The Arizona Cardinals overcame a slow start offensively to reel off 31 straight points and down the lowly Houston Texans, 31-5, and remain the NFL's only unbeaten team.
Kyler Murray threw three scores, and the Cardinals' rushing attack churned out 182 yards on 38 carries. Now, Arizona prepares for a far tougher test against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football.
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Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray was tackled in the endzone for a safety that resulted in the Texans’ fifth and final points of the game in the first quarter. Following that, it was back to his old passing ways, as he tossed three scores and three big-time throws without a single turnover-worthy play.
Running Backs
James Conner and Chase Edmonds busted off four and three explosive runs, respectively. Where they made their mark was after contact, as Edmonds (56) and Connor (47) combined for 103 yards rushing after being touched.
Receivers/Tight Ends
Christian Kirk, Zach Ertz and DeAndre Hopkins each found the end zone to the delight of fantasy football players, and Ertz is on track to earn the highest receiving grade of the three (92.1). In his first start with the Cardinals following his trade from the Eagles, Ertz snagged three of his four targets for three first downs and a game-breaking score.
Offensive Line
On 35 pass-block snaps, the Cardinals allowed just two sacks and seven total pressures. D.J. Humphries led the charge with a pending 89.8 pass-blocking grade that featured zero total pressures allowed.
Defensive Line
Markus Golden made his presence known on the edge with a pending 91.2 pass-rushing grade. He recorded two sacks and three total pressures against rookie quarterback Davis Mills.
Linebackers
Rookie Zaven Collins was solid in coverage (77.7, pending review) and against the run (71.2, pending review). He is on track to finish with a 75.0-plus overall grade.
Secondary
Robert Alford paced the Arizona secondary with a 75.9 PFF grade on first review. He played 33 coverage snaps and was targeted only twice. The lone catch he allowed went for -3 yards.
Houston Texans
Quarterback
Davis Mills’ sub-60.0 PFF grade, pending review, consisted of more turnover-worthy plays (2) than big-time throws (0). He also failed to surpass 150 passing yards passing and had a woeful 4.7-yard average depth of target. To add insult to injury, Mills was sacked three times.
Running Backs
While David Johnson is set to earn the team's highest rushing grade (70.8), he saw just eight carries. He did produce 15 yards after contact and ripped off one explosive run, but the Texans' ground game was nonexistent because the team trailed for most of the game.
Receivers/Tight Ends
Brandin Cooks posted a 52.5 receiving grade on first review that consisted of just one explosive pass play, one first down and 21 receiving yards. Pharaoh Brown is set to earn a slightly better mark, but he gained only 11 yards on three catches.
Offensive Line
The Texans' line surrendered two sacks, two hits and three hurries. On the bright side, Tytus Howard was beaten only once on 39 pass-blocking snaps, as he finished with an 83.9 pass-blocking grade — pending review.
Defensive Line
Two sacks and a hurry formed a solid all-around performance for Jonathan Greenard. He finished with a 69.1 pass-rushing grade on first review.
Linebackers
Zach Cunningham made just one tackle and one stop for the Texans, and he is set to finish with a sub-65.0 overall grade.
Secondary
While Lonnie Johnson Jr. did snag his third pick of the season, his 32.4 PFF coverage grade — pending review — came after an otherwise underwhelming performance in coverage. He allowed two explosive pass plays of 15-plus yards.
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