EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The Arizona Cardinals came to MetLife Stadium and like every other team this season found a cure-all for their woes with a game against a winless team from New York’s rotten football apple.
Kyler Murray ran for a touchdown and threw another to DeAndre Hopkins as the Cardinals snapped a two-game losing streak with a 30-10 victory over the Jets, further putting coach Adam Gase’s future in jeopardy after an 0-5 start.
Murray had a 2-yard TD run and hit Hopkins on a 37-yard strike on a day the Cardinals (3-2) had 496 yards in total offense. Chase Edmonds scored on 29-yard run, Kenyan Drake tallied from a yard out and Zane Gonzalez kicked a 47-yard field goal. Arizona scored touchdowns on drives of 96, 89, 75 and 70 yards.
The 0-5 start is the third in Jets history. The other years were 1980 and ’96. The ’96 team went 1-15 and had the worst start in franchise history at 0-8.
Playing with Joe Flacco in place of injured quarterback Sam Darnold and with running back Le’Veon Bell in the lineup for the first time since opening day, the Jets stayed close into the second half. They drew within 17-10 on an 11-yard pass from Flacco to Jamison Crowder, who had eight catches for 116 yards.
The Cardinals quickly put the game out of reach, scoring touchdowns on their next two possessions. Drake powered his way into the end zone with :15 left in the third quarter. Murray (27 of 37 for 380 yards) capped a six-play, 96-yard drive with his perfect toss to Hopkins, who had six catches for 136 yards.
Flacco finished 27 of 37 for 380 yards with an interception that set up a Jets field goal.
Third and not manageable
The Jets came up short on three third-and-1 and one fourth-and-1 play in the first 34 minutes. Bell was stopped twice, running once inside and once outside. Jeff Smith dropped a pass and tight end Trevon Wesco took a handoff as an upback and was stopped in his tracks.
Darnold
This marks the third straight year Darnold has missed games with injuries or illness. He missed three games as a rookie in 2018 with a foot injury and three games last season with mononucleosis.
Injuries
Cardinals: LB Chandler Jones was ruled out after a first-half biceps injury. S Budda Baker returned to the lineup after missing a week following thumb surgery.
Jets: Receiver Chris Hogan was carted of in the fourth quarter with what looked like a knee injury. ... Besides Darnold, the Jets had three other starters out this week: WR Breshad Perriman (ankle), OT Mekhi Becton (shoulder) and CB Bless Austin (calf).
Up next
Cardinals: finish a three-game road trip in Dallas on Sunday.
Jets: play at Miami next Sunday as NFL reorganizes schedule due to coronavirus pandemic.