The Arizona Cardinals put the NFL world on notice with an exclamation point, destroying the Indianapolis Colts, 40-11. The Cardinals move to 7-4 on the season and are firmly in the playoff hunt.
The Cardinals stepped on the Colts' throats right from the beginning. Carson Palmer hooked up with Larry Fitzgerald for two early touchdowns and Andrew Luck had no answer for the team's defense. Karlos Dansby got a 21-yard pick-six to give Arizona a 24-3 lead as the Colts looked stunned. Luck had a miserable start to the game, completing just 6 of 15 passes for 42 yards and an interception in the first half. The Cardinals went into halftime leading, 27-3.
The Cardinals extended their lead in the third quarter with a touchdown by Rashard Mendenhall. A touchdown pass to Coby Fleener was the only consolation of the day as Luck could never get anything going against Arizona's defense. NFC teams should start being afraid of the Cardinals after such a dominant performance.
Fantasy studs and duds
Larry Fitzgerald hauled in the two touchdowns, but Michael Floyd dominated the box score, grabbing seven catches for 104 yards. Donald Brown was the popular pick over Trent Richardson in fantasy leagues, but he did nothing on Sunday, getting just one yard on two carries.
Injury report
No notable injuries were reported in this game.
Did they cover?
The Colts were favored by three points, according to Oddsshark. They failed to cover by losing big.
Playoff implications
The Cardinals move to 7-4 and are suddenly major players in the NFC wild card race. Indianapolis dropped to 7-4 and is in danger of falling behind in the race for a first-round bye.
What's next?
Arizona at Philadelphia, Dec. 1, 1 p.m. ET
Indianapolis vs. Tennessee, Dec. 1, 1 p.m. ET
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