Arizona Cardinals Come From Behind to Defeat Las Vegas Raiders in Overtime

Entering the second half of their Week 2 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Arizona Cardinals looked all but hopeless. Trailing 20-0 and following a disastrous 44-21 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, their season appeared to be quickly unravelling. A lot can change in a couple of quarters. The Cardinals stormed back to complete a miracle comeback, tieing the game as time expired in regulation and then returning a fumble for a touchdown in overtime to take the unlikely 29-23 win.

It wasn't easy for the Cards. Big plays were in short supply. Quarterback Kyler Murray toiled all afternoon, compiling 270 net yards passing on 50 dropbacks and adding 28 rushing yards on five carries. The run game was largely effective, tallying 143 yards rushing on 28 totes, but the team struggled to sustain drives, converting only three of their 13 third down opportunities. Still, the Cardinals kept pushing, accumulating 28 first downs and keeping the Raiders to three points in the second half. Perhaps nobody exhibited the team's never-say-die mentality more than Murray, who held onto the ball an inconceivable 20 seconds before galloping into the endzone on a crucial 2-point conversion.

Meanwhile, the Raiders will be kicking themselves for another missed opportunity to close out a game in the late stages. The team had the ball with a chance at a lead on their final drive of last week's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and they advanced past mid-field in overtime against the Cardinals on Sunday. But for the second time in three plays, Hunter Renfrow fumbled. On the first, he was bailed out by his teammate Foster Moreau's heads-up recovery. On the second, Renfrow wasn't so lucky. Cardinals defensive back Byron Murphy Jr. scooped the ball for the 59-yard game-winning touchdown, and the Raiders fell to 0-2 to start the year.

Looking ahead to Week 3, the Arizona Cardinals host the Los Angeles Rams in an important NFC West showdown, and the Las Vegas Raiders visit the Tennessee Titans following their Monday Night Football matchup against the Buffalo Bills.