The Arizona Cardinals are right in the mix of the NFC playoff picture and after picking up a 27-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, they look to stay in the mix for a potential wild card playoff spot. This was the third straight victory for Arizona who picked up their second win in the state of Florida, something they had not previously done in franchise history. This was a solid game for Arizona especially from their quarterback Carson Palmer. ESPN reports that Palmer played one of his best, if not his best game of the season. He was 30 of 42 for 419 passing yards and two touchdowns. This was also the first game that he did not throw an interception this season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars which were one week removed from their first win of the season, started the game off with some promise, but they couldn’t hang on to the momentum. Sports Illustrated focused on the Jaguars scored their first touchdown at home this season. It came early in the game, when the Jaguars went for it on 4th down inside their own territory and quarterback Chad Henne found tight end Danny Noble for a 62 yard touchdown pass that gave the Jags a 7-0 lead. The Jaguars had a 14-7 lead after the first quarter, but could not build on their offensive spark they had in the first quarter.
The Cardinals defense took charge after the first quarter. The Jaguars only got back into Cardinals‘ territory once after the first quarter. The Jaguars did a good job shutting down the Cardinals running game, only allowing Arizona to pick up 14 rushing yards. The Jaguars also seemed to play it safe through the air. They didn’t go deep down the field very often. They ran several bubble screens and short passes. The Cardinals outscored the Jags 20-0 from the second quarter on and allowed Arizona to keep their playoff hopes alive while Jacksonville looks to keep improving with their young team. The Cardinals will host the Indianapolis Colts this coming Sunday while the Jaguars are on the road against their division rival the Houston Texans.