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James Conner scores twice against his old team, Kenny Pickett hurt as Cardinals beat Steelers 24-10
PITTSBURGH (AP) Forced to endure an unexpected “second halftime” after the skies opened up around Acrisure Stadium in the third quarter on Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals retreated to the locker room and tried to stay loose.
While the Pittsburgh Steelers were trying to figure out how to erase a surprising 14-point deficit against one of the NFL's worst teams, the Cardinals took a different approach.
They held a dance-off.
Fitting on a day when Kyler Murray, James Conner and company made all the right moves in an emphatic 24-10 victory over the listless Steelers, who lost starting quarterback Kenny Pickett to an ankle injury.
Conner ran for 105 yards and two scores against his former team and Murray improved to 2-2 since returning from a torn ACL in his right knee as the Cardinals (3-10) won at Pittsburgh for the first time since 1969.
A pair of weather delays - one for 30 minutes at halftime and another that lasted 53 minutes shortly after Conner's 1-yard touchdown dive - failed to blunt Arizona’s momentum.
“We don’t let our record define us,” said Conner, who starred at the University of Pittsburgh and then spent four seasons with the Steelers from 2017-20 before signing with the Cardinals. “We don’t let (our record) affect how we play, how we take the field, what we try to stand for. ... We’re just going to keep fighting.”
That fight was on display late in the first half during a 15-play, 99-yard drive immediately following a goal-line stand that included five third down conversions and ended with a 5-yard dart from Murray to tight end Trey McBride.
The Steelers (7-5) never recovered. All the progress shown by the offense a week earlier in a win over Cincinnati disappeared, and for once the defense couldn't come up with the game-changing plays that have become the unit's trademark.
Pittsburgh failed to produce a turnover and let all three Arizona drives that reached the red zone end with a touchdown.
Pickett was hurt late in the first half and wore a boot on his right foot while watching backup Mitch Trubisky, who struggled to do much of anything as the Steelers let a chance to strengthen their position in the AFC playoff race slip away.
“We got our (butts) kicked,” Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. “I don't know if it got away from us. We got pummeled today.”
While Pittsburgh remains firmly in the chase for a wild-card spot, there is no postseason in the offing for rebuilding Arizona.
Still, the Cardinals showed signs of progress under first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon. Murray completed 13 of 23 passes for 145 yards and had 20 yards rushing. Arizona's defense bounced back from a nightmarish showing against the Rams a week ago in which it was lit up for 37 points and 452 yards.
Gannon pointed to the buy-in from his players, even amid a season in which little has gone right, as proof things may be heading in the right direction.
“They believe in each other,” Gannon said. “That's what we talked about (all week). ‘Look to your left. Look to your right. Don’t let your teammate down.' And it showed up all week and that's why we gave ourselves a chance to win tonight.”
TURNING POINT
Pittsburgh appeared to be ready to take control in the second quarter when it drove deep into Arizona territory. Pickett was tackled just short of the goal line while scrambling on third down, and Cardinals defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter fell on Pickett's legs.
Pickett tried to get up only to kneel on the turf. He was taken to the locker room for evaluation and replaced by Trubisky. The Steelers opted to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1, but Najee Harris was stuffed for no gain and the Cardinals responded by going the length of the field - most of it in a driving rain.
“It's kind of demoralizing (to the other team) in a sense,” Murray said. “To go 99 yards and put it in the end zone is tough, especially when we got a goal-line stop.”
HAPPY HOMECOMING
Conner grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and spent four years at Pitt, where he set records and also endured a bout with cancer that failed to derail his career.
There were about 20 friends and relatives in the stands to watch him play the team he entered the league with. Conner had his second 100-yard game of the season and was awarded the game ball by Gannon.
“Truly special,” Conner said. “Obviously, the emotions were going when I took the field. ... This is all God. I had this vision of just coming home and trying to play my best football and let God do the rest and let us have a day.”
INJURIES
Cardinals: RB Emari Demercado left with a neck injury in the first quarter after taking an illegal hit from Steelers LB Elandon Roberts and did not return. ... WR Marquise Brown left in the third quarter with a heel injury.
Steelers: Roberts left in the second quarter with a groin injury and briefly returned before leaving for good. ... LG Isaac Seumalo left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Off next week before hosting NFC West-leading San Francisco on Dec. 17.
Steelers: Host New England (2-10) on Thursday night.
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Team Stats | ||
---|---|---|
Time of Pos | 29:17 | 30:43 |
1st Downs | 18 | 18 |
Rushing | 8 | 4 |
Passing | 7 | 13 |
Penalty | 3 | 1 |
3rd Down Conv | 10-17 | 4-11 |
4th Down Conv | 0-0 | 0-1 |
Total Net Yards | 282 | 317 |
Total Plays | 63 | 58 |
Avg Gain | 4.5 | 5.5 |
Net Yards Rushing | 150 | 130 |
Rush Attempts | 38 | 31 |
Avg Rush Yards | 3.9 | 4.2 |
Net Yards Passing | 132 | 187 |
Comp. - Att. | 13-23 | 18-27 |
Yards Per Pass | 5.3 | 6.9 |
Penalties - Yards | 6-51 | 9-77 |
Touchdowns | 3 | 1 |
Rushing TDs | 2 | 0 |
Passing TDs | 1 | 1 |
Other | 0 | 0 |
Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
Fumbles - Lost | 2-0 | 2-1 |
Int. Thrown | 0 | 0 |
Punts - Avg | 5-50.4 | 4-44.8 |
Return Yards | 48 | 37 |
Punts - Returns | 3-24 | 1-11 |
Kickoffs - Returns | 1-24 | 1-26 |
Int. - Returns | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Red Zone Eff. | 3-3 -100% | 1-3 -33% |
Goal to Go Eff. | 2-2 -100% | 1-2 -50% |
Safeties | 0 | 0 |
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | FPTS |
K. Murray
1 QB
13 FPTS
|
K. Murray | 13/23 | 145 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG | FPTS |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG | FPTS |
T. McBride
85 TE
22 FPTS
|
T. McBride | 9 | 8 | 89 | 1 | 17 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
E. Higgins
84 TE
3 FPTS
|
E. Higgins | 2 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
G. Dortch
83 WR
2 FPTS
|
G. Dortch | 3 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
G. Swaim
87 TE
3 FPTS
|
G. Swaim | 2 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
R. Moore
4 WR
1 FPTS
|
R. Moore | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
J. Conner
6 RB
22 FPTS
|
J. Conner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
M. Brown
2 WR
0 FPTS
|
M. Brown | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense | T-A | SACK | INT | FF |
B. Baker
3 SS
|
B. Baker | 6-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Woods
51 LB
|
J. Woods | 5-6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Thompson
34 FS
|
J. Thompson | 4-3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
G. Williams
21 CB
|
G. Williams | 3-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Strong
92 DT
|
K. Strong | 3-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Clark
13 CB
|
K. Clark | 3-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. Wilson
27 CB
|
D. Wilson | 3-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Barnes
56 LB
|
K. Barnes | 2-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
R. Lopez
91 DT
|
R. Lopez | 2-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Ledbetter
93 DE
|
J. Ledbetter | 1-3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Z. Turner
47 LB
|
Z. Turner | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
G. Swaim
87 TE
|
G. Swaim | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Z. Collins
25 LB
|
Z. Collins | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
B. Ojulari
18 LB
|
B. Ojulari | 1-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. Stills
55 DT
|
D. Stills | 0-2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
O. Pappoe
44 LB
|
O. Pappoe | 0-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
P. Hoskins
DT
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P. Hoskins | 0-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Luketa
43 LB
|
J. Luketa | 0-1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking | FG | LG | XP | PTS |
M. Prater
5 K
6 FPTS
|
M. Prater | 1/1 | 51 | 3/3 | 6 |
Punting | NO | AVG | IN20 | LG |
B. Gillikin
12 P
|
B. Gillikin | 5 | 50.4 | 2 | 62 |
Kickoff Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
G. Dortch
83 WR
2 FPTS
|
G. Dortch | 1 | 24.0 | 24 | 0 |
Punt Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
G. Dortch 83 WR
2 FPTS
|
G. Dortch | 3 | 8.0 | 10 | 0 |
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | FPTS |
M. Trubisky
10 QB
8 FPTS
|
M. Trubisky | 11/17 | 117 | 1 | 0 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
K. Pickett
8 QB
2 FPTS
|
K. Pickett | 7/10 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG | FPTS |
N. Harris
22 RB
9 FPTS
|
N. Harris | 16 | 63 | 0 | 11 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Warren
30 RB
6 FPTS
|
J. Warren | 9 | 59 | 0 | 18 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. Trubisky
10 QB
8 FPTS
|
M. Trubisky | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Pickett
8 QB
2 FPTS
|
K. Pickett | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG | FPTS |
G. Pickens
14 WR
12 FPTS
|
G. Pickens | 5 | 4 | 86 | 0 | 38 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Johnson
18 WR
13 FPTS
|
D. Johnson | 5 | 4 | 33 | 1 | 26 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
P. Freiermuth
88 TE
5 FPTS
|
P. Freiermuth | 5 |