NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 6 Game Recap: Arizona Cardinals 37, Cleveland Browns 14

Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds (2) runs the ball past Cleveland Browns defensive back Grant Delpit (22) and defensive end Takkarist McKinley (55) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Even without head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Kyler Murray conducted his team down the field with ease. The Arizona Cardinals scored on all five possessions in the first half to catapult themselves to a 37-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.

The Cardinals remain the only undefeated team in the NFL, while the Browns fall to .500.

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Arizona Cardinals

Quarterback

Kyler Murray threw for a season-low 229 yards, but his four touchdowns and two big-time throws helped put his team over the top. Despite being without his usual play-caller, Murray put up an 81% adjusted completion percentage and his average target was nearly 10 yards downfield. He finished the game with a pending 75.0 passing grade and a 129.0 passer rating.

Running back

James Conner wasn’t used much in the early part of the game, with most of his carries coming in the second half to close out the win. He ran the ball 16 times for 71 yards on the ground, and over 90% of his yards came after contact. Conner also forced three missed tackles.

Wide receiver/tight end

Murray targeted only six pass-catchers in the game, but that was all he needed to make plays down the field. DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green and Christian Kirk each caught at least one touchdown pass, with Green leading the way (79 receiving yards). Both Hopkins and Green posted a perfect passer rating when targeted, and all three receivers averaged over 15 yards per reception.

Player Routes Tgts aDOT YPRR Passer Rtg
DeAndre Hopkins 31 3 15.3 1.77 158.3
A.J. Green 29 6 16.2 2.72 158.3
Christian Kirk 26 8 15.1 2.88 132.8
Rondale Moore 18 4 0.0 0.89 81.3
Offensive line

The Cardinals' offensive line allowed only seven pressures and one sack, but three members of the unit graded below 55.0 in pass protection on first review. Max Garcia was the only lineman to not allow a pressure, and he finished with a team-high 83.9 pass-blocking grade, pending review.

Player Pass-Blocking Grade* Pass-Blocking Snaps Sacks Allowed Beaten by Defender
Josh Jones 53.1 37 0 1
Max Garcia 83.9 37 0 0
D.J. Humphries 26.7 37 0 0
Justin Pugh 83.7 37 0 0
Kelvin Beachum 30.2 37 1 3

*PFF grades will be finalized and made available by 1 p.m. Monday

Defensive line

Arizona was creating constant pressure on Mayfield, as the defensive line sacked him three times and generated 16 pressures in the game. Markus Golden finished with two sacks while also leading the team in pressures (seven). J.J. Watt also got in on the action with three pressures, including his first sack of the season.

Linebacker

Jordan Hicks and Isaiah Simmons each played 55 defensive snaps, and both made an impact in the game. Hicks rushed Mayfield only five times but sacked him twice. Hicks also created four defensive stops to help him earn one of the highest defensive grades on the team. Simmons, who also made four defensive stops, allowed four receptions in coverage, but only one went for a first down.

Secondary

Despite allowing a desperate Hail Mary heave before halftime, the Cardinals' secondary played well in coverage and clamped down when it needed a stop. Marco Wilson was deemed responsible for the Hail Mary and allowed 120 receiving yards in coverage. Outside of Wilson, no member of the secondary conceded more than 40 yards.

Player Tgts Rec TDs INT + FINC Passer Rtg Allowed
Marco Wilson 7 6 1 1 158.3
Jalen Thompson 1 1 0 0 83.3
Byron Murphy Jr. 6 3 0 1 68.8
Budda Baker 1 1 0 0 118.8
Robert Alford 5 2 1 3 49.6

Cleveland Browns

Quarterback

Baker Mayfield’s nagging shoulder injury hindered his performance in the second half. After throwing for 171 yards and two touchdowns across the first 30 minutes of game action, Mayfield managed only 63 yards and one turnover-worthy play in the final two quarters.

He was sacked five times and lost a fumble when scrambling out of the pocket, which caused only more pain to his left shoulder. Still, he averaged 8.4 yards per pass attempt and finished the game with a 100.0-plus passer rating.

Baker Mayfield by half

1st Half 2nd Half
12/18 Comp/Att 7/10
171 Yds 63
2:1 TD:INT 0:0
9.1 aDOT 6.3
111.1 Passer Rating 86.7
Running back

The Browns didn’t rush for their typical numbers, but Kareem Hunt still ran the ball efficiently without Nick Chubb in the fold. Hunt carried the ball 14 times for 66 yards with two broken tackles. Three carries went for 10-plus yards, with nearly 61% of his yards coming after contact.

Unfortunately, Hunt left the game in the fourth quarter with an injury that could spell trouble for the Browns, who play on Thursday night in Week 7.

Wide receiver/tight end

Donovan Peoples-Jones led the team with four receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a 57-yard Hail Mary at the end of the first half. Odell Beckham Jr. left the game for some time but returned in the second half and finished the day with 79 receiving yards. Both receivers were the main targets of the game, as the next closest receiver managed only 14 receiving yards.

Offensive line

Mayfield took five sacks in the game, but none were credited against the offensive line. The unit allowed only nine pressures, with J.C. Tretter being the only member to stay clean in pass protection. Four linemen earned 70.0-plus pass-blocking grades upon first review.

Defensive line

Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney were the only ones to create consistent pressure, as the duo combined for two sacks and eight of the unit’s 11 pressures. Both Garrett and Clowney graded 80.0 or higher on pass-rush snaps, with nobody else receiving a grade above 70.0 upon first review.

Player Pass-Rush Grade Sacks Pressures Win %
Myles Garrett 90.5 1 5 22.6%
Malik Jackson 57.8 0 2 6.5%
Jadeveon Clowney 80.4 1 3 16.7%
Malik McDowell 55.7 0 0 8.7%
Takkarist McKinley 49.6 0 0 0.0%
Linebacker

It was a rough day for Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who missed a tackle on 33% of his attempts. He was also responsible for allowing a touchdown in coverage. He did create three defensive stops, but the rookie linebacker is set to earn the worst defensive grade of his season.

Secondary

The Browns secondary was responsible for allowing over 200 yards in coverage and three touchdowns. Greedy Williams, Troy Hill and Ronnie Harrison each allowed a touchdown, with Williams conceding the most yards in coverage (79).

Denzel Ward received the highest grade in the Browns' secondary after allowing two receptions on two targets for 12 yards and a first down.

Player Cov. Snaps Comp % Yds TDs Passer Rtg Allowed
Denzel Ward 32 100% 12 0 91.7
John Johnson III 31 40% 18 0 50.4
Ronnie Harrison 29 100% 24 1 139.6
Troy Hill 25 75% 46 1 152.1
Greedy Williams 24 83.3% 79 1 158.3
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