Patriots at Cardinals Recap, Highlights, Final Score, More

The New England Patriots narrowly defeated the Arizona Cardinals is an incredibly exciting Week 1 matchup.

What a game. This one went down to the wire, but the New England Patriots were able to hold off the Arizona Cardinals for a 23-21 victory on Sunday night.

The Patriots were in control of this game early, but the Cardinals never went away. Led by wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and running back David Johnson, the Cardinals’ offense played well. However, they simply were not able to finish drives often enough.

The most interesting part of this game was the play of Patriots’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. His numbers were not perfect, but Garoppolo was incredibly efficient and comfortable in the pocket. He looked like a 10-year veteran out there, not a guy who was making his first career start. The Patriots were short on weapons and had a make shift offensive line, but Garoppolo was able to come in and bring home the win.

New England put him in a great position to succeed with a sharp short passing attack. Slot receiver Julian Edelman was an incredibly important part of the Patriots’ gameplan on Sunday, always seeming to make a play when they needed it the most.

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The Patriots led through most of this game, but the Cardinals seemed to be in control late. A fourth-quarter touchdown by Fitzgerald, gave Arizona a 21-20 lead. However, Garoppolo led the Pats down the field for a late-game field goal that ended up being the difference.

Carson Palmer drove the offense down the field, but their drive stalled not long after they crossed midfield. Palmer hit Jaron Brown for 18 yards a third-and-23 play late. This put them in field goal position, but a bad snap forced kicker Chandler Catanzaro to miss the 47-yard attempt.

What a fun game between two extremely talented teams.

Three Stars

Jimmy Garoppolo, Patriots: He was not perfect, but Garoppolo played a great game for the Patriots. They will continue to be in good shape until Tom Brady returns from suspension. He may not be as good as the Hall of Famer yet, but Garoppolo proved that he belongs in this league on Sunday night.

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: The future Hall of Fame receiver was incredible on Sunday night. Fitzgerald made big play after big play when the Cardinals needed him the most, including two big touchdown catches.

The Patriots simply could not find an answer for the veteran. They have a strong secondary, but it was not good enough to contain Fitzgerald.

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Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots: Honorable mentions go to Edelman and Johnson here, but Stephen Gostkowski was essential in this Pats’ victory. Gostkowski is one of the best kickers in the NFL, and proved his worth on Sunday night.

Gostowski hit all three of his field goal attempts in the game and his two extra points. The field goals came from 47 yards, 53 yards and a game winner of 32 yards. He is as clutch as it gets.

Highlights

Next Game

The victorious Patriots will now head home to face the Miami Dolphins next Sunday. The Dolphins will look to get back on track after a loss in Week 1.

The Cardinals will lick their wounds and look ahead to their matchup with the 1-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Week 2.