Nick Folk’s 50-yard field goal with no time left gave the Patriots a 20-17 win over the Cardinals in a back-and-forth game Sunday in Foxborough.
The game-winning kick came less than two minutes after Zane Gonzalez missed a 45-yard kick that would have put Arizona ahead.
Trailing 10-7, the Patriots defense stuffed Arizona’s Kenyan Drake on fourth and goal from the 1 on the final play of the first half. The stop gave New England momentum heading into intermission.
The Patriots appeared to pull ahead early in the second half. Gunner Olszewski returned a punt into the end zone as a block by Anfernee Jennings freed him for the last 24 yards. But the rookie was called for an illegal blindside block on Ezekiel Turner that drew criticism from the Patriots sideline and the FOX broadcast crew.
The flag initially cost the Patriots 39 yards and eventually cost them four points as New England settled for a game-tying 22-yard field goal by Folk that made the score 10-10 with 7:46 left in the third quarter.
The field remained tilted New England’s way. Three plays later Adam Butler got his hand on Murray’s third-down pass and Adrian Phillips snared the interception.
It took the Patriots three tries from the Cardinals’ 1-yard line get in the end zone, but James White finished the drive on a pitch left that gave the Patriots’ a 17-10 lead with 3:30 left in the third.
Drake did get in from a yard out to tie the game with 8:02 left in the fourth, tying the game at 17-17.
With 4:27 left in the fourth quarter and the game tied, Newton had another chance to lead a go-ahead drive late and once again the Patriots’ quarterback failed to deliver. Dre Kirkpatrick intercepted him at the Arizona 40. But while the Cardinals killed a lot of clock, Gonzalez missed a 45-yard field goal with 1:47 left giving New England another chance.
Newton was 9-for-18 for 84 yards and two interceptions passing. Kyler Murray was 23-for-34 for 170 yards and an interception, while Drake had 78 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
Things started about as bad as they could for the Patriots. After receiving the ball to start the game Newton was hit on third down and the ball fluttered high into the air. When it finally came down it settled into the big mitts of defensive lineman Markus Golden at the Patriots’ 23.
Three plays later Kenyan Drake punched it in from a yard out to make it 7-0, 2:51 into the game.
Arizona stretched its edge to 10-0 with 1:49 left in the first quarter, but it was almost a moral victory for the New England defense as pressure on Murray stunted a once-promising drive and forced the Cardinals to settle for a field goal.
Buoyed by a 55-yard kickoff return by practice-squad call-up Donte Moncrief, the Patriots offense came to life on the next drive. Bill Belichick gambled on fourth and 2 on the Cardinals 7. Newton took the snap and rolled right. He made the option pitch to White, who raced in for his first touchdown of the season to make it 10-7, 45 seconds into the second quarter.
The Patriots (5-6) head west to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
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