Cardinals Clinch NFL Playoff Berth With Victory Over Vikings
Published on December 11 2015 6:13 am
Last Updated on December 11 2015 6:14 am
Dwight Freeney considered retirement. A month into the season he still wasn't on a team. Then the Arizona Cardinals came calling, looking to boost their troubled pass rush.
The 35-year-old veteran of 14 NFL seasons helped a whole bunch Thursday night.
Freeney stripped the ball from Teddy Bridgewater with 5 seconds remaining to deprive the Vikings a chance at the tying field goal, and the Cardinals clinched a playoff berth with a 23-20 victory over Minnesota.
"That's why I came back, because moments like this, you can't duplicate those in life," Freeney said.
Bridgewater moved the Vikings to the Arizona 31-yard line, well within the range of Blair Walsh. But Freeney hit the quarterback's arm as Bridgewater tried to pass. The ball came loose and Calais Campbell recovered for Arizona.
"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," Freeney said, "one of those situations for a defensive lineman, and I was able to make a play."
Arizona coach Bruce Arians said the Vikings "were in field goal range for sure. It was a great play by him and that's why he's going to the Hall of Fame."
Bridgewater said he "had a clear understanding of the situation" when the play unfolded.
"We didn't have any timeouts, couldn't afford to get tackled in bounds," he said. "The play was designed to push the ball down a little and allow our guy to make the catch and get out of bounds. I had that clock going off in my head. I was ready to throw."
Chandler Catanzaro's 47-yard field goal with 1:23 to go was the winning score as Arizona (11-2) won its seventh in a row.
Sunday, December 13 Schedule (All Times Central)
Buffalo at Philadelphia, noon
San Francisco at Cleveland, noon
Detroit at St. Louis, noon
New Orleans at Tampa Bay, noon
Tennessee at New York, noon
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, noon
Indianapolis at Jacksonville, noon
San Diego at Kansas City, noon
Washington at Chicago, noon
Atlanta at Carolina, noon
Seattle at Baltimore, noon
Oakland at Denver, 3:05 p.m.
Dallas at Green Bay, 3:25 p.m.
New England at Houston, 7:30 p.m.
