A.J. Green was hoping coming to Arizona would help jump-start a career that had been plagued by problems the last couple of years. He was right, and the Cardinals are a big beneficiary.
Green ended up playing 68 of 75 offensive snaps Sunday in Cleveland -- essentially 100 percent, with Kyler Murray also at 68 before the Cards brought in the backups for the last seven -- and also ended up with the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade of the day at 76.6. Green had five catches for a team-leading 79 yards and a touchdown -- his 33-yard grab in the third quarter helping set up DeAndre Hopkins' second TD, and then grabbing a TD himself to cap the exclamation point 93-yard fourth-quarter drive.
He's been everything the Cards hoped he would be, as he has gotten used to this offense.
Running back James Conner ended up with a significant edge over Chase Edmonds (41-28) in the snap count, not a surprise when a) Edmonds is still dealing with a shoulder issue and b) the Cardinals, with the big lead, wanted to grind the clock. Conner is very good at that, and that's what he did in the fourth quarter. He was also PFF's highest-graded offensive player at 79.2.
Among the other highly graded offensive players, fill-in center Max Garcia was at 70.2, Murray was at 69.5, wide receiver Christian Kirk was at 68.6, and wide receiver Rondale Moore was at 65.4 Kirk also played 64 snaps, at 85 percent his highest percentage of the season.
The defense had a huge day. Markus Golden, who the Cardinals needed to have a big day with Chandler Jones out, did just that (you'll never have to worry about Golden giving that effort, Jones or no Jones.) His two-sack day came on 43 defensive snaps, and he also graded out with a sparkly 87.5. Linebacker Zaven Collins only played 16 defensive snaps, but PFF gave him a grade of 91.7.
Four players -- linebacker Jordan Hicks, safety Budda Baker, linebacker Isaiah Simmons and cornerback Byron Murphy -- played 100 percent (59) of the defensive snaps. Hicks, who had two sacks and also played well, graded at 73.7. Outside linebacker Devon Kennard was at 82.0, cornerback Robert Alford was at 78.0, Murphy was 77.4, safety Jalen Thompson was 67.8 and Simmons 66.5, all coming out "good" or better.
Defensive lineman Jordan Phillips, in his first game of the year, did well in his 21 snaps, posting a grade of 80.3. Defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence only played three snaps before getting hurt.
One note of interest (and maybe only to me), a week after cornerback Antonio Hamilton played well with Murphy and Marco Wilson out, he didn't play a single defensive snap. He didn't need to.
