NFL 2018-19 Review: Denver Blows Out the Cardinals in Arizona



Denver Broncos 45

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Arizona Cardinals 10

Denver Broncos 45, Arizona Cardinals 10 - Well, I don't know where the Broncos have been hiding for about a month, but they suddenly reappeared last night, looking almost like the Broncos of a few years ago, the team that clinched four straight playoff byes and went to two Super Bowls, winning one of them. Denver jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the first quarter, and led 35-3 by halftime. As Warner World used to say, you could turn your television sets off right there. The main story that I could see was the very impressive play of the Denver defense, which once again bore a striking resemblance to the powerhouse unit that won the Super Bowl a few seasons ago. Denver linebacker Todd Davis opened the scoring with a pick six, intercepting the ball at the 20-yard line and returning it for a touchdown and a very early 7-0 lead for the Broncos. Later in that same quarter, with Denver already leading 14-3, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris had a 53-yard interception return for a touchdown. This was a day when the Broncos defense was overwhelming, although the Cardinals kept making stupid mistakes and committing dumb penalties. On offense, Denver also enjoyed success. Case Keenum had a decent, but not great, day, completing 14 of 21 pass attempts for 161 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Denver running back Phillip Lindsay, wearing Terrell Davis's old number 30, looked like the former great running back who helped Denver win back-to-back Super Bowls, as he picked up 90 yards on 14 carries, including a 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Arizona played poorly on both side of the ball. Quarterback Josh Rosen completed 21 of 39 passes for 194 yards, most of those coming when the Cardinals were already far behind and needed to pass. He did throw one touchdown, but also had three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. The Cardinals fall to 1-6, and for the time being, they once again own the worst record in the league. Denver, meanwhile, snaps a four-game losing streak, and improves to 3-4 on the year.