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Kyler Murray, Cardinals Top Daniel Jones, Giants in Saquon Barkley's Return
October 20, 2019
The Arizona Cardinals stayed hot Sunday with a 27-21 win over the New York Giants.
In a battle of the top two quarterbacks from the 2019 NFL draft, Kyler Murray outdueled Daniel Jones at MetLife Stadium thanks to a lot of help from his teammates. Chase Edmonds carried the load offensively with three touchdowns while David Johnson remained limited with an ankle injury.
After three straight losses, the Cardinals (3-3-1) now have three straight wins, something the organization hasn't done since 2015.
The Giants (2-5) are going in the opposite direction with their third loss in a row.
Notable Fantasy Stats
- Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals: 104 passing yards, 28 rushing yards
- Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals: 126 rushing yards, three TDs, two catches, 24 receiving yards
- Daniel Jones, QB, Giants: 223 passing yards, one TD, one INT, 35 rushing yards
- Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants: 72 rushing yards, one TD, three catches, eight receiving yards
- Golden Tate, WR, Giants: six catches, 80 receiving yards
Chase Edmonds Takes Over Cardinals Backfield
David Johnson was active, but much to the dismay of fantasy football managers, the running back didn't make an impact in this one. Fortunately for the Cardinals, his backup was more than capable of picking up the slack.
Edmonds was dominant out of the backfield for Arizona, rushing for three touchdowns of 20 yards or more:
It wasn't necessarily expected, but many were impressed by the performance:
At the very least, it could lead the Cardinals to give Johnson more rest going forward.
Edmonds' play also allowed Murray to stay more conservative on a rainy day, focusing more on avoiding mistakes to keep his team in front.
Defensively, the Cardinals kept Jones under pressure all game long with eight sacks. Chandler Jones was the star of the show with four sacks, forcing a fumble with one of them:
It helped limit the Giants offense despite some big plays down the field.
Saquon Barkley Solid in Return to Field
For the first time since Week 3, the Giants had their superstar running back on the field.
Saquon Barkley returned from his ankle injury Sunday, and while he wasn't quite at his best, he provided some strong runs when they were needed most.
The running back was especially impressive late in the game, coming through with a key touchdown to keep the Giants within striking distance:
There weren't a lot of open holes, but he still found ways to move the chains:
It was also obviously a huge upgrade from Jonathan Hilliman, who started at running back in Week 6.
His presence will obviously provide a significant boost to this offense going forward, but more importantly, he will take some pressure off Jones as the rookie gets comfortable under center.
Considering the bright flashes Jones has already shown this season, the quarterback could be in for a big second half of the season if he can cut down on the turnovers.
What's Next?
Both teams go on the road and out of the division in Week 8. The Giants will face the Detroit Lions, while the Cardinals will travel to face the New Orleans Saints, who were without Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara on Sunday.