Fitz has a big day, Cardinals get first shutout in 25 years

By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Larry Fitzgerald had never completed an NFL pass, from the throwing end of one anyway. He'd never been on the winning end of a shutout, either.

Both things happened and more in the Arizona Cardinals' dominant 23-0 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday in what might have been Fitzgerald's final home game.

"No. 11 (Fitzgerald) was probably my fault," Giants interim coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "We should have double-teamed him more."

Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. In the process, he has become the oldest player, at 34 to top 100 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving in a season.

"It's nice to play a game you love and be able to do it at a high level still," Fitzgerald said, "and especially being able to do it in a win."

He was asked this week when he will decide whether to come back for a 15th NFL season but said only that he'd take some time to figure it out. If he leaves, he will have that elusive completion, a 21-yarder to Jaron Brown after two incomplete tosses earlier in his career.

Fitzgerald said it never entered his mind that this might be the final time he plays at University of Phoenix Stadium.

"I don't like to get into that type of thinking," he said, "because it's a lot bigger than me."

The Cardinals (7-8) shut out an opponent for the first time in 25 years.

"Our defense, they've been playing unbelievable for the last six to seven weeks," Arizona coach Bruce Arians said. "To get that shutout is huge."

The Cardinals' last shutout also came against the Giants, 17-0 on Dec. 12, 1992.

The Giants have lost five in a row and nine of 10.

"No one wants to lose and lose as much as we have," said Manning, who was intercepted twice and had a fumble returned for a touchdown. "It's obviously been tough all year. Nothing has come easy. We've lost heartbreakers. We've lost some like this as well, where we just never could get much going."

The 36-year-old quarterback completed 27 of 45 passes for 263 yards and was intercepted twice, both by Antoine Bethea. Manning also had the ball stripped by Deone Bucannon and returned 21 yards for a touchdown by Robert Nkemdiche.

The Giants were last shut out on Oct. 12, 2014, 27-0 by the Eagles.

The only real New York threat came when Aldrick Rojas missed a 33-yard field goal although the Arizona defense held after a late deflected pass for an interception.

With the victory for Arizona (7-8), Arians moved into a tie with Ken Whisenhunt for most victories by a Cardinals coach (49).

The Giants fell to 0-3 under Spagnuolo, who took over after Ben McAdoo was fired.

Arians benched quarterback Blaine Gabbert after five starts and returned to Drew Stanton, who completed 20 of 34 for 209 yards, including TDs passes of 13 yards to Fitzgerald and 15 yards to John Brown, but was intercepted twice.

The Cardinals entered the game without a touchdown - but 10 field goals - in their previous 10 quarters, and they added another three-pointer with Phil Dawson's 21-yard chip shot with 5:29 left in the first quarter.

After the kickoff, New York drove near midfield but, looking over the middle, Manning apparently didn't see Bethea move from his safety spot to pick off the pass.

FINALLY A TD

Arizona's touchdown drought ended in the waning moments of the first half. In a drive that started at their 21, the Cardinals went 79 in 11 plays, aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty against Olivier Vernon on third-and-3, Stanton hit Fitzgerald with a 13-yard TD pass that put Arizona up 10-0 with 1:01 left in the second quarter.

Arizona took the second-half kickoff and went 75 yards in eight plays, culminated by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brown that made it 16-0. Dawson's conversion try was no good.

INJURIES

The Giants lost their leading receiver, tight end Evan Engram, on Bethea's first interception with a rib injury. New York safety Landon Collins was knocked out of the game in the third quarter. Spagnuolo said afterward he had a broken forearm.

Arizona linebacker Haason Reddick left with a foot injury in the second quarter.

UP NEXT

Giants: Finish their season at home against Washington on Sunday.

Cardinals: Complete their season at Seattle on Sunday.

Cousins helps Redskins slip by Cardinals

LANDOVER, Md. -- After getting pushed around for two weeks, the Washington Redskins defense pushed back.

Kirk Cousins threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Redskins defense kept the Arizona Cardinals out of the end zone in a 20-15 win Sunday at FedEx Field.

The Redskins never trailed and stopped Arizona on downs at the Washington 21-yard line with 16 seconds left when Larry Fitzgerald couldn't reel in a Blaine Gabbert pass inside the 10.

"Story of the day. (The Cardinals') red zone offense against our red zone defense," said Redskins coach Jay Gruden, whose team gave up 68 points in losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers. "The ability for us not to give up the big play and keep them out of the end zone."

Arizona went 0 for 6 in the red zone and was 4 of 19 on third down. The Cardinals haven't scored a touchdown in their past two games and were officially eliminated from the playoff hunt.

Washington linebacker Preston Smith had an interception, fumble recovery and a sack, while defensive end Anthony Lanier had two of Washington's five sacks.

"We all were going extra hard because we were so disappointed," Lanier said of the back-to-back losses."

Washington was slightly better on a day when neither offense was impressive.

Cousins was 18 of 26 for 196 yards and no interceptions. Washington (6-8) snapped a two-game losing streak and won despite rushing for just 32 yards.

The Cardinals rushed for 141 yards, but Blaine Gabbert finished 16 of 41 for 189 yards. He threw an interception and fumbled three times, losing one that led to a Redskins' touchdown.

"Yeah, it was just a game of missed opportunities and that falls on me," Gabbert said. "The lack of execution for me all day -- that just can't happen. We were inches away on a bunch of plays, but at the end of the day, I have to make those and we have to score touchdowns in the red zone."

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said after the game that Gabbert would remain the starter.

Phil Dawson kicked five field goals without a miss one week after hitting four in a 12-7 win over Tennessee.

The Cardinals (6-8) haven't won back-to-back games this season.

Arizona pooched the second-half kickoff and, when no one from the Redskins got there, Budda Baker of the Cardinals recovered at the Washington 22.

"We elected to go into the wind to start the third quarter so that we would have it in the fourth," Dawson said. "And any time you're going into the wind, that opens up the high short kick and so we decided to go with that and see if we couldn't steal a possession."

The Cardinals could not move the ball however, and Dawson's fourth field goal pulled them within 14-12.

Later in the third quarter, Washington started on its 6-yard line and Cousins passed for 67 yards in an 88-yard drive before settling for a 24-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins.

Dawson answered with a 54-yarder early in the fourth quarter, but a leveraging penalty on the Redskins gave the Cardinals new life on the Washington 20. Another red-zone failure resulted in Dawson kicking a 32-yarder to pull Arizona within 17-15 with 11:13 left to play.

Hopkins restored the five-point lead from 32 yards out with 4:30 remaining.

Arizona got the opening kickoff and turned the ball over three plays later when Gabbert was sacked by Lanier and fumbled. Smith recovered at the Cardinals' 18 and made it to the 6. Cousins found Jamison Crowder on a crossing pattern for the touchdown.

The Cardinals answered with a 16-play, 60-yard drive that stalled on a pair of sacks and ended with Dawson's 40-yard field goal.

Washington made it 14-3 early in the second quarter when Cousins threw a screen pass to running back Kapri Bibbs, who scampered 36 yards for a touchdown. Bibbs was signed off the practice squad this week after Byron Marshall was placed on injured reserve.

Trailing 14-6, the Cardinals drove to the Redskins 9 late in the half, but on first-and-goal, Gabbert's pass was off the mark and Smith picked it off.

"It was great coverage by me and the rest of the defense and then some great rushes that pressured the quarterback to throw me that interception," Smith said.

On first down at the Redskins 41, Cousins hit tight end Vernon Davis, but he fumbled and Arizona's Tramon Williams returned it to the 33. The Cardinals reached the 2, but after three incomplete passes, settled for another Dawson field goal on the final play of the half.

NOTES: Arizona WR Brit Golden suffered a fractured right arm. ... Cardinals LB Chandler Jones became just the third player in franchise history with 15-plus sacks in a season. ... Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald (five catches) reached the 90-catch plateau for the eighth time in his career. No other player in NFL history has more than six such seasons. ... Washington CB Bashaud Breeland left with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter, but returned. ... Redskins K Dustin Hopkins was activated off injured reserve on Saturday and the team waived K Nick Rose. ... Washington LB Zach Brown missed the game with multiple injuries. T Trent Williams (knee) and DL Terrell McClain (toe), listed as questionable during the week, were out. ... Arizona TE Jermaine Gresham (illness) and DT Josh Mauro (ankle) were out after being listed as questionable.

Dawson boots Cardinals past Titans

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Phil Dawson kicked four field goals and the Arizona Cardinals intercepted Marcus Mariota twice in outlasting the Tennessee Titans 12-7 on Sunday.

Arizona (6-7) got two field goals from Dawson in the fourth quarter, the last from 35 yards out with 3:45 left to play. The kick came after Mariota's second interception of the game, as linebacker Josh Bynes picked off the pass over the middle.

"I know what everybody is going to say -- 'It's an ugly win,'" Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said. "There is no such thing. I couldn't be prouder of the character of the men in that locker room. We've never lost two in a row at home in five years, and very seldom have we lost two in a row because of the character that's in that room."

Dawson's 32-yard field goal with 5:59 remaining gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game at 9-7.

The Titans (8-5) had their two-game winning streak snapped and, with it, they fell to second place in the AFC South behind Jacksonville (9-4), which beat Seattle on Sunday.

Mariota was 16 of 31 for 159 yards with no touchdowns and the two interceptions. He injured his knee during a first-half run, and although it wasn't enough to knock him out of the game, it may have played a part in his ineffectiveness.

"Frustration is an understatement," Mariota said of his performance overall. "Defense played lights out. Special teams did their job. And I've been hurting our team. I've got to find ways to get better."

The Titans also lost left tackle Taylor Lewan in the first half to a back injury. He said he woke up with stiffness in his back and that it tightened up on him during the game.

Cardinals quarterback Blaine Gabbert was 17 of 26 for 178 yards with no touchdowns and no picks. He is now 2-2 as Arizona's starter since moving up the depth chart because of injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton.

The Titans sacked Gabbert eight times for 53 yards.

"Some of those were my fault," Gabbert said, adding when asked how his body feels, "I feel great. Everything feels better when you get a win."

The Cardinals held the Titans' two-pronged rushing attack of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry to 54 total yards. Murray rushed 11 times for 34 yards while Henry had eight carries for 20 yards and a touchdown.

"We were definitely sound, defensively," Bynes said. "We were prepared for whatever they threw at us and once we got the gist of what they were trying to throw at us, everyone locked in and communicated so well. Everyone did their jobs today and communicated."

The Cardinals had a chance to take the lead following a Tramon Williams interception of a Mariota pass with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Cardinals drove the ball to the Tennessee 22 and set up for a field-goal attempt that would have given them a 9-7 lead.

However, Dawson's 40-yarder was wide right. It was his eighth missed field goal of the season, tying his career high when he also missed eight in 2006 while with the Cleveland Browns.

"It's inexcusable, but he made the next two," Arians said.

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught five passes for 44 yards. With his 23-yard reception early in the third quarter, Fitzgerald surpassed Randy Moss (15,292) for third place on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list. Fitzgerald now has 15,311 career yards, behind only Terrell Owens (15,934) and Jerry Rice (22,895).

Trailing 7-3 midway through the third quarter, the Cardinals caught a break when the Titans faked a punt on fourth-and-1 from their own 35-yard line. Eric Weems took the direct snap and charged up the middle for what initially was ruled a first down.

Arians challenged the call on the field, and after a review and subsequent re-measure, the first down was overruled and the Cardinals got the ball back on downs.

Arizona moved to the Titans 3-yard line, but Kerwynn Williams was stuffed for a 2-yard loss and the Cardinals were forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal from Dawson.

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey said the punt fake wasn't executed correctly.

"No, it wasn't. You know what, we should have got it," he said. "I thought we had it. Both officials had the mark as a first down. I was standing right between them. I don't know how it got overturned."

Dawson connected on a 47-yard field goal earlier in the third quarter, capping a nine-play, 48-yard drive to open the second half.

Both teams struggled to get their offenses moving in the first half. The Cardinals punted on all five of their possessions, the Titans on each of their first three.

A 33-yard punt by Arizona's Andy Lee put Tennessee in decent field position early in the second quarter. The Titans then went 50 yards on nine plays, getting a 6-yard touchdown run from Henry for the only scoring in the half.

Tennessee (89) and Arizona (48) combined for just 137 total net yards through the first two quarters. The teams combined for just 44 rushing yards -- 31 by the Titans and 13 by the Cardinals.

Tennessee had a chance to tack onto its 7-0 lead right before halftime as Mariota completed four passes for 44 yards to move the ball to the Cardinals' 40-yard line. Ryan Succop, however, missed a 58-yard field goal with no time left on the clock. The kick was short, hitting the crossbar.

NOTES: The Titans were without LB Derrick Morgan (knee), who is leading the team in sacks with 7.5. ... WR John Brown missed his third straight game for the Cardinals because of a toe injury. ... The Titans are staying in the Phoenix area all week before flying to northern California next weekend to play the 49ers for their last road game of the regular season. ... With a 1-yard catch during Arizona's first possession of the game, Fitzgerald extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 208, which is three games shy of the second-longest streak in NFL history, held by Tony Gonzalez. Jerry Rice is first with a catch in 274 straight games.

Dawson's 57-yard FG gives Arizona win over Jacksonville

By BOB BAUM
Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — It was one special afternoon for Phil Dawson and Blaine Gabbert.

Dawson kicked a 57-yard field goal with 1 second left and the Arizona Cardinals beat Jacksonville 27-24 on Sunday, snapping the Jaguars' four-game winning streak and dropping them into a first-place tie with Tennessee in the AFC South.

It was the longest field goal of the 42-year-old kicker's career and came in a maddeningly inconsistent season with six misses.

"I make it a habit not to evaluate a season in its entirety until it's over," Dawson said. "But today was sweet for our team."

It also lifted Gabbert to a win against the franchise that had given up on the quarterback.

"It's great, I love it," guard Alex Boone said of Gabbert's victory. "It's like revenge all over. It's so awesome. That (Jacksonville) is a good team out there. They are playing well and getting this win is what we needed."

The Jaguars traded up six places to draft Gabbert 10th overall in 2011, but they got rid of him after three seasons, sending him to San Francisco for a sixth-round draft pick. Gabbert signed with Arizona in the offseason as the No. 3 quarterback, and then got a chance to play when Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton got hurt.

Gabbert was 22 of 38 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while improving to 10-31 as an NFL starter.

Dawson also was good from 34, 42 and 48 yards as the Cardinals (5-6) beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season.

Jacksonville (7-4) trailed most of the game, but took a 17-16 lead when ex-Cardinal Calais Campbell returned Gabbert's fumble 10 yards for a touchdown with 12:10 to play.

"I just knew we had the game locked up," Campbell said, "but at the end of the day, they made a few big-time plays. ... I felt like I didn't play my best game today."

Gabbert responded with a 52-yard TD pass to Jaron Brown. He then found Larry Fitzgerald for the 2-point conversion, giving Arizona a 24-17 lead.

Corey Grant's 68-yard return of the ensuing kickoff led to Blake Bortles' second rushing touchdown of the day, a 17-yarder that tied it at 24 with 7:26 left.

Jacksonville's Barry Church and Arizona's Tyrann Mathieu each had an interception in the final 3:38, but neither team could turn it into a score.

The Cardinals got the ball back on a punt with 16 seconds to play at their 39.

Gabbert threw two sideline completions, the second one to D.J. Foster with 6 seconds to go — Foster made a lunging tippy-toe catch that had to be reviewed — to get close enough for the winning field goal.

Coach Doug Marrone blamed himself for giving Arizona that final chance.

"If I had to do it all over again, I just would have ran the clock out and went to overtime," he said. "That is my fault."

Bortles also had a 1-yard TD run in the third quarter. He was 19 of 33 for 160 yards and an interception.

The Cardinals took the lead with a short drive on their first possession. Gabbert completed 4 of 5 for 43 yards to set up Dawson's 34-yarder.

Dawson kicked another field goal in the second quarter and Kerwynn Williams' 21-yard punt return set up Gabbert's 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ricky Seals-Jones, making it 13-0 Arizona.

Jacksonville finally got on the board on Josh Lambo's 43-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the half.

RUSHING WOES

Jacksonville entered as the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL at 160 yards per game, but managed a season-low 91 against the Cardinals.

Leonard Fournette carried 12 times for 25 yards. Bortles was the team's leading rusher with 62 yards on six carries.

SEALS-JONES

Seals-Jones no doubt has enjoyed having Gabbert as his quarterback. Promoted from the practice squad on Sept. 25, the undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M didn't have an NFL catch until a week ago, when he caught three, two for touchdowns, from Gabbert in a loss at Houston.

Seals-Jones was back at it Sunday, catching four passes for 72 yards.

INJURIES

Already without starting offensive linemen Patrick Omameh and Jermey Parnell, the Jaguars lost linebacker Telvin Smith to a concussion in the first half. Arizona inside linebacker Deone Bucannon left in the first half with an ankle injury and Williams departed with a rib injury.

JERSEY TRADE

Campbell got his wish, trading jerseys with his old friend Fitzgerald when the game ended.

UP NEXT

Jaguars: Play Indianapolis next Sunday in first of three straight home games.

Cardinals: Host NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Foreman has 2 TDs to help Texans to 31-21 win over Cardinals

By KRISTIE REIKEN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie D'Onta Foreman ran for 65 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns before being carted off the field with an ankle injury to help the Houston Texans snap a three-game skid with a 31-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The Texans (4-6) went on top when Foreman scored his first career touchdown on a 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals were stopped for a loss on a fourth-and-1 later in the fourth. Foreman dashed 34 yards on the next play to push the lead to 31-21 with about six minutes left.

Foreman was injured on the play, falling to the ground in the end zone. He appeared to be in a lot of pain as he reached for his ankle. He was looked at on the field for a few minutes before he was helped to the cart and taken off the field as the crowd chanted: "Foreman, Foreman."

Blaine Gabbert threw for 257 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in his first start of the season with Drew Stanton dealing with a sprained knee and Carson Palmer out for the season with a broken arm. But Gabbert threw interceptions on consecutive drives in the fourth quarter to seal Arizona's fate.

The Texans won despite two turnovers by Tom Savage, who has lost six fumbles and thrown three interceptions in just four starts this season. He finished 22 of 32 for 230 yards and two touchdowns in his third start since Deshaun Watson was injured.

Rookie Ricky Seals-Jones, who didn't have a catch entering Sunday, finished with 54 yards receiving and two touchdowns for the Cardinals (4-6). Seals-Jones, who is from nearby Sealy, Texas, added his second touchdown on a 28-yard grab to make it 21-17 with about five minutes left in the third quarter.

Houston took a 17-14 lead when the team opened the second half with a drive capped by a 28-yard touchdown reception by DeAndre Hopkins. He grabbed a 34-yard pass on third-and-8 on the play before to keep the drive going.

The Texans took a 7-0 lead when Lamar Miller grabbed a 7-yard pass from Savage before falling out of bounds early in the second quarter. Miller, a sprinter at Miami, then started a relay baton celebration where he ran before pretending to hand off to Hopkins, who passed it on to Braxton Miller, who finished the bit by handing it off to Bruce Ellington.

Savage was sacked by rookie Budda Baker later in the second quarter and fumbled. Baker recovered the ball to give Arizona possession at the Houston 17.

Two plays later, Gabbert connected with Fitzgerald on the 20-yard touchdown pass to tie it at 7-all. Fitzgerald passed Tony Gonzalez (15,127) for fifth-most receiving yards in NFL history on that play and ended the day with 91 yards receiving to give him 15,157 yards receiving.

Patrick Peterson intercepted Savage and returned it 22 yards late in the third quarter to give Arizona great field position again. This time Gabbert found Seals-Jones on an 11-yard TD pass to put the Cardinals up 14-7.

The Texans added a 34-yard field goal late in the second quarter to cut the lead to 14-10 at halftime.

INJURY UPDATE

Houston CB Kevin Johnson left the game in the fourth quarter after sustaining a concussion.

DRE DAY

Houston inducted Andre Johnson as the inaugural member of the Texans Ring of Honor on Sunday. Johnson spent 12 seasons in Houston and is the team's leader in yards receiving (13,597), receptions (1,012) and touchdown receptions (64). He was given a red jacket and feted with a halftime ceremony attended by dozens of former Texans.

Johnson said he never thought about the possibility of being honored like this when he was playing.

"I just wanted to come here and play. Just do things the right way," he said. "I just wanted to be a good football player."

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Host the Jaguars next Sunday.

Texans: Visit the Ravens on Nov. 27.

Peterson carries Cardinals to 20-10 victory over 49ers

By JOSH DUBOW
Associated Press

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — After beginning the season as an afterthought in New Orleans, Adrian Peterson showed he still has what it takes to be a workhorse just when Arizona needed it most.

Peterson carried a career-high 37 times for 159 yards to take pressure off backup quarterback Drew Stanton and lead the Cardinals to a 20-10 victory over the winless San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

"That's the mindset I've always had since I came into the league," Peterson said. "I'm going to wear those guys down and see if they can do it for four quarters. That's something they have to question themselves when it comes to the fourth quarter and I'm still coming in there."

Peterson had 10 more carries in his third game with the Cardinals (4-4) than he had his first four weeks combined with the Saints. He posted the most carries ever for a player in his 30s and topped the 100-yard mark for the second time since being acquired in a trade last month.

"That's why they call him All Day, AD, because he can tote it all day," Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "We're very fortunate to have a back with his experience and his explosiveness in our backfield."

Peterson's tough running and Stanton's pair of first-half touchdown passes were enough to help Arizona bounce back from a 33-0 loss to the Rams before last week's bye.

The undermanned 49ers (0-9) extended the worst start in franchise history and have lost 23 of the past 24 games overall. Newly acquired quarterback of the future Jimmy Garoppolo was mostly a spectator as rookie C.J. Beathard got battered once again behind a patchwork line missing injured left tackle Joe Staley.

Beathard went 24 for 51 for 294 yards and an interception and also ran for a touchdown. He was also sacked five times and hit 16 times overall, but still managed to stay in the game and not force the 49ers to use Garoppolo just days after he was acquired for a second-round pick from New England.

"I'm not afraid of getting hit. That won't affect me," Beathard said. "Never has. I'm tough and I've been able to take things. Obviously, if I'm injured, I'm not going to force myself in there. But as of now, I haven't been injured."

Stanton, making his first start this seasonin place of the injured Carson Palmer, went 15 for 30 for 201 yards with TD passes to Jaron Brown and Jermaine Gresham . He also was intercepted once.

FIGHT NIGHT

Arizona's Frostee Rucker and Hasson Reddick, and San Francisco's Carlos Hyde all were ejected for fighting in the fourth quarter. The teams got into a skirmish after former 49ers safety Antoine Bethea hit Beathard late as he was sliding following a run. The 49ers took exception to the hit and players from both teams started scuffling.

SPEED DEMON

Niners receiver Marquise Goodwin showed off his speed a few times in the first half. He got behind the Arizona secondary on multiple occasions and caught one deep ball for 55 yards from Beathard to set up a field goal by Robbie Gould. Goodwin also chased Patrick Peterson down from behind at the 6 on a return after Kyle Juszczyk lost a fumble to prevent a touchdown. Stanton ended up getting the TD anyway on a 3-yard pass to Jaron Brown that opened the scoring.

MILESTONE WATCH

Peterson reached the 12,000-yard rushing mark for his career in the second quarter. Peterson got the milestone in his 130th career game, fourth fastest in NFL history. Only Hall of Famers Jim Brown (115), Eric Dickerson (118) and Barry Sanders (125) got there faster. Peterson also moved into 15th place on the career rushing list with 12,142 yards, jumping ahead of Thurman Thomas.

Fitzgerald also moved past Tim Brown intosixth place on the all-time list for yards receiving with 14,953 yards.

Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansbyintercepted a pass in the fourth quarter, becoming the fifth player with at least 40 sacks and 20 INTs in a career.

MISSED CHANCES

The Cardinals led 14-3 at halftime and it could have been much more, except Phil Dawson missed a 38-yard field goal on the opening drive and Stanton was intercepted in the end zone by Eric Reid in the second quarter.

INJURIES

The 49ers lost safety Jaquiski Tartt to a broken arm that will likely sideline him for the rest of the season. Juszczyk (neck), WR Trent Taylor (rib) and LB Elijah Lee (knee) also left with injuries.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Host Seattle on Thursday night.

49ers: Host New York Giants on Sunday.

Cardinals activate LB Albright from practice squad

The Arizona Cardinals promoted linebacker Bryson Albright to the active roster from the practice squad on Monday.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Albright joined the Cardinals' practice squad on Sept. 4. He spent the preseason with the Cincinnati Bengals until he was released on Sept. 2

Albright appeared in one game with Buffalo in 2016 and split his rookie season between the Bills' active roster and practice squad. He entered the NFL with Buffalo last year as an undrafted free agent out of Miami (Ohio).

The Cardinals also signed offensive tackle Javarius Leamon to the practice squad.

The 6-7, 332-pound Leamon entered the league with the New York Jets in May as an undrafted free agent from South Carolina State. He was released by the Jets on Sept. 2.

Cardinals back from bye with Stanton at quarterback

TEMPE, Ariz. -- It's not too late for the Arizona Cardinals to salvage their season. However, it will be over before they know it if they don't shore up all the problems that have plagued them during a 3-4 start.

Their deficiencies showed up all at once during their latest debacle, a 33-0 rout at the hands of the Rams in London in Week 7.

After a week off to digest what went wrong again, the hope inside the locker room was that the bye helped to say goodbye to all the inconsistent and wretched performances they've showed to date.

That was wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's message immediately after the Rams' game.

"I think it's going to be good for guys to kind of get away for a little bit and maybe watch some games on TV and see what happens with the Rams and Seattle and teams that we're chasing at this point," he said. "For me, it's kind of definitely a reset button. Come about Thursday or Friday, I start having that itch to kind of get back into it, and you come back with a renewed sense of urgency because you see where you are.

"At 3-4, we're three games out of first place now (actually two games out), when you had the opportunity to be tied for first. And we understand we have a ways to go, but it's been done. It can be. It's a hill that we have to climb."

For now, the Cardinal' main objective is just getting back to .500 and see where they can go from there. It becomes a simple week-to-week goal with no looking forward and no looking back. And all that is on their mind is this week's game at the 49ers (0-8).

"We are focused on reloading and coming back to handle San Francisco," Fitzgerald said.

The Cardinals are 3-1 after their bye week under head coach Bruce Arians, including a victory last season at San Francisco with backup Drew Stanton being forced into action because of a concussion suffered by Carson Palmer. A year later, Stanton is in the same boat again, forced into a starting role with Palmer now out at least eight weeks because of a broken left arm.

Stanton is 6-3 as a starter when replacing Palmer as Arizona's starter.

"I've learned so much from Carson, sitting back and watching him operate," Stanton said, adding of the team's game plan moving forward, "It won't deviate too much because that's what's been successful."

Except it hasn't been successful. It hasn't been since 2015, when the Cardinals finished 13-3 and advanced to the NFC Championship Game. There looked to be signs of a positive change, however, just a week before the loss to Los Angeles. The Cardinals traded a conditional sixth-round pick to New Orleans for running back Adrian Peterson and the veteran responded with 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his Arizona debut during a victory over Tampa Bay.

Peterson suggested that now that Palmer is out, the Cardinals might be wise to focus more of their attention on the running game.

"I'm sure running the ball would help us out a lot," he said. "But there's a lot we have to clean up."

The Cardinals rank last in the league in rushing, averaging just 63.4 yards per game. Peterson and the Cardinals were held to just 25 total rushing yards in the loss to the Rams.

But there are other problems wrecking this season as well, like poor performances across the board form a revamped and reconfigured offensive line, incredibly inept defense on third down, an inability to regularly put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and, worst of all, a tendency for the entire team to let down and fold when things don't go right during a game.

"I think our team right now doesn't overcome bad things very well," Arians said a day after the Rams' game. "If there's one thing I can say about our team is - and I hate to say we're kind of front runners - when things are going good, they're going really good. Right now, we have to be able to adjust on that sideline emotionally when something doesn't go our way. A lot of that is the youth in the football team."

--Linebacker Bryson Albright on Monday was elevated to the active roster from the 10-man practice squad. He joined the team on Sept. 4. Albright appeared in one game for the Bills in 2016 and split his rookie season between the Bills' active roster and practice squad upon signing with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Miami (Ohio).

Filling Albright's place on the practice squad is tackle Javarius Leamon, who entered the league with the Jets in May as an undrafted rookie free agent from South Carolina State.

--"You go back and look at yourself, starting with me and the preparation. And then we have another road game, so it's a West Coast game and it'll be a little different than going East. We'll look at what injuries we have and what we have available to play with and make a game plan." -- Head coach Bruce Arians on how the Cardinals hope to respond coming out of their bye week.

--Left tackle D.J. Humphries said keeping hope alive won't be an issue inside the Cardinals' locker room, no matter how bleak things may look at the moment.

"That won't be a problem at all," he said. "We've got a group of guys that want to come to work every day, that want to be the best, so I don't think keeping hope alive and keeping guys interested is going to be a problem."

NOTES: QB Carson Palmer was officially placed on injured reserve on Oct. 26, meaning he will be sidelined for at least eight weeks. Palmer, who suffered a broken left arm in London against the Rams, won't be eligible to return until Dec. 24 against the Giants at the earliest. ... QB Drew Stanton said he doesn't feel he has to save the world as the Cardinals' new starting quarterback. He just has to be himself and not pretend he's Carson Palmer. "There are certain nuances that I'm just going to be myself," he said. "I'm not going to try and fake it and do something out of character for myself. I think that's the biggest thing that I've learned in being in this business, is that you have to be authentic, you have to be yourself." ... RB Adrian Peterson needs 92 yards to surpass Thurman Thomas (12,074) and move into 15th place on the NFL's all-time rushing yards list. He needs 138 to also move past Franco Harris (12,120) and into 14th place and 261 to surpass Marcus Allen (12,243) for 13th place.

REPORT CARD AFTER 7 GAMES

--PASSING OFFENSE: C-minus - It was typically hit or miss under Carson Palmer, who is now out for at least the next eight weeks with a broken left arm. Palmer wasn't as effective as he has been in the past when looking for the deep ball and it didn't help that he was constantly harried under a relentless pass rush by opposing teams because of a reshuffled and patchwork offensive line that failed to protect him. There have been some bright spots - like the ageless play of Larry Fitzgerald (when they throw it to him) and the emergence at times of Jaron Brown (who returned from ACL surgery) - but it's clear the Cardinals sorely missed what injured running back David Johnson (fractured wrist) gave to them out of the backfield as a primary offensive pass-catching threat.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: D-minus - With no David Johnson, there was no rushing attack whatsoever. Well, not until future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson arrived via a very economic trade with the Saints and ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns in his Arizona debut during a win over the Buccaneers. The problem is, head coach Bruce Arians went away from the running game the very next week in a 33-0 rout at the hands of the Rams as soon as things started to unravel and the Cardinals remain the worst rushing team in the league. Peterson thinks the Cardinals can turn this part of their offense around if they just stick with the run a little - or a lot - longer, but Arizona rarely did that during its first seven games. The run blocking was below average in all but one game - Peterson's debut.

--PASS DEFENSE: D - Outside of Chandler Jones, a pass rush has been virtually non-existent for the Cardinals and even Jones hasn't actually been all that disruptive. Yes, the outside linebacker registered eight sacks through seven games, but he hasn't been a game-changer or really helped at all in forcing turnovers. The rest of the team has five sacks combined, and Arizona's 13 overall sacks is tied for 24th in the league. It doesn't help that the team lost its sack leader from a year ago, outside linebacker Markus Golden, to a season-ending ACL injury. Arizona is getting no push whatsoever up the middle. The Cardinals are ranked 20th against the pass, allowing an average of 247 yards per game and 14 touchdown passes - tied for the third-most allowed. They've tried two different corners opposite Patrick Peterson and still aren't settled at that position. Safeties Tyvon Branch and Antoine Bethea have played well, but Tyrann Mathieu has disappeared at times and only been a real factor in one game thus far.

--RUSH DEFENSE: C - This unit ranks middle of the pack, allowing an average of 105.9 yards, which is uncharacteristic. On the positive side, it's only allowing 3.7 yards per rush, which ranks seventh-best overall. They've only allowed one, 100-yard rusher this season to date, the Rams' Todd Gurley in Week 7, but there's nothing to make one think that the Cardinals' run defense is impenetrable. It is, unless inside linebackers Karlos Dansby, Haason Reddick and Deone Bucannon pick up their play and the Cardinals get more disruption up front and start making more of a mess in opposing backfields.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: D - Veteran Phil Dawson was brought in to finally bring some stability at kicker and he's missed five field-goal attempts, three of them inside 40 yards. New punter Andy Lee has been consistent, but not as good as he once was with the 49ers. The Cardinals are on their second long snapper after losing Aaron Brewer to a dislocated wrist and newcomer Justin Drescher's snap two weeks ago in London was low, which may have accounted for Dawson's missed 32-yard field-goal attempt. The return game has been null and void, but the coverage teams have been even worse and helped result in lopsided field position.

--COACHING: D-plus - Head coach Bruce Arians has dealt with his share of injuries thus far, but so have several other men in his position this season and he won't use it as an excuse. The problem was, the Cardinals weren't very competitive and not nearly consistent enough at all even when they were healthier. Losing star playmaker David Johnson in the season opener seemed to set the tone for the rest of the team, but even after getting a jolt from the Adrian Peterson trade, the Cardinals seemed to fold far too easily at the slightest sign of trouble and that is a reflection of their head coach, who has been too quick to abandon the running game at times and perhaps too stubborn to alter the game plan when a very ineffective offensive line clearly wasn't playing up to par. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher needs a reboot of positivity, but it would appear too late for special teams coordinator Amos Jones, who probably should have been let go a year ago.

Goff leads Rams to shutout with Cardinals' Palmer injured

By ZAC BOYER
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Already one of the more dynamic offenses in the NFL, the Los Angeles Rams found a new gear against the Arizona Cardinals.

Jared Goff ran for a touchdown and threw for another and Greg Zuerlein made four field goals as the Rams won for the first time in three appearances in Britain, beating the Cardinals 33-0 at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday.

Goff completed 22 of 37 passes for 235 yards with an interception and Todd Gurley ran for 106 yards and a touchdown for the NFC West-leading Rams (5-2), who finished with 425 yards of offense — their most in a game in more than three years.

Los Angeles has also won five of its first seven games for the first time since 2003, which was the last time the Rams finished with a winning record.

"We haven't been in this position, but we're definitely grateful," Gurley said. "We've just got to take it game by game."

Arizona (3-4), meanwhile, heads home with significant questions after quarterback Carson Palmer broke his left arm in the second quarter.

Palmer will require surgery, coach Bruce Arians said, and is expected to miss eight weeks. The quarterback finished 10 for 18 for 122 yards after being hit by Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree and intercepted with 5:48 remaining in the first half.

He was replaced by longtime backup Drew Stanton, who completed 5 of 14 passes for 162 yards and an interception and was unable to close what began as a 6-0 deficit.

"Obviously, not what I anticipated seeing," Arians said.

Gurley's 18-yard touchdown run immediately followed Palmer's interception, and Goff helped push the Rams' lead to 20-0 after he took a zone-read keeper 9 yards for a touchdown.

Zuerlein, who set a franchise record by making all seven field goal attempts in a win against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 1, connected from 23, 33, 53 and 34 yard, and Kupp, a rookie out of Eastern Washington, finished off the scoring by taking a screen pass 18 yards for a touchdown with 3:53 remaining.

Los Angeles finished with 228 passing yards and 197 rushing yards, and under first-year coach Sean McVay, there's a feeling among players that things will only continue to get better.

"We kind of say it every week — we can do more, we can do more," wide receiver Robert Woods said. "I think we've got that mindset that we can always do better. I think that will be great for this offense and this team."

PETERSONE SHUT DOWN

Adrian Peterson, in his second game for the Cardinals since being acquired via a trade with the New Orleans Saints, was held to just 21 yards on 11 carries.

It was a contrast from a week ago, when he ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kerwynn Williams handled the bulk of pass-protection duties with Andre Ellington out because of a quadriceps injury, but he did not have a rushing attempt.

A SECOND SHUTOUT

The Rams' shutout of the Cardinals marked the second time in as many games in Britain that an opponent has failed to score. The Saints defeated the Miami Dolphins 20-0 at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 1 — the 18th game held in the country.

Los Angeles had not shut out an opponent since a 24-0 road victory against the Washington Redskins on Dec. 7, 2014, while the Cardinals had not failed to score since a 58-0 loss at Seattle on Dec. 9, 2012.

FITZGERALD'S TRAVELS

With his first catch, a 16-yard reception over the middle on the fourth play from scrimmage, Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has now caught a pass in the NFL in 40 different stadiums.

Fitzgerald finished with just three catches for 29 yards.

DANSBY, SULLIVAN HURT

In addition to Palmer, the Cardinals lost two players to injury who later returned: inside linebacker Karlos Dansby (left hand) and defensive tackle Frostee Rucker (right knee). Meanwhile, Rams center John Sullivan (left knee) and rookie wide receiver Josh Reynolds (concussion) left the game and did not return.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Will have their bye week before visiting the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 5.

Rams: After a bye week, will visit last year's Twickenham opponents, the New York Giants.

NFL notebook: Cardinals' Palmer possibly out for season

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a broken left arm in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham Stadium in London.

Palmer will have surgery when the team returns to Arizona, coach Bruce Arians said after the game. Arians expects Palmer to miss at least eight weeks and might be lost for the season.

Palmer was injured on an interception in the second quarter after taking a hit from linebacker Alec Ogletree just as the quarterback released the ball.

Palmer's pass was intercepted by safety Lamarcus Joyner. Palmer was 10 of 18 for 122 yards with the one interception when he exited the game. The Rams led 23-0 at halftime.

Drew Stanton, a 10-year NFL veteran, replaced Palmer.

--Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler left Sunday's game against the New York Jets due to cracked ribs, according to multiple reports.

Cutler, who tossed two touchdown passes in the first half, was hit hard by Jets linebacker Jordan Jenkins and left the game in the third quarter clutching his chest.

NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport tweeted that Cutler is feared to have cracked ribs and that he will likely miss Thursday's game against Baltimore pending test results.

Matt Moore replaced Cutler at quarterback against the Jets.

--Cleveland Browns All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas was knocked out of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans with a left triceps injury with 5:31 left in the third quarter. He didn't return.

Thomas was replaced by Spencer Drango.

Thomas never missed a snap in his NFL career prior to the injury. He played 10,363 consecutive snaps over 10-plus seasons.

--Buffalo Bills cornerback E.J. Gaines left Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a hamstring injury.

The injury occurred when Gaines tackled Buccaneers wide receiver DeSean Jackson after a long completion that was called back due to a holding penalty.

Gaines missed the Bills' previous game before the bye week with a groin injury. The Bills acquired Gaines from the Los Angeles Rams during the preseason in a trade for wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

Shareece Wright replaced Gaines in the Bills' lineup.

--Buffalo Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka tied an NFL record on Sunday by making his 12th consecutive field goal attempt of at least 50 yards.

Hauschka's 52-yard field goal gave the Bills a 20-13 lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early in the fourth quarter. It was his fifth field goal of 50 yards or more this season. He made two each in Buffalo's victories over the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.

Blair Walsh, Robbie Gould, Justin Tucker and Matt Prater share the record with Hauschka.

Hauschka, who spent the past six seasons with Seattle, last missed from 50-plus yards in the Seahawks' win over the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 21, 2014. He missed from 50 and 52 yards in that game.

--Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette was declared inactive for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts because of an ankle injury.

Fournette suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The first-round rookie did not practice all week and was listed as questionable.

Fournette, the fourth overall pick out of LSU, is second in the league in rushing (596 yards) and carries (130) with six touchdowns in six games. He also has 15 catches for 136 yards and one TD.

Running back Chris Ivory started for the Jaguars. He has rushed for 162 yards on 40 carries with 16 catches for 143 yards and one touchdown.

-- New York Giants starting middle linebacker B.J. Goodson suffered an ankle injury at the end of the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium.

It was unclear what happened to Goodson, who was injured on the Seahawks' final drive of the first half, but he immediately came off the field and went into the locker room for evaluation. He was ruled out to start the third quarter.

The Giants came into the game thin at the linebacker spot. Defensive captain and starting weakside linebacker Jonathan Casillas was inactive with a neck injury while backup middle linebacker Calvin Munson was inactive after suffering a quad injury last week.

With Goodson out, Keenan Robinson took over making the calls in the defensive huddle.

-- Dallas Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey sustained a right groin injury and was ruled out for the rest of the game in the first half of Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.

The Cowboys went for two points but failed after a touchdown with 10:26 left in the half with Dallas leading 20-3. Cowboys safety Jeff Heath then kicked off to the 49ers.

Heath made two of three extra-point attempts in the game.

Peterson scores twice as Cardinals hold off Bucs 38-33

By BOB BAUM
Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Adrian Peterson came to Arizona a few days ago insisting that, at age 32, he still has a lot left to give in the National Football League.

On Sunday, it sure looked that way.

The four-time All-Pro running back rushed for two touchdowns and 134 yards, and the Cardinals held off a furious second-half rally to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-33.

"This is the opportunity I've been waiting for," Peterson said.

The Buccaneers (2-3) lost quarterback Jameis Winston to a right shoulder injury in the second quarter, with the Cardinals (3-3) leading 21-0.

But backup Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns to bring Tampa Bay back from a 31-0, early third-quarter deficit.

Fitzpatrick's 37-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans cut the Arizona lead to 38-32 with 2:02 to play.

Larry Fitzgerald recovered the onside kick and, with no Tampa Bay timeouts remaining, the Cardinals ran out the clock.

"There's no lead big enough in the National Football League," Arizona coach Bruce Arians said. "We shouldn't be biting our nails off to get that onside kick. You have to keep your foot on the gas."

Arizona's offense, and the home crowd, were energized by Peterson's presence.

"That first drive you could feel it with the fans in the stadium," Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "You could kind of see it on the defense's face. It was just a great lift for us."

Palmer completed his first 14 passes and finished 18 of 22 for 283 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Fitzgerald caught 10 passes for 138 yards and a score.

Arians called it "a day for the old guys."

Palmer is 37, Fitzgerald 34.

Peterson, acquired in a trade with New Orleans on Tuesday, carried 26 times and scored on a 27-yard run to cap Arizona's first possession. He added a 1-yard TD run after Tramon Williams' interception near the goal line in the fourth quarter.

Peterson gained 47 more yards on Sunday than the 87 he had in four games with the Saints.

"A couple of times he almost ripped my shoulder out of the joint just handing the ball off to him," Palmer said. "He's just so powerful."

Arizona ran for 160 yards after averaging 52 yards rushing through five games, by far the worst in the league. Of course, the Cardinals are without the versatile but injured David Johnson.

Peterson and Fitzgerald are good friends. He's been staying in Fitzgerald's guest house.

"We've seen this movie before," Fitzgerald said of Peterson's performance. "... You give him a little alley, give him a little bit of space and he's going to do the rest."

Peterson had a 45-yard run called back because of an illegal use of hands penalty. On the next play, Fitzgerald fumbled and Lavonte David returned it 21 yards for a touchdown. The two-point conversion cut the Arizona lead to 31-20 with 12:56 to play.

Winston was hurt in the first quarter, tried to stay in the game but eventually couldn't.

He said he's had the injury before.

"I'll be back soon," Winston said.

The Cardinals opened the game with touchdown drives of 76, 86 and 95 yards, the first time they've started with three consecutive TDs since 2006, when Kurt Warner was at the controls.

On the game's first play, Peterson gained 8 yards. He followed with runs of 8 and 11 yards, then broke free over the left side for a 27-yard touchdown run.

On the next drive, Palmer threw 29 yards to Fitzgerald and Peterson had an 11-yard run to the Tampa Bay 14 before the Arizona quarterback connected on a 14-yard TD pass to tight end Troy Niklas.

The third touchdown drive was kept alive by an offside penalty against the Buccaneers on third down, Palmer throwing 11 yards to Fitzgerald for a touchdown to put Arizona up 21-0.

The Cardinals led 24-0 at the half.

"I obviously did a horrible job of getting these guys ready to play," Tampa Bay coach Dirk Koetter said, "because that was the worst first half of football I've ever seen."

INJURIES

Buccaneers: Winston left the field early in the second quarter after throwing three consecutive incomplete passes. Koetter said X-rays were negative. An MRI was planned on Monday.

Cardinals: Cornerback Patrick Peterson left with a quadriceps injury in the fourth quarter. Defensive lineman Xavier Williams left with a knee injury in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: Tampa Bay plays at Buffalo next Sunday.

Cardinals: Arizona leaves Monday for London, where it will face the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

___

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Palmer's TD toss to Fitzgerald beats 49ers in OT

By BOB BAUM
Associated Press 

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers had made Larry Fitzgerald almost irrelevant on Sunday, until the final play that won the game for the Arizona Cardinals.

Carson Palmer threw 19 yards to Fitzgerald with 32 seconds left in overtime for the contest's only touchdown and the Cardinals escaped with an 18-15 victory that kept the 49ers winless under new coach Kyle Shanahan.

"He's the best I've ever seen," Palmer said of his star receiver, "and I've seen some really good ones."

FINAL: Larry Legend to the rescue! @AZCardinals win in OT! #SFvsAZ#BeRedSeeRed pic.twitter.com/E0oZM1NtQE

— NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2017

The scoring had been limited to nine field goals on an ugly afternoon in the desert before Palmer directed a seven-play, 75-yard drive with 1:52 to play.

"We're in two-minute, it worked better," Arizona coach Bruce Arians said. "We protected better. We gave him a chance. They were giving us Andre (Ellington) underneath, and he was taking it. Andre was making things happen."

So, eventually, was Fitzgerald.

He had three catches for 13 yards before the winning grab as the 49ers made him the emphasis of their defense, except on the last play.

Palmer said he noticed two defenders were changing sides of the field, leaving Fitzgerald 1-on-1. Palmer loves those odds.

Arizona's standout receiver, in his 14th pro season, rose to catch the ball under tight coverage by Rashard Robinson.

Fitzgerald, who matched a career high with 13 catches in last Monday night's loss to Dallas, came down with the ball under his ribs, knocking the wind out of him.

"Consciously, I knew that we had just won the game," he said, "but I couldn't breathe so it was hard to really kind of be animated and celebrate."

Robbie Gould kicked his fifth field goal, a 23-yarder with 2:24 left in overtime to put the 49ers ahead 15-12.

Phil Dawson — who had uncharacteristically missed a field goal in each of the first three games — made four for the Cardinals (2-2), whose two victories both have come in overtime.

The 49ers (0-4), losing to the Cardinals for the fifth time in a row, won the coin toss to start the overtime. They used up 7:36 of the extra session, which was shortened from 15 to 10 minutes this season.

Palmer went 6 of 7 for 77 yards on the winning drive. Under duress all day behind an injury-riddled offensive line, he completed 33 of 51 for 357 yards and was intercepted in the end zone on a tipped pass on the game's opening series. Palmer was sacked six times, four in the fourth quarter, by a 49ers team that had three sacks total in the first three games.

Gould, who hasn't missed a field goal since 2015 (21 for 21), connected from 49, 39, 47, 48 and 23 yards.

Dawson, replaced by Gould as 49ers kicker this season, was 4 for 4, making field goals of 29, 43, 50 and 32 yards.

San Francisco failed to score a touchdown for the third time this season and has lost its first four games for the first time since 2010.

There were a combined 23 penalties for 193 yards, 13 against the 49ers for 113 yards, 10 against Arizona for 80.

Big play from Bethea!@ABethea41 gets an INT vs his former team. #BeRedSeeRed pic.twitter.com/8vEZWW0fGJ

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 1, 2017

Carlos Hyde gained 68 yards in 16 tries for the 49ers. Brian Hoyer completed 24 of 49 for 234 yards with one interception.

"You got to throw and catch better," Shanahan said. "It is as simple as that, at least it was in this game. Guys are open, you got the time, you got to hit them. When he does hit you, you have to catch it. I know nobody is perfect but there was way too much of that between both positions."

Arizona took the opening kickoff and went 71 yards in 13 plays to the San Francisco 4. But on third down, Jimmie Ward tipped Palmer's pass and Ray-Ray Armstrong intercepted in the end zone.

The Niners took the lead by moving from their 24 to the Arizona 31, where Gould's 49-yard field goal made it 3-0. And the field goal fight was on.

ANTHEM: The 49ers, with whom the national anthem issue began with Colin Kaepernick's kneeling during it more than a year ago, had their first chance to react to President Donald Trump's criticism of athletes kneeling during the song. The players formed two lines. Those in the front kneeled and the players in the back remained standing, setting off a round of boos at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Many of the standing players placed one hand on their heart, the other on the shoulder of a kneeling teammate in a sign of solidarity.

INJURIES

The most significant injury appeared to be a knee to Arizona outside linebacker Markus Golden in the overtime. Arians said he had no idea how serious it is. San Francisco lost wide receiver Marquise Goodwin with an apparent concussion and defensive back Adrian Colbert with a hamstring injury.

UP NEXT

49ers: At Indianapolis next Sunday.

Arizona: At Philadelphia next Sunday.

___

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Stafford leads Lions into opener against Cardinals

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- Matthew Stafford agreed to the richest contract in NFL history last week. He'll start earning some of that money in the season opener Sunday at Ford Field against one of the league's premier defenses.

The Detroit Lions quarterback, who received a five-year, $135 million extension, faces an Arizona defense that has given him fits in the past. The Cardinals have won their last seven games against the Lions, a streak that dates to 2006.

Stafford was benched after throwing three interceptions in a 42-17 home loss to the Cardinals two seasons ago, the last time the teams met.

Arizona allowed the second-fewest yards and topped the league with 48 sacks last season.

"They're unique in their scheme," Stafford said. "The guys in the secondary, they're ballhawks out there. No. 21 (cornerback Patrick Peterson) and 32 (free safety Tyrann Mathieu) have done it for years and some of the other guys that are new to the team or their role are playing really well, too.

"And then they have guys who can really rush the passer up front. So they do a really nice job. Traditionally, they've been a very good defense and I don't expect to see anything different."

The Lions reshuffled their line during the offseason to provide better protection for Stafford and open more holes in the running game. They signed right tackle Rick Wagner and right guard T.J. Lang during free agency, then traded with the Los Angeles Rams for left tackle Greg Robinson when Taylor Decker suffered a shoulder injury during minicamp.

Ameer Abdullah returns as the starting running back after playing only two games last season because of a foot injury. Pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick, who was limited to 10 games because of wrist injuries, will back him up.

"When we're healthy, we're obviously better," Stafford said of the running game. "Those two guys are a big part of what we do, as are most backs in this league.

"We have talented guys that can take a handoff and go the distance and make people look pretty foolish trying to cover them in the pass game, too. The more those guys can touch the ball and we can get them in space, the better."

Stafford engineered a series of fourth-quarter comebacks last season that allowed the Lions to reach the postseason as a wild card. Seattle made their postseason stay a short one.

The Cardinals came into last season as one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl but didn't qualify for the postseason, finishing at 7-8-1.

Arizona got off to a 1-3 start last season and plays its first two games on the road this year. It heads to Indianapolis next weekend.

"We've got to get off to a good start," Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. "There's no excuses about 10 a.m. (Pacific time start) and all that (nonsense). We all know the schedule. So yeah, we've got to get off to a good start and we've got to get off to a good start in those games. You don't want to get behind on the road in a domed stadium, for sure."

Carson Palmer is back behind center, but the Cardinals' biggest weapon is running back and fantasy football darling David Johnson. He scored a combined 20 touchdowns a year ago while rushing for 1,239 yards and catching 80 passes for an additional 879 yards.

"I've always said, he's the closest thing I've been around to Marshall Faulk," Arians said. "Marshall could start at wide receiver and probably on defense as a safety or corner. They're very smart guys. If a guy isn't real smart, you overload him to where he can't play fast if you put a bunch of things on his plate. Obviously, David's very bright and it's good to see Andre (Ellington) back healthy because he can do a lot of things like that, too."

Ageless Larry Fitzgerald remains Palmer's top target.

Defensively, the Cardinals will be without linebacker Deone Bucannon, who underwent offseason ankle surgery. Rookie Haasan Reddick is expected to start in his place. Defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche is dealing with a calf injury.

Detroit's top pass rusher, Ezekiel Ansah, is expected to play despite missing the preseason with a knee injury. Rookie wide receiver Kenny Golladay has been limited in practice with an ankle issue but is also expected to play.

Lynch sits during anthem in Raiders loss in Arizona

By BOB BAUM
Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — In his first game in an Oakland Raider uniform, Marshawn Lynch didn't play a down.

Yet he provided the most vivid image of the night, sitting for the national anthem before the Raiders' 20-10 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

The ex-Seattle running back, who came out of retirement to sign with his hometown Raiders, sat on an orange cooler with his arms resting on his knees, while others around him stood.

Although he rarely talks to the media, Lynch has voiced support for quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the anthem last season to protest what he saw as a pattern of police mistreatment of people of color.

Lynch was gone from the locker room by the time reporters arrived.

Coach Jack Del Rio said he spoke to him about the issue after the game.

"He said, 'This is something I've done for 11 years. It's not a form of anything other than me being myself,'" Del Rio said.

The coach said that he told Lynch "just so you understand how I feel, I very strongly believe in standing for the national anthem but I'm going to respect you as a man. You do your thing."

"So that's a non-issue for me," Del Rio said.

Quarterback E.J. Manuel said he didn't know Lynch hadn't stood for the anthem.

"Obviously, we all support Marshawn because he's part of our team, but I think that is more of a personal thing," Manuel said. "I can't really comment on it too much."

Arizona dominated the game in the first half, building a 17-3 lead.

Carson Palmer threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Brittan Golden to cap his brief preseason debut, while Oakland quarterback Derek Carr watched the game from the sideline.

Palmer, at age 37 beginning his 15th NFL season, directed Arizona on a 12-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to start the game. It looked as if the Cardinals were headed for a short field goal, but the Raiders were called for covering the snapper on the kick, giving Arizona a first down and setting up its opening TD.

He would like to have played more than one series.

"I thought I was going to get the first quarter," Palmer said. "That's what (coach Bruce Arians) said last night at the team meeting. I missed a couple. I missed a long one to Jaron (Brown) and wanted to kind of redeem myself. I didn't get that chance. I've got to wait until next week."

Two of the Raiders' top defensive players, All-Pro defensive end Khalil Mack and linebacker Bruce Irvin, joined Carr and Lynch as spectators.

While it was the preseason opener for Oakland, it was Arizona's second outing. The Cardinals starters did not play in the team's 20-18 loss to Dallas in the Hall of Fame Game.

NO CARR

Carr had been expected to see his first action since breaking his right leg in a game last Christmas Eve, but Del Rio chose to have his starter sit out the opener.

"It was my decision," Del Rio said. "There were several guys that didn't play and that was one of them. We'll get ready for next week."

BACKUP BATTLE

Manuel got the start at quarterback for Oakland and had a strong showing in his battle with Connor Cook for the backup job. Manuel completed 10 of 12 passes for 107 yards.

Cook played the entire second half, going 10 of 21 for 81 yards.

CARDINALS QBs

Drew Stanton, who appears to have a firm hold on the backup quarterback job despite the addition of Blaine Gabbert, had a strong first half in relief of Palmer.

Stanton, Palmer's backup for the past four seasons, completed 11 of 15 passes for 112 yards, including a 7-yard TD pass to tight end Troy Niklas.

Gabbert played most of the second half, completing 5 of 9 passes for 53 yards.

JUST WATCHING

Neither of Oakland's two top draft picks played. Cornerback Gareon Conley, the first-round pick, and the second rounder, safety Obi Melifonwu, are nursing injuries.

Arizona wide receiver John Brown, slowed by a quadriceps issue, did not play.

OFFENSE RESTS

The only members of Oakland's first-team offense to play were tackles Marshall Newhouse and Vadal Alexander.

QUOTABLE

"That's where I'm from. That was very tough to see. Not to get all into politics, but just the division that we're seeing in our country is saddening and we've got to get it figured out," Manuel, who comes from Virginia Beach, Virginia, on the violent events in his home state on Saturday.

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Cardinals ponder future of Arians, Palmer, Fitzgerald

TEMPE, Ariz. -- When the Arizona Cardinals begin workouts upon their official start of training camp, the first questions to head coach Bruce Arians aren't going to be about the health of his team, position battles, the rise of David Johnson or what went wrong a year ago.

What everyone will want to know is whether the 2017 season might be the last for not only the 64-year-old Arians, but also the final year in the careers of quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Palmer turns 38 in December while Fitzgerald turns 34 in August.

And if it is the final go-round for all three, does that mean the Cardinals' window of opportunity to get back to the playoffs and make a possible Super Bowl appearance is about to slam shut after this season?

A new head coach likely means wholesale changes to just about everything. And since there is no young protege to learn and study under Palmer at quarterback, it could also mean there is no "quarterback whisperer" to teach him. It also means the best and most popular player in the history of the organization might not be around either to help soften the losses of the other two.

It's the most pressing issue entering Cardinals' camp and until or unless Arians, Palmer and Fitzgerald make their intentions fully known about their futures beyond this season, it can be assumed that 2017 could be the end of the road for all of them.

Arians revealed in his new book, entitled "The Quarterback Whisperer," that he underwent surgery in February to remove cancerous cells in his kidney. He had been diagnosed, he wrote, with renal cell carcinoma in December.

"Now I feel great," Arians said in his book. "My energy has returned. I'm told I'm cancer-free again. I'm ready for at least one more season of NFL football -- maybe more."

One more season? Maybe more? What about Palmer? What about Fitzgerald? Both players have said for the past couple years that they evaluate their futures at the end of every season. Fitzgerald, entering the final year of his contract, has indicated he will make some sort of announcement in training camp.

As for Palmer, who technically has another year left on his deal, it seems just as up in the air as Arians and Fitzgerald. To hear Arians tell it, however, Palmer could play as long as he wants.

"Physically, he's probably body-wise like if he was 28 right now," Arians told CBS Sports Network last week. "The sports science is unbelievable, you know with the stuff right now, nutrition, all of the training stuff, he could play easily 'til he's 40-42 probably -- if he wants to."

TOP THREE TRAINING CAMP GOALS

--Keeping Carson Palmer fresh. With four quarterbacks in camp, this normally wouldn't be an issue. But with an extra week of camp, five preseason games and Palmer turning 38 in December, it could be. For that reason, look for the Cardinals to try and rest Palmer as much as they can before the start of the regular season, relying on Drew Stanton, Blaine Gabbert and yes, undrafted rookie free agent Trevor Knight. Gabbert, specifically, figures to see more action than most No. 3 quarterbacks so coach Bruce Arians and staff get a better idea if he can ultimately be the man to replace Palmer in another year -- or two.

--Finding the No. 2 starting cornerback. The leaders in the clubhouse to start opposite Patrick Peterson are, in order, Justin Bethel and Brandon Williams, but don't discount general manager Steve Keim throwing a big-name veteran free agent into the mix like he normally does when there are pre-camp questions about a concerning starting position on this team. He's basically done it every year since assuming full control of the front office and for the most part, it's always seemed to work. In this situation, it may not be necessary unless Bethel or Williams prove after a few weeks that neither is trustworthy enough to handle the role, which is incredibly tough considering opposing teams rarely throw in Peterson's direction and this spot usually gets all the serious action.

--Making sure the Badger and Money-backer are ready. Two incredibly important players on defense, safety Tyrann Mathieu and inside "money" linebacker Deone Bucannon, are returning from injuries and the Cardinals plan to be mindful of that in regard to how hard they push each player early on. Bucannon, in fact, might not even be ready for Week 1 after undergoing foot surgery to fix a problem he thought was past him. Mathieu, meanwhile, has dealt with numerous injuries virtually every year since turning pro in 2013 and hasn't been able to finish a season without some sort of issue. What could be considered just as troubling is that the Cardinals may have to rely on two rookie draft picks if either player isn't ready. The good news is, the team loves both first-year players in No. 1 pick Haasan Reddick, an inside linebacker, and second-round pick Budda Baker, a seemingly do-everything safety who has patterned his game after the Honey Badger.

PROJECTED CAMP DEPTH CHART

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Carson Palmer. Backups -- Drew Stanton, Blaine Gabbert, Trevor Knight.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- David Johnson. Backups -- Andre Ellington, Kerwynn Williams, Elijhaa Penny, T.J. Logan, James Summers.

TIGHT ENDS: Starter. -- Jermaine Gresham. Backups -- Troy Niklas, Ifeanyi Momah, Hakeem Valles, Ricky Seals-Jones, Steven Wroblewski.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, J.J. Nelson. Backups -- Aaron Dobson, Jaron Brown, Chad Williams, Brittan Golden, Jeremy Ross, Kris Hogan, Larry Clark, Marquis Bundy, Carlton Agudosi.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT D.J. Humphries, LG Mike Iupati, C A.Q. Shipley, RG Evan Boehm, RT Jared Veldheer. Backups -- T Will Holden, G/C Cole Toner, C Tony Bergstrom, G Dorian Johnson, T John Wetzel, G Kaleb Johnson, T Ulrick John, T Givens Price, C/G Daniel Munyer, C Lucas Crowley, T Jonathan McLaughlin.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LDE Robert Nkemdiche, NT Corey Peters, RDT Frostee Rucker. Backups -- DE Ed Stinson, NT Xavier Williams, DT Josh Mauro, DT Rodney Gunter, NT Olsen Pierre, DE Tasini Pasoni.

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- SOLB Chandler Jones, SILB Karlos Dansby, RILB Haasan Reddick, WOLB Markus Golden. Backups -- OLB Jarvis Jones, MLB Deone Bucannon, MLB Gabe Martin, OLB Kareem Martin, ILB/OLB Alani Fua, MLB Scooby Wright, MLB Tre'Von Johnson, OLB Capi Cap, MLB Zaviar Gooden, OLB Alex Bazzie.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Patrick Peterson, RCB Justin Bethel, FS Tyrann Mathieu, SS Antoine Bethea. Backups -- CB Brandon Williams, CB Jumal Rolle, FS Budda Baker, SS Tyvon Branch, CB Rudy Ford, S/CB Harlan Miller, CB Elie Bouka, S Ironhead Gallon, CB Ronald Zamort, CB Sojourn Shelton, CB Daniel Gray, CB Gump Hayes, CB Ryan Lewis.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Phil Dawson, P Richie Leone, P Matt Wile, LS Aaron Brewer, KOR T.J. Logan, PR Patrick Peterson.