The Cardinals' offense, despite some late season struggles, still finished the season in the top 10 in total offense (373.6) and points scored (26.4). The unit also provided a bunch of highlight-worthy, memorable plays over the season, peppered heavily with quarterback Kyler Murray and rookie wide receiver Rondale Moore . Here's a look at the top six offensive plays of the 2021 season, as voted on by azcardinals.com staff.
6. James Conner's 23-yard TD catch in Chicago
The situation: The Cardinals had a third-and-2 at the Chicago 23-yard line, leading 14-7 with 5:50 left in the second quarter.
The play: Murray signaled for Moore to shift to the other side of the field before receiving the snap from Rodney Hudson. He then threw a short pass to Conner, who caught it one-handed while pirouetting before scoring the touchdown.
The aftermath: The touchdown contributed to the 33-22 victory over the Bears, and Conner finished the game with 111 total yards on offense. In his first season in Arizona, Conner finished the season tied second with 15 rushing touchdowns and ranked third with 18 total touchdowns while making the Pro Bowl.
5. DeAndre Hopkins scores a 13-yard touchdown in Cleveland surrounded by Browns
The situation: The Cardinals had a third-and-goal at the 13-yard line, leading 7-0 with 14:56 left in the second quarter.
The play: DeAndre Hopkins catches a pass from Kyler Murray at the 10-yard line, and surrounded by three defenders, jukes right and shakes another defender with his footwork -- beating two more Browns DBs -- before reaching the end zone.
The aftermath: The touchdown contributed to the Cardinals' 31-17 victory over the Browns and was one of two touchdowns in the game for Hopkins. The wideout, who missed eight games with injuries, finished the year with 42 receptions for 572 yards and eight touchdowns – the latter of which led the team.
4. Rondale Moore makes amazing sideline toe-tap catch against Niners
The situation: The Cardinals had a second-and-10 at their own 47, leading 7-0 with 8:06 left in the second quarter.
The play: Murray took the snap from the shotgun and surveyed the field for an open target. With pressure coming from the 49ers' front seven, Murray scrambled left and launched a deep ball down the left sideline. Moore makes the catch and somehow keeps both feet in bounds for an improbable 33-yard gain.
The Aftermath: The play led to a field goal attempt by Matt Prater to close the drive, and the Cardinals ended up winning, 17-10. The Cardinals moved to 5-0 on the season and Moore finished the matchup with 97 total yards.
3. Eno Benjamin uses truck stick to score TD in San Francisco
The situation: The Cardinals had a second-and-5 at the 23-yard line of the 49ers, leading 24-7 with 8:10 left in the third quarter.
The play: Quarterback Colt McCoy took the snap and handed the ball off to Benjamin before the running back found a left-side gap and ran over cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick on his way to the end zone.
The aftermath: The touchdown extended the Cardinals' lead as they won, 31-17. Benjamin finished the game with 39 rushing yards. The victory improved the Cardinals' record to 8-1 on the year.
2. Kyler Murray weaves back and forth in Tennessee before finding Moore for a first down
The situation: The Cardinals had a third-and-10 at their own 25, leading, 17-6, with 6:39 left in the second quarter.
The play: Murray took the snap from the shotgun. He rolled right to escape the pressure from two Titans defenders. Then reversed left before back-peddling from the defenders and connecting with Rondale Moore for the first down.
The aftermath: The Cardinals cruised to a dominating 38-13 victory. Murray finished the contest with 289 yards passing, four touchdowns, no interceptions and an impressive 120.9 passer rating.
1. Kyler scrambles before finding Moore for a 77-yard TD against Vikings
The situation: The Cardinals had a first-and-10 at their own 23, trailing 20-14 with 1:46 left in the second quarter.
The play: Murray takes the snap in shotgun and rolls left to avoid a potential sack. He then launched a pass downfield against his body and connected with a wide-open Rondale Moore, who takes it to the house.
The aftermath: The Cardinals ended up winning, 34-33, thanks to the Vikings missing a game-winning field goal with four seconds left. The Cardinals finished with an impressive 474 yards of total offense. Murray had three touchdowns and Moore finished the contest with 114 receiving yards on seven catches.
