Cardinal Defense Picks It Up

The Arizona Cardinals were going nowhere until their defense turned things around.

“It’s a team, know what I’m saying?” said middle linebacker Ronald McKinnon, who put Philadelphia quarterback Bobby Hoying out of the game with a jarring tackle in the third quarter and forced backup Rodney Peete to fumble on a play that led to the Cardinals’ go-ahead touchdown in a 17-3 victory on Sunday night. “It’s going to take 53 guys on the team, and we’re just trying to do what we can.

“If the offense is not rolling, the defense will try to pick the offense up; if the defense is not rolling, the offense’ll pick the defense up.”

Jake Plummer threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Johnny McWilliams with 7:19 left in the game to break a 3-3 tie after Peete’s fumble.

Adrian Murrell, who gained 145 yards in 22 carries, ran 25 yards for an insurance touchdown with 1:52 left as the Cardinals (1-2) avoided their fourth 0-3 start in the last seven years.

The Eagles lost their first three games for the first time since 1986.

Hoying strained his his lower back 2:52 into the third quarter when he tried to hurdle McKinnon and was tossed into the air, landing awkwardly. He also fumbled, and Andre Wadsworth recovered for Arizona at its 5.

Peete looked sharp in his first action this season, directing an 18-play, 74-yard drive to set up Chris Boniol’s field goal 40 seconds into the fourth quarter that broke a scoreless tie.

The Arizona defense dominated from that point, sacking Peete four times and forcing two turnovers.