THE RUNNING GAME STRUGGLES, CARDINALS DROP THEIR THIRD GAME
One of the few highlights from the Cardinals running game, here's Erik Bickerstaff carrying the ball in for a touchdown.
STL
| 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
27
ARZ
| 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
24
FIRST QUARTER
STL- Marc Bulger 22 yard pass to Torry Holt (Jeff Wilkins kick)
ARZ- Neil Rackers 31 yard field goal
SECOND QUARTER
ARZ- Erik Bickerstaff 3 yard run (Neil Rackers kick)
STL- Marshall Faulk 3 yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick)
THIRD QUARTER
ARZ- Drew Henson 6 yard pass to Freddie Jones (Neil Rackers kick)
FOURTH QUARTER
STL- Jeff Wilkins 24 yard field goal
STL- DeJuan Groce 22 yard interception return (Jeff Wilkins kick)
STL- Jeff Wilkins 35 yard field goal
ARZ- Drew Henson 56 yard pass to Bryant Johnson (Neil Rackers kick)
GLENDALE, AZ (AP) - One thing that has stood out in the Cardinals' losses this year is the ineffectiveness of the running game. Well chalk up another loss with that being the reason. Despite cornerback Mike Rumph picking off two passes and Drew Henson throwing for 358 yards and two touchdowns, the Cardinals fell to the Rams, 24-27. After a fourth down stop, the Rams got the ball at their own 41 yard line. Marshall Faulk took a carry to the right side for five yards and then Bulger threw an incompletion. He then found Torry Holt for 17 yards, and then found him again for 14 yards. After targeting Holt again and missing, Bulger found him on a post for 22 yads and a score.
Henson came back by hitting Anquan Boldin for 14 yards. Boldin caught 10 passes, his third game in a row with 10+ catches. Emmitt Smith carried the ball for three yards and then Freddie Jones caught a Henson pass over the middle for 14 yards. A dropped pass by Nathan Poole was followed up by another first down pass to Jones. Henson found Boldin again for 21 yards, but Jerametrius Butler broke up the following pass. Another Poole dropped pass set up fourth down where Neil Rackers put in a field goal. Erik Bickerstaff score from three yards out on the following Arizona drive, but Faulk answered with his own three yard score for the Rams.
Henson found Jones for six late in the third quarter and after a Jeff Wilkins field goal, the Cardinals got the ball with the game tied up. That's when Henson made his only mistake, under-throwing Bryan Gilmore and DeJuan Groce stepped in front to pick off the pass. 22 yards later Groce was dancing in the endzone with the lead that the Rams wouldn't relinquish. The Cardinals fall to 11-3 and will head to Seattle to face the Seahawks next Sunday.
PASSING
STL- Marc Bulger (19-33, 295 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) |
ARZ- Drew Henson (26-46, 358 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT)
RUSHING
STL- Marshall Faulk (27 carries, 95 yards, 1 TD), Joey Goodspeed (2 carries, 2 yards) |
ARZ- Emmitt Smith (13 carries, 47 yards), Erik Bickerstaff (8 carries, 20 yards, 1 TD), Henson (1 carry, 12 yards)
RECEIVING
STL- Torry Holt (9 catches, 129 yards, 1 TD), Issac Bruce (7 catches, 159 yards), Faulk (2 catches, 1 yard) |
ARZ- Anquan Boldin (10 catches, 150 yards), Freddie Jones (7 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD), Bryant Johnson (3 catches, 69 yards, 1 TD)
TACKLES
STL- Adam Arculeta (9), Aeneas Williams (7), Travis Fisher (6) |
ARZ- Adrian Wilson (7), Dexter Jackson (7), Duane Starks (7)
SACKS
STL- DeJuan Groce, Leonard Little |
ARZ- Calvin Pace
INTERCEPTIONS
STL- Groce |
ARZ- Mike Rumph (2)