Kyler Murray passed for three touchdowns, ran for another and accounted for 431 yards in total offense, and rookie Rondale Moore had seven receptions for 114 yards and a score as the host Arizona Cardinals exhaled with a 34-33 victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Matt Prater kicked the eventual game-winning, 27-yard field goal with 4:25 to play, lifting the Cardinals to a 2-0 record.
Minnesota (0-2) had a chance to win on the final play, but Greg Joseph missed a 37-yard field-goal attempt wide right as time expired.
The Vikings intercepted Murray twice in the second half and had the Cardinals pressured into a fourth-and-5 from the Vikings’ 41 with 6:12 left, but Murray connected with Christian Kirk on a 35-yard fadeaway jump pass to convert, eventually setting up Prater’s final kick.
The teams traded punts before Minnesota got the ball back at its 23 with 2:09 to go. Kirk Cousins drove the Vikings to the Arizona 19 before the drive stalled with the Joseph miss.
Joseph connected on a pair of 52-yard field goals but also missed an extra point.
Murray was 29-for-36 passing for 400 yards while adding 31 on the ground.
Cousins finished 22-for-32 passing for 244 yards and three touchdowns for the Vikings. Dalvin Cook rushed 22 times for 131 yards.
K.J. Osborn had five receptions for 91 yards and a TD to boost the Vikings, and Justin Jefferson caught six passes for 65 yards and a score.
Arizona led 24-23 at halftime, outscoring Minnesota 17-3 in the final 3:15 of the second quarter to take the advantage into the locker room. After Moore scampered out of bounds with one second left in the second quarter, Prater drilled a 62-yard field goal.
Murray and Cousins in the first half combined for more touchdown passes, five, than incompletions, four.
Minnesota regained the advantage, 30-24, just one minute into the third quarter as linebacker Nick Vigil intercepted a Murray pass and raced 38 yards for a touchdown.
Danielle Hunter registered three sacks for the Vikings, who lead the all-time series against the Cardinals 15-12.
–Field Level Media