to give Arizona a 20-0 lead at Halftime. Washington’s offense simply could not get a groove going during the first two quarters, to say the least.
The momentum would continue to sway in the Cardinals’ favor during the third quarter. Kyler Murray would rush for his second touchdown of the game after a Washington Field Goal to take a 27-3 lead. The Football Team out of Washington wouldn’t surrender though, scoring on a pass from QB Dwayne Haskins to WR Terry McLaurin and rush by RB Antonio Gibson. After two consecutive touchdowns with two consecutive failed two-point conversions, Washington Trailed 27-15 with 6:38 left in the game. It would all be too little, too late for Washington as they would give up another field goal to lose the game with a final score of 30-15.
Kyler Murray was the LegacyMaker Sports MVP of the Game, going 26-38 on pass attempts with 286 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 8 carries on 67 yards rushing that included 2 rushing TD and only 1 interception. Leading his team to a 2-0 start, this could be the beginning of a potential NFL MVP caliber season for the second year Quarterback. The Cardinals host the Detroit Lions in Arizona next week, looking to start 3-0 and continue to make a statement during the 2020 season.
As for Washington, they travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns next Sunday. This contest will showcase a battle between two young teams with a 1-1 record who are looking to make improvements on the miscues from the previous seasons. Cleveland’s momentum will be strong heading into this home game against the football team as they won the battle of Ohio during Week 2. Look for Washington to mix some things up on both sides of the ball for this upcoming contest to stay relevant within the league. They are currently tied with the Cowboys for the NFC East Division lead, but that could change quickly if they don’t make improvements and learn from the mistakes that occurred this week.
