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The Arizona Cardinals have now won two games in a row and are close to their first postseason berth since 2015. They appear to be finishing the season strong after a three-game losing streak and dropping four of five.
After their latest win, a 33-26 thriller over the Philadelphia Eagles, they climbed for the third week in a row in Mark Schofield’s power rankings for Touchdown Wire.
They moved up one slot from No. 14 to No. 13.
Last week it was the defense that led the way for the Arizona Cardinals, as they sacked New York Giants quarterbacks eight times en route to a 26-7 win at MetLife Stadium.
This week it was all about quarterback Kyler Murray. The second-year passer accounted for four touchdowns as the Cardinals kept their postseason chances alive with a 33-26 victory over Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. In the win Murray threw for a career-high 406 yards and three touchdowns, one of which was this incredible connection with DeAndre Hopkins for the eventual game-winner:
As the NFL account asks: How do you defend this?
The Cardinals now close out the season with games against division rivals, with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 and the San Francisco 49ers on deck in Week 16. Both are winnable games, despite the loss to the Rams just a few weeks ago. If Murray can turn in a few more performances like he did this past Sunday, and the offense continues to move Hopkins around to give him some favorable matchups, they will be in good position to lock down their first playoff berth since 2015.
The offense has come alive again. The defense is producing sacks at a high level (14 in two games). Special teams is locked in after a hiccup against the New England Patriots.
Their Week 16 opponent, the 49ers, have lost three in a row and are ranked 24th in this week’s power rankings. In Week 17, they face the Rams, who fell to No. 14 behind the Cardinals after their loss to the winless Jets.
If the Cardinals can win their final two contests, they might find themselves back in the top 10, where they were before their losing streak.
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