Cardinals Top Vikings; Carson Palmer Breaks Arizona Passing Record

After being cut last season, Dwight Freeney‘s career looked to be in jeopardy. But on Thursday night, he showed a flash of the dominant player he once was as his fourth quarter sack helped the Arizona Cardinals squeeze past the Minnesota Vikings 23-20.

In the final minutes of the contest, Minnesota was driving towards a game-tying field goal. On what surely would have been their last play before the kick, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater dropped back, only to be stripped of the ball by Freeney, ending the game.

“That’s why I came back, because moments like this, you can’t duplicate those in life,” the veteran said. “To be able to have this type of dream situation, fourth quarter, game on the line, it’s kind of like ninth inning, two outs; one of those situations for a defensive lineman, and I was able to make a play.”

“It was a great play by him,” added head coach Bruce Arians. “That’s why he’s going to the Hall of Fame.”

Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer also continued his impressive campaign, throwing for 310 yards on the night. He completed two touchdown passes – one of 65 yards to John Brown and another 42-yard strike to Michael Floyd – giving him 31 on the season. The previous single-season franchise record, held by Kurt Warner, was 30 during the team’s 2008 run to the Super Bowl.

Arizona can clinch the NFC West division title this weekend if Seattle loses on their trip to Baltimore.

Photo: Quarterback Carson Palmer #3 of the Arizona Cardinals gestures during the first quarter of the NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 22, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Article by Joe Kozlowski