1st and 10: Cardinals Stun the Bills

1st: The Hail Murray was a once in a lifetime event.

• The reason why sports keeps us coming back for more is the possibility we'll see something amazing. And boy did we on Sunday. Considering all parties involved (Kyler, DeAndre, Kliff) had never been a part of a game winning Hail Mary prior to Sunday, its more likely than not they'll never be a part of another one again. Kyler's avoidance of the rush, picture perfect throw combined with DeAndre's exquisitely timed jump and man hands grabbing the ball over three defenders will stand the test of time. The Cardinals got a win and you got a memory of a lifetime.

And 10:

1. Piggybacking on the above topic, for the first time potentially ever the Arizona Cardinals franchise is a bandwagon franchise. People loved the Kurt Warner Super Bowl story but they weren't ditching their favorite teams for the Cardinals. BA's Cardinals were fun and exciting but no one took them all that seriously. This may be the first time kids across the country are asking their parents for a Kyler or DeAndre Hopkins Cardinals jersey this holiday season. A generation of kids in Arizona will play backyard football (assuming human to human contact will be allowed again) with each kid screaming out they want to be Kyler or DeAndre. The transformative power, the absolute pure coolness of this duo can propel the Cardinals to heights they've never been before on and off the field.
2. We can't forget about Kliff Kingsbury's struggles in this game. His decision to call three straight passes while nursing a three point lead with four minutes left and over 200 yards rushing on the ground is indefensible. Kingsbury as a coach is a lot like Matthew Stafford as a QB. He looks the part, has some impressive skills but also seems to consistently underwhelm all at the same time.
3. The Kingsbury conversation is basically over when you realize that he'll be the head coach as long as Kyler wants him as the head coach. Murray is earning the kind of juice and franchise influence that can dictate certain franchise decisions.
4. The Cardinals run defense was the unsung hero of this game. Even after losing Corey Peters and not having Jordan Phillips available, the Cardinals consistently stuffed the Bills young two headed RB monster. Two weeks prior to this game, Zach Moss and Devin Singletary combined for over 5 yards per carry to help beat New England. On Sunday, they both averaged less than three and never really had a chance.
5. The Cardinals second half adjustments had Josh Allen making the Eli Manning face. Allen often had ample time in the pocket to make throws but Vance Joseph succeeded in keeping him just confused enough to force the Bills into five straight empty drives. A true test of a QB's greatness could come on where they rank on the Eli Manning Dumb Face Scale, a very scientific method whereby the QB's face when things are going poorly register on a scale named after all time Dumb Face Hall of Famer Eli Manning. Allen registers a solid 7 on the 1-10 scale.
6. If you added up all the plays Isaiah Simmons has made in the last three games and distilled them into a single four quarter game, you'd have something special on your hands. That should get Cardinals fans very excited. Against the Bills, Simmons successfully rushed the passer, covered a RB downfield and replace DeVondre Campbell without being picked on like the biggest, slowest kid in dodgeball. Now the next step: actually putting together four quarters.
7. I will live the rest of my life without successfully using the pronoun "I" the way Hopkins did. All timer.
8. I saved this humdinger for last. After word or Drew Brees rib injury, combined with the general softness of the Packers, its entirely possible that there is a path for the Cardinals to the #1 seed in the NFC. This isn't the AFC where powerhouses like the Chiefs and Steelers reign supreme. If Antonio Brown keeps doing Antonio Brown things off the field, assuming the Cardinals can beat the Seahawks on Thursday, there's a fairly clear path to the #1 seed. Insane to even entertain this idea but it is 2020.
9. Under the Radar Stars: Dan Arnold was everything you want a TE to be in this game for the Cardinals hauling in all 4 targets, Haason Reddick should just get a series of one year contracts because he's a monster when he's playing for his next deal, Budda Baker will never be under the radar again but he's a freak show on the football field and Andy Isabella didn't screw up the last play of the game for the Cardinals offense!
10. What's Next: @ Seattle. Kyler versus Russ forever.