(Glendale) Mac Jones threw for 235 yards, Raekwon McMillan returned a fumble for a crucial touchdown and the New England Patriots came from behind to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 27-13 , Monday.
The Cardinals lost starting quarterback Kyler Murray in the first quarter to a serious knee injury.
The Patriots trailed 13-10 at halftime, but tied the game early in the third quarter thanks to a short field goal. The Patriots got their tiebreak and a 20-13 lead later in the third quarter when McMillan recovered a loose fly ball and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.
Kyle Dugger forced the loose ball by pulling it out of the hands of Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins who had just caught a pass.
The Patriots extended their lead to 27-13 early in the fourth quarter on a three-yard run from Pierre Strong Jr., then relied on their defense to earn a much-needed win.
Jones completed 24 of 35 passes, but one of them was intercepted. The Patriots (7-6) snapped a two-game losing streak to stay in the hunt for the AFC playoffs. The Cardinals (4-9) have lost five of their last six games, including the last three.
Murray was injured on the third game of the match, which immediately changed the face of the evening. The quarterback, in his fourth season in the NFL, came out of the pocket and was running to his right when he tried to pass a Patriots player. However, he fell to the ground and was visibly in pain.
Players from both teams surrounded the former first overall pick before he was taken off the pitch with a towel over his head.
Colt McCoy, 36, has proven himself capable of replacing Murray over the past two seasons. He started Monday’s game with a 3-2 record when Murray was injured. He worked his magic again – at least for a while – by allowing the Cardinals to take a 13-10 lead at halftime.