When the schedule came out last spring, the Cardinals Christmas Eve matchup with the Giants looked like it could be a game with plenty of postseason intrigue and drama on the line. While that wasn’t the case, with both teams eliminated from the postseason, Sundays 23-0 win for Arizona over the hapless Giants will surely give some fans reason to believe that turning around the team for the 2018 season won’t be the struggle that some are making it out to be.
Larry Fitzgerald caught 9 balls(targeted 15 times) for 119 yards a touchdown. The Cardinal defense tossed a shutout for the first time since 1992.
On defense, rookie Budda Baker led the team in tackles with 13.
John Brown and Robert Nkemdiche, two players who for the most part have had disappointing seasons, both found the end zone in Sundays game. Brown caught a 16 yard TD pass from quarterback Drew Stanton in the 3rd quarter, and Nkemdiche returned a fumble 21 yards for a score in the fourth.
With the win, the Cardinals finished the home portion of their schedule with a 5-3 record. They can wrap up the season with a respectable 8-8 mark by winning next weeks season finale at Seattle against the Seahawks.
The game will have playoff implications for Seattle, so the Cardinals will have plenty to play for next Sunday.
