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It is so nice to finally be able to write this article and include players that are actually worth a player of the game nod. The Cardinals managed to defeat the Lions, 38-10 on Sunday, but not without the help of their star guys. The team's leaders really showed up and it was definitely a concerted effort.
Let's take a look at some of the player of the game nominees. As always, vote in the poll and leave your comments below.
Beanie Wells
Beanie had what was perhaps the best game of his season. The final touchdown he scored at the end of the game made me think that this guy is finally healthy and can start to contribute to the team once again. He had three touchdowns on the day in total and 67 yards rushing. Nice day for Beanie.
Adrian Wilson
Wilson's play was nice, but likely not better than Beanie's. So why would I even include him on this list? Well, he got a sack on Matthew Stafford on Sunday. And with that sack, Wilson became the sixth player EVER to reach the 25-25 sack/interception club. He has definitely become apart of not just Cardinals lore, but has established his legacy as one of the great NFL safeties as well.
Greg Toler
Toler's pick six was really what sealed it all for the Cards. He returned a Stafford interception 102 yards all the way to the house for the longest interception return in Cardinals franchise history. The previous record holders were Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and the aforementioned Adrian Wilson and were good for 99 yards. Toler also played well in coverage, deflecting away 4 passes from opposing receivers.
Dave Zastudil
Are you guys sick of seeing Zastudil on this list yet? I'm not. It is a very nice thing to have a productive punter. Zastudil broke a record of his own on Sunday becoming the first Cardinals player EVER to down 6 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He is certainly special and has been an overlooked weapon for the Cards this year.
Patrick Peterson
We can't go any further without mentioning Patrick Peterson. He gave up a few plays to Calvin Johnson, but overall, I felt he held him in check pretty well. He did not allow Johnson to take the game over as we know he has the capability to do. He also fielded 5 punts without fumbling any of them away. Good game from Patrick as he showed the league why he thinks he is the best corner in the NFL.
Calais Campbell
Finally, Campbell had a monster game. He was able to bat a ball down at the line of scrimmage, collect a sack of Matthew Stafford and be a force throughout the match. Most importantly, I thought, is how he played against the run. He made 4 tackles for loss on the day by shedding blockers and getting into the Lions' backfield. It is nice to see that he has recovered so well from his quadriceps injury.
What do you think? Vote for the player of the game and leave your comments below.
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