ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — When operating again James Conner powered into the Buffalo Payments’ finish zone late within the second quarter to provide the Arizona Cardinals a 17-3 lead, the Buffalo dwelling crowd of 70,542 obtained eerily silent.
Arizona moved the ball at will throughout its first three drives of the season opener on Sunday afternoon, deploying a nearly-balanced assault to dominate the Payments.
The silence did not final for lengthy because the Payments had been capable of make it 17-17 one drive into the second half earlier than the Cardinals fell quick 34-28.
Within the first half, Kyler Murray accomplished 16-of-19 go makes an attempt to seven totally different receivers, throwing for 130 yards and a landing. He, operating backs Conner and Trey Benson mixed for 16 rushes for 59 yards. Murray had this whole offseason to arrange in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s scheme after an ACL tear in December 2022 sidelined him for final 12 months’s preseason programming.
“If we may clip three drives of what our offense desires to appear like, I believe that first drive is what our offense must function like always,” vast receiver Michael Wilson mentioned, who capped the group’s first drive with the primary landing of the season.
Wilson’s landing was the primary time Arizona had scored on its opening drive since 2015 and first time it did it on the highway since 2003. All the pieces the Cardinals did was clicking as a result of they stayed on schedule, Murray mentioned.
“That is the largest factor, actually, staying on schedule,” Murray mentioned. “Whenever you’re on the highway, popping out first sport, have not actually performed soccer in a very long time, dwell ambiance like that, popping out towards a terrific group, you do not wanna be going backwards.
“Detrimental performs and stuff like that kill drives, kill momentum. We performed clear. We continued to march ahead. So, I believe that was the distinction within the first half.”
By halftime — though they gave up a late landing — the Cardinals dominated time of possession, 20:06 to 9:54.
Gannon mentioned Arizona began the sport with a heavy dose of Conner as a result of the Payments got here out taking part in a shell protection. He touched the ball on the primary six performs — 4 runs and two catches — single-handedly shifting Arizona from its personal 30 to deep inside Payments territory. Conner completed with 50 yards and a landing on 16 carries, and three catches for 33 yards.
“I assumed the run sport regarded good,” Gannon mentioned. “He regarded good at present.”
Whereas the Cardinals had been capable of transfer the ball with ease early, they had been tempered all through the sport.
Murray averaged solely 2.9 air yards per completion and failed to finish a single go thrown 10 or extra yards downfield, ending 0-of-6 on these throws, based on ESPN Stats & Info. It was the primary time he failed to finish such a throw in a sport since Week 14 of 2022, when he solely threw one go.
Not with the ability to join on an explosive play was one of many causes Arizona’s offense stalled within the second half.
Out of the Cardinals’ 11 second-half factors, the offense scored three factors and gained 80 whole yards after halftime because the Payments clawed their again to win. Gannon mentioned the Payments stacked the field extra within the second half, which stuffed the Cardinals’ run sport.
Arizona’s early offensive success was with out a lot contribution from first-round decide Marvin Harrison Jr., who completed the sport with only one catch for 4 yards on three targets. They had been the fewest receiving yards by a receiver taken within the high 5 throughout his debut since Desmond Howard — who had no yards in 1992 — and fewest yards by a receiver taken within the high 10 throughout his debut since Mike Williams had three in 2005, based on ESPN Stats & Info.
Murray mentioned Harrison’s involvement within the offense — or lack thereof — was a part of the pure circulation of the sport. Identical went for Wilson’s involvement, whose solely catch on 5 targets was the landing.
“There wasn’t any not not attempting to get them the ball,” Murray mentioned.
Harrison was energetic on the sector. In 54 of 60 offensive snaps, he ran 33 routes, probably the most amongst Cardinals. Gannon mentioned the Payments had been taking part in cloud protection towards Harrison and made it some extent to take the rookie receiver out of the offense. In accordance with ESPN Stats & Info, Harrison ran 11 routes towards man protection, together with one of many closing play of the sport when Murray heaved a go from the 29 to receiver Greg Dortch ultimately zone, and was not focused on any of them.
When speaking a couple of missed back-shoulder throw to Harrison within the first quarter, Murray identified that Sunday was the primary time he and Harrison performed collectively, including that “we’ll click on. We’ll get higher.”