Cardinals fall to Falcons 29-18; Lose 2nd Game In a Row

Picture Courtesy of azcardinal.com

By Francisco Romero. – The Arizona Cardinals lost for the second week in a row for the first time this season, falling to the Atlanta Falcons 29-18 on Sunday.

The Cardinals are still in first place in the NFC West with a record of 9-3, Arizona’s lead is only one game; Seattle is right behind with a record of 8-4.

With their playoff hopes on the line, the Falcons came out aggressive and its defense was dominant against quarterback Drew Stanton.  Stanton was intercepted three times during the game. 

The Cardinal’s could not contain Atlanta’s best offensive weapon, Julio Jones; the wide receiver was all over the field.  He finished the game with 18 receptions, 189 receiving yards and a touchdown.

The first quarter of the game was key to the Falcons as they led 17-0 after 15 minutes of play.

Falcon’s quarterback, Matt Ryan, found a nice rhythm and finished the game completing 30-of-41 passes for 361 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The bad news keep mounting for the Cardinals as they lost another player to injury.  Running back Andre Ellington left the game with a hip injury. 

Arizona is already playing without starting quarterback Carson Palmer and veteran receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

The Cardinals’ highlight of the game came in the second quarter when Rashad Johnson intercepted a pass from Ryan and ran back 88 yards for a touchdown.

The Falcons record improved to 5-7 in the NFC south, and even with a losing record they are still looking for a spot in the playoffs.

The cardinals return home to face the Kansas City Chiefs next week.