by Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports NFC West Writer
Sometimes a hot exchange can motivate a team.
With pressure mounting on Arizona Cardinals coach Cliff Kingsbury and quarterback Keeler Murray due to the team’s offensive struggles, the two fought a war of words near the end of the second quarter that seemed to spark the rest of the team.
The Cardinals also benefited from consecutive interceptions that came back for the relegation, breaking an eight-game losing streak at home dating back to last season in a 42-34 win over visiting New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.
The 42 points were the most points the Cardinal scored all season, and the most during Kingsbury’s tenure in Arizona. In his first game of the season after a six-game suspension, DeAndre Hopkins was the attacking catalyst in Arizona, finishing the game with the highest 10 receptions for 103 yards.
“It was a different looking deal with him, the confidence other players around him played with,” Kingsbury said. “It was good to be back.”
Arizona improved to 3-4 with the victory, while the Saints dropped to 2-5.
Things got worse with 2:32 left in the second quarter. After Murray first ran fourth and one off the 4-yard Saints line, the Cardinal had to call a timeout on the first and goal of the two because the playing clock was fading and they couldn’t. Get playing at the right time.
Murray was unhappy with his coach’s weird animation on the sidelines, and the video can be seen walking to the sideline telling Kingsbury to “calm down”.
Murray continued to yell at Kingsbury as he made it to the sideline during the timeout, and Hopkins had to act as an intermediary between the two.
“It was just one of those things on the field,” Kingsbury said after the game. “We had a difference of opinion. He said I don’t look good on TV acting that fiery. So maybe it’s from Generation Z, ‘You’re on TV, calm down.'” “But I like to show feelings.”
Murray added, “He’s a real mover out there on the sidelines sometimes. I told him to calm down, we’re okay and we’re going to make it right. We ended up scoring, so that was fine. Well, that’s all I was saying. Chill out.”
Hopkins said the rift between the midfielder and coach was a good sign, because it showed they were interested.
“They both want to win, so I’d love to see that, frankly,” Hopkins said. “I love being part of a team where two people are free and that’s focused on winning. You’re obviously going to fail. I’m not married, but from what I hear, it’s like marriage.”
The Cardinals entered the finish zone on the next play in the Keaontay Ingram 2-yard race. Eno Benjamin equates to a two-point transformation with 14-all. Benjamin played well in place of the injured running back James Conner, and finished with a quick 92 yards touchdown.
On the possession that followed, cornerback Marco Wilson chose Andy Dalton on a pass by receiver Marquis Calaway and returned it 38 yards for the score.
Dalton threw another interception on the Saints’ next drive, this time to linebacker Isaiah Simmons for 56 yards on the score, giving the Cardinals a 28-14 lead at halftime. They were never behind there.
Arizona quarterback Antonio Hamilton also intercepted Dalton in the end zone to halt the Saints’ potential scoring campaign in the first quarter. The Cardinals had only two objections to entering Thursday’s contest.
Murray finished 20 of 29 for 204 yards and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Greg Dortch. He did not throw any objections. The Cardinals recorded 137 rushing yards.
What mattered most to the Cardinals was that they put in a full game, as the Arizona defense grabbed New Orleans with 85 flowing yards and forced them to turn three times. Rodrigo Blankenship, who took the place of injured striker Matt Prater, scored field goals from 50 and 28 yards but missed an extra point.
The Hawks’ aggressive defense along with Murray’s electric and the return of the Hopkins receiver could serve as a blueprint for Arizona’s ability to consistently win games as they move forward, as they now have 11 days to rest and gain health before hitting. Road to face the Minnesota Vikings next week.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at Tweet embed.
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Originally published at San Jose News Bulletin
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