Cincinnati
Bengals
2-4
35
FINAL
38
Arizona
Cardinals
5-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 18 showdown, the Arizona Cardinals narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 38-35, solidifying their position as they head into the playoffs. Both teams fought hard, but the Cardinals ultimately emerged victorious in a game that had significant playoff implications.
Sam Darnold shone for Arizona, throwing for two touchdowns while managing the game effectively. Joe Burrow led the Bengals with an impressive 284 passing yards and a standout performance from Ja'Marr Chase, who recorded 105 receiving yards. Chase Brown also contributed significantly on the ground, racking up 82 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough to secure the win for Cincinnati.
Defensively, Walter Nolen III made his presence felt for the Cardinals with a crucial sack, while the Bengals' Troy Andersen led all players with ten tackles, showcasing his ability to disrupt plays. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Darnold orchestrated a game-winning drive, capping it off with a key touchdown. The Cardinals' defense held firm in the final moments, sealing their victory and a spot in the postseason.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 35 | 25 | 71% | 284 | 2 | 0 | 114.4 |
| Sam Darnold | QB | 30 | 25 | 83% | 246 | 2 | 1 | 109.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 17 | 82 | 4.8 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 17 | 81 | 4.8 | 34 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | — | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Tony Pollard | HB | 4 | 6 | 1.5 | — | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Darnold | QB | 3 | -3 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 8 | 105 | 13.1 | 13 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 6 | 101 | 16.8 | 14 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 7 | 90 | 12.9 | 20 | 1 | 27 | 1 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 7 | 44 | 6.3 | 18 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Mecole Hardman | WR | 2 | 40 | 20.0 | 9 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 4 | 25 | 6.3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 0 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Josh Downs | WR | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Nyck Harbor | WR | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Andersen | SAM | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Woodson | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DeMarvion Overshown | MIKE | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brauntae Johnson | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Walter Nolen III | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Milton Williams | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Myles Murphy | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett Williams | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dee Winters | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrice Knight | WILL | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Proctor | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Sweat | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Landon Robinson | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Wagner | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Art Green | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Smyth | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 56 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 43 |

