Cardinals End Four-Game Losing Streak

Earl Ferrell scored two of his three touchdowns in the first quarter and Phoenix avoided turnover problems Sunday to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 34-20, and end a four-game losing streak.

The Cardinals (3-4) got four rushing touchdowns in a game for the first time since Oct. 14, 1984, when they beat Chicago, 38-21, in St. Louis.

Coach Gene Stallings said, “We haven’t been getting the job done in the running area and we really concentrated on that in practice this week. We also wanted to improve on our giveaway-takeaway ratio. The key to the game was we got more turnovers than we gave up.”

The Cardinals entered the game with a league-leading 25 turnovers. They had seven lost fumbles and were minus-17 overall in giveaway-takeaway, the worst ratio in the National Football League.

But Gary Hogeboom threw only one interception and Phoenix converted two Atlanta fumbles into touchdowns to hand the Falcons (2-5) their fourth loss in five games.

Ferrell, who had never scored more than two touchdowns in a game during his nine-year NFL career, had just 46 yards in 15 carries but scored on runs of one, six and three yards.

But Ferrell was more excited about winning the game.

“A lot of people sold us out after six weeks,” he said. “Our goal is be 4-4 at the halfway point and now, we’re in position to do that. We just have to hang in there.”

The Cardinals had to hang on after Ferrell’s three-yard touchdown run put them ahead 31-13 with 12:31 remaining in the game.

The Falcons closed to 34-20 on a 16-yard screen pass from Chris Miller to John Settle with 9:16 left, but the Cardinals ended any comeback hopes when safety Tim McDonald tipped away a Miller pass in the end zone with 90 seconds remaining.