Kyler Murray's expected return gives Cardinals needed jolt in home game vs. Falcons
ATLANTA (4-5) at ARIZONA (1-8)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, CBS
OPENING LINE: Falcons by 1 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Falcons 2-7, Cardinals 4-5.
SERIES RECORD: Cardinals lead 17-16.
LAST MEETING: Falcons beat Cardinals 20-19 on Jan. 1, 2023, in Atlanta.
LAST WEEK: Vikings beat Falcons 31-28; Browns beat Cardinals 27-0.
FALCONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (11), RUSH (9), PASS (17), SCORING (25)
FALCONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (14), PASS (10), SCORING (18)
CARDINALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (8), PASS (31), SCORING (28)
CARDINALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (24), RUSH (26), PASS (17), SCORING (27)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Falcons minus-7; Cardinals minus-2.
FALCONS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Taylor Heinicke will make his second straight start after Desmond Ridder lost the job. With the Falcons approaching their bye week, coach Arthur Smith has said he plans to announce a long-term starter after the game. Heinicke can keep the starting job by avoiding interceptions and sacks. He threw for 268 yards with one touchdown and one interception last week. Ridder held the ball too long and was sacked five times just in the first half against Tennessee two weeks ago while Heinicke has been sacked just twice in his game and a half.
CARDINALS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Kyler Murray's every move will be scrutinized in his expected return from an ACL injury last December. The fifth-year player has been practicing the past three weeks and was moved to the active roster on Tuesday. One of Murray's biggest strengths during his first four seasons was an ability to scramble, but it's unclear how much the Cardinals want him being exposed to big hits after coming off such a serious injury.
KEY MATCHUP: Murray vs. Falcons defense. One of the biggest goals for the Cardinals this game is keeping Murray upright. Falcons DT Calais Campbell has three sacks in the past five games, including a safety against Minnesota last week.
KEY INJURIES: Falcons WR Drake London (groin) could return after missing one game. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and “is on the right track” according to Smith. S Richie Grant (neck) also had limited participation on Wednesday, but WR Mack Hollins (ankle), S DeMarcco Hellams (hamstring) and CB Dee Alford (ankle) could miss the game.
SERIES NOTES: The Falcons have won four of the past five games in the series. In the previous game between the teams played at Arizona, the Cardinals won 34-33 on Oct. 13, 2019. ... The home team has won the past 12 meetings in the series and 16 of the past 17.
STATS AND STUFF: The Falcons have two of the NFL’s top 10 leaders in receiving yards among tight ends in Jonnu Smith, who is seventh with 422, and Kyle Pitts, who is ninth with 389. No other team has two among the top 20 tight ends. … Smith led Atlanta with five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown last week. … In Atlanta’s first game since Grady Jarrett’s season-ending knee injury, DT David Onyemata set a career high with 10 tackles and added a sack and forced fumble last week. … PK Younghoe Koo has made 20 of 21 field-goal attempts, including each of his four last week and each of three for the season from 50 yards or longer. … The Falcons have averaged 392.4 total yards since Week 5, third in the league behind Baltimore and Detroit in that span. … Bijan Robinson leads rookie running backs with 514 rushing yards and 197 receiving yards. ... The Cardinals are on a six-game losing streak after falling to the Browns 27-0 last week. They had a 1-13 record in the games Murray missed, counting the game against the Patriots last season on Dec. 12 when he got hurt in the first quarter. ... S Budda Baker had 10 tackles in last week's game against the Browns. It's the 23rd time in his career he's hit double digits, which leads all NFL defensive backs going back to 2017. ... Calais Campbell played for the Cardinals from 2008-2016 and is still third on the franchise's career sack list with 56 1/2. ... WR Marquise Brown has four TD catches in four home games this season. ... The Cardinals have 25 sacks this season, which ranks ninth in the NFL.
FANTASY TIP: Brown's value as a WR could skyrocket during the last half of the season. He's been good through the first nine games, even with Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune under center. Now that Murray is returning, his numbers could take another jump.
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