Cam Newton, Patriots Rally to Beat Kyler Murray, Cardinals on Nick Folk FG

The New England Patriots bounced back from their last loss with a 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12 on Sunday.  

After an early 10-0 deficit, Cam Newton steadied the Patriots (5-6), while 17 straight points helped the home team take control in the second half. 

Nick Folk sealed the win for New England with a game-winning 50-yard field goal as time expired.

The Cardinals had the chance to go ahead with under two minutes remaining, but Zane Gonzalez missed the 45-yard field goal attempt.

New England improved to 4-2 at Gillette Stadium and hasn't lost three home games in a season since 2008, when Tom Brady missed most of the year with a torn ACL.

Kyler Murray was held without a touchdown for the first time this year as the Cardinals (6-5) suffered their second straight loss and third in the last four games after a strong start to the season.

Notable Performances

Cam Newton, QB, NE: 9-of-18, 84 passing yards, 2 INTs, 46 rushing yards

James White, RB, NE: 5 carries, 18 rushing yards, 2 TDs

Damien Harris, RB, NE: 14 carries, 47 rushing yards

Kyler Murray, QB, ARI: 23-of-34, 170 passing yards, 1 INT, 31 rushing yards

Kenyan Drake: RB, ARI: 22 carries, 78 rushing yards, 2 TDs

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, ARI: 5 catches, 55 receiving yards

Cam Newton Quiet in Patriots Win

Newton didn't do much in the passing game as the Patriots struggled to move the ball in the first half:

He didn't do much better in the second and ended the day with just nine completions and two interceptions.

A major issue was holding the ball too long at times:

Other times he was simply inaccurate:

The offense struggled to extend drives, limiting the overall production.

New England's running backs came to the rescue, with Damien Harris leading the team with 47 rushing yards while James White added two touchdowns:

The defense also played well, holding Murray to 31 rushing yards and a 67.0 passer rating.

It was enough to keep the Patriots in the game and eventually pull out the shocking victory.

Patriots D Stifles Cardinals

The Cardinals entered Sunday No. 1 in the NFL in yards from scrimmage while scoring at least 21 points in every game, but the offense had its issues against the Patriots.

Arizona had positive moments, including a pair of Kenyan Drake touchdowns:

Murray also made impressive individual plays:

However, the team was held back by several miscues. The quarterback threw a key interception in the third quarter of a tie game, leading to a touchdown:

He had little room to run and was sacked twice:

DeAndre Hopkins was also well contained by Stephon Gilmore.

No play was bigger than the final snap of the first half when Drake was stuffed at the goal line to end a 15-play drive with zero points. The lost points were part of a significant shift in momentum as New England maintained control for much of the second half.

Arizona still had a chance to win late but settled for a field-goal attempt that Gonzalez couldn't convert.

There were plenty of opportunities for a big game, but the Cardinals simply fell short too often.

What's Next?

The Patriots will begin a stretch of three straight games on the road with a Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Cardinals will host the Los Angeles Rams Sunday for what could be an important divisional battle in the NFC West.