Byron Murphy returned a fumble he recovered for 59 yards for a touchdown to give his team a 29-23 victory at Las Vegas on Sunday, giving the Arizona Cardinals an overtime triumph over the Raiders.
Hunter Renfrow, a Raiders receiver, lost possession of the ball, which was then forced into the fumble that Murphy recovered by his teammate Isaiah Simmons. The Cardinals, who were down 20-0 at the half, completed an incredible comeback with that play.
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray put his side up with a touchdown pass to Greg Dortch in the third quarter, but the comeback got off in the fourth when running back Darrel Williams completed a nine-play, 54-yard drive for a score.
With a 3-yard touchdown run in the final seconds and a 7-yard pass to A.J., Murray later knotted the score. for a two-point conversion, green
Arizona’s defense caused the crucial error in overtime, securing the victory.
Prior to Sunday’s game, neither the Raiders nor the Cardinals had ever lost a game after blowing a 20-point halftime lead in the Super Bowl era. The Minnesota Vikings (versus the Denver Broncos) were the latest NFL club to triumph after trailing by 20 points at the half in 2019.
Why did the Raiders fall short?
According to Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur, Hunter Renfrow fumbled twice in overtime, with the second one being recovered for a score as the Raiders lost to the Cardinals 29-23 after blowing a 20-0 lead. Despite controlling the early going, the Raiders are now 0-2.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Raiders had an opportunity to run down the clock after becoming a little tight, but they threw three consecutive incomplete passes and promptly gave the ball back. In the second half, Kyler Murray began to run more, making it impossible for the Raiders to catch up to him. When the Cardinals needed two points in the fourth quarter to force overtime, Murray had to make a move to avoid Maxx Crosby. Next Gen Stats estimates that Murray traveled 84.9 yards to score on his first two-point attempt.
Early on, the Raiders’ offense did a good job of spreading the ball about, but they appeared to forget about Davante Adams, who finished with two catches for 12 yards just a week after receiving 17 targets from his former Fresno State teammate Derek Carr.