The Cardinals entered Week 10 in first place in the NFC West, and will likely be in the same spot by the end of the week.
Kyler Murray ran for two touchdowns, threw for another and set a franchise record by completing 17 consecutive passes during Sunday’s win over the Jets. The 31-6 victory was Arizona’s fourth straight win, and they enter the bye week with a 6-4 record.
Murray led the Cardinals to scores on the first five possessions of the game, and the Cardinals racked up 406 yards of offense against a Jets defense that had no answers in the passing game. Murray completed 22 of 24 for 266 yards in the afternoon game, with Clayton Tune on garbage time duty, but the rest of the day included James Conner, Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride. It was a huge success and hit hard.
The Cardinals return in Week 12 for the first of two games against the Seahawks over a three-week span. They already have wins over the Rams and 49ers, so if they dominate the Seahawks, they’ll be in a good position to win their first NFC West title since 2015.
That run could continue against Seattle, as Murray completed his final 17 passes.
The presence of quarterback Aaron Rodgers has drawn attention to the Jets’ offensive shortcomings this season, and rightly so. It’s also overshadowed by a defense that hasn’t been at the same level as in previous seasons, with Sunday’s game at Arizona being their worst effort on the field to date. Poor tackling, an invisible pass rush, and loose coverage made it too easy for the Cardinals, and the Jets’ opponents could adopt a similar strategy in the future, exposing the Jets’ weaknesses.
Rodgers and the offense weren’t that good. After making two early field goals, the Jets never scored again and continue to look like a group on separate pages too often. There are no more trades, signings or layoffs the team can make to address issues on either side of the ball, and it feels like it’s going to be a long few months for the 3-7 team to battle through.
That process begins next Sunday against the Colts. That game was originally scheduled for Sunday night, and no one will bemoan the Jets’ decision to watch as little TV as possible.
