Cardinals try to clinch playoff spot against Colts
GLENDALE, ARIZ. » The Arizona Cardinals failed to clinch an elusive NFL playoff spot after losing to one of the league’s worst teams last week.
They’ll get another chance against arguably one of the league’s best.
The surging Indianapolis Colts (8-6) travel to face the sliding Arizona Cardinals (10-4) on Saturday. It’s just the third time the Cardinals have played on Christmas Day, while the Colts will be making their franchise debut on Dec. 25.
The standings say the Cardinals are a better team than the Colts, but that hasn’t been the case in recent weeks. The Cardinals have lost four of their last seven games, including their last two. The Colts have won five of six, including a 27-17 win over the Patriots last weekend.
If the Cardinals clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2015, they’ll likely have to earn it against the Colts, who lead the NFL with a plus-14 turnover margin. The Colts are currently in the No. 5 spot in the AFC playoff chase.
“It’s a great team. There’s no sugarcoating it,” Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said. “They’re a great team, a lot of talent over there on defense and offense. We’re going to have to be ready for it. This is December football. It’s a playoff-like atmosphere on Christmas. They’re going to be ready. We’ve got to come to play.”
The matchup features some of the league’s best running backs.
The Colts’ Jonathan Taylor already has 1,518 yards rushing this season and needs one more 100-yard game to tie Edgerrin James for the second most in team history in one season.
The Cardinals’ James Conner doesn’t have as many yards on the ground, but has been a touchdown machine, finding the end zone 16 times to make earn his second Pro Bowl nod.
“If you’re winning the rushing title, that means you’re doing a great job at running the ball, which could ultimately, probably lead to that end goal,” Taylor said. “But there’s been guys to win it before and not obtain a Super Bowl.”
MILESTONE RUN
Taylor is running away with the NFL rushing title.
He has topped the 100yard mark in eight of the last 11 games, posted 100 yards from scrimmage 10 times in those 11 and has scored at least one TD in a franchise record-tying 11 straight.
This weekend, he’s on the verge of more milestones.
His next TD run will tie Eric Dickerson (29) for third-most scores in a player’s first 30 games and will tie Lenny Moore’s single-season franchise record (20). He needs 146 yards from scrimmage to become the fourth Colts player to top 2,000 yards from scrimmage and is within 192 yards mark of breaking James’ franchise record (1,709).
What else?
He can match James’ single-season franchise mark (nine) if he runs for 100 yards. And one more score will tie Earl Campbell, Terrell Davis, Larry Johnson and LaDainian Tomlinson for fourth-most in one season in NFL history.
FORE!
Murray hopes to bounce back from a mediocre performance against the Lions last week. He wasn’t terrible, but missed on a few throws and finished 23 of 41 passing for 257 yards, one touchdown and one interception.