Commanders at Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals 40, Washington Commanders 36 · LMKW2S
Final Score
Commanders 36 4 TD · 0 FG · 4 XP
Cardinals 40 4 TD · 4 FG · 4 XPMichael Penix Jr 307 yds passingJacory Croskey-Merritt 91 yds rushingChristian Watson 128 yds receivingJourdan Lewis 10 tkl defenseTotal yards 380 · 468Passing yards 212 · 307Rushing yards 168 · 161Completions 12/19 · 31/47Yards per carry 10.8 · 4.6Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 23d ago
In a thrilling Week 12 matchup, the Arizona Cardinals narrowly defeated the Washington Commanders 40-36, solidifying their playoff aspirations. With both teams eager to secure a crucial victory, this game showcased the intensity of late-season football and the stakes involved for postseason positioning.
Arizona's offensive explosion was led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who threw for a remarkable 307 yards and two touchdowns. His connection with wide receiver Christian Watson, who amassed 128 receiving yards, proved to be a game-changer, while Jacory Croskey-Merritt added a solid ground game with 91 rushing yards to keep the defense on its heels.
On the defensive side, the game was marked by a lack of significant pressure as Washington's Jeffery Simmons managed only half a sack. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals' defense stifled a potential game-winning drive by the Commanders, forcing a turnover on downs that allowed Arizona to maintain their lead and secure the hard-fought victory.
Scoring
| Team | TD | FG | XP | Other | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commanders | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 36 |
| Cardinals | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 40 |
Team Stats
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commanders | ||||||
| Lamar JacksonQB | 12/19 | 63% | 212 | 2 | 0 | 136.2 |
| Cardinals | ||||||
| Michael Penix JrQB | 31/47 | 66% | 307 | 2 | 0 | 98.4 |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commanders | |||||||
| Jakobi MeyersWR | 1 | 71 | 71.0 | 67 | 1 | 71 | 0 |
| Omarion HamptonHB | 7 | 51 | 7.3 | 44 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Lamar JacksonQB | 4 | 7 | 1.8 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Stefon DiggsWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Makai LemonWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cardinals | |||||||
| Jacory Croskey-MerrittHB | 19 | 91 | 4.8 | 16 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Rachaad WhiteHB | 12 | 55 | 4.6 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Michael Penix JrQB | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Matthew GoldenWR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Christian WatsonWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | |||||||
| Alvin KamaraHB | 11 | 37 | 3.4 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Nyheim Miller-HinesHB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Austin EkelerHB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commanders | |||||||
| Makai LemonWR | 3 | 94 | 31.3 | 66 | 1 | 63 | 1 |
| Stefon DiggsWR | 3 | 66 | 22.0 | 42 | 1 | 41 | 0 |
| Jakobi MeyersWR | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Omarion HamptonHB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jake TongesTE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Cardinals | |||||||
| Christian WatsonWR | 7 | 128 | 18.3 | 69 | 2 | 70 | 0 |
| Matthew GoldenWR | 9 | 80 | 8.9 | 25 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Elijah HigginsTE | 5 | 38 | 7.6 | 24 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Romeo DoubsWR | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | — | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-MerrittHB | 4 | 17 | 4.3 | — | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Mitchell EvansTE | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commanders | |||||
| Jourdan LewisCB | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey AmosCB | 8 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier McKinneySS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron DonaldDT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey BosaREDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chidobe AwuzieCB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kerby JosephFS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jacob RodriguezMIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah SewellSAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keion WhiteREDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keldric FaulkLEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach HarrisonDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cardinals | |||||
| Quan MartinFS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braden FiskeDT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calais CampbellDT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick HerbigREDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick CrossSS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quay WalkerMIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deonte BanksCB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian HarrisWILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinyon MitchellCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dee WintersSAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian IzienSS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khaleke HudsonMIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | |||||
| Anthony Hill Jr.MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffery SimmonsDT | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian EllissWILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jay WardSS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mykal WalkerWILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boog SmithMIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanders | |||
| Cam LittleK | 0/0 | 4 | 0 |
| Cardinals | |||
| Cameron DickerK | 4/4 | 4 | 53 |