Per Toronto Sun:
Kicker Jay Feely made up 25 of Arizona’s 43 points, rushing for his first career touchdown run to go with five field goals in the Cardinals’ 43-13 win over Denver at University of Phoenix Stadium.Rookie John Skelton made his first career start, throwing for 146 yards on 15-of-37 passes, as the Cardinals (4-9) got their first win against the Broncos while also snapping a seven-game slide. Tim Hightower rushed for a career-high 148 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries for the victors.
Meanwhile, Broncos interim coach Eric Studesville didn’t have much of a honeymoon period, losing his first career game as a head coach.
Studesville was promoted due to the abrupt end of Josh McDaniels’ regime, as he was fired on Monday after suffering three straight losses and posting an 11-17 record in his two seasons at the helm — the worst record in nearly four decades of any Broncos coach who lasted at least one season.
Kyle Orton had a terrible outing, throwing three interceptions while only completing 19-of-41 passes for 166 yards for Denver (3-10). Knowshon Moreno compiled 113 yards from scrimmage and had a rushing touchdown in the loss.
The Broncos’ opening drive went 73 yards and led to a 32-yard field goal from Steven Hauschka 4 1/2 minutes in.
Arizona was able to knot the game at three on Feely’s 26-yard field goal later in the first before moving ahead for good.
Feely’s second field goal — a 48-yarder — came three minutes into the second quarter. Kerry Rhodes produced two consecutive takeaways for the Arizona defense, with the second coming on an interception of Orton that put the Cardinals at the opposing 24 with six minutes until halftime.
Arizona set up for a 22-yard field goal from the five-yard line, but ran a trick play instead of kicking, as place holder Ben Graham flipped the ball to Feely, who scurried five yards into the end zone to provide a 13-3 lead.
Feely continued his memorable game by hammering a 55-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the half giving his team a 16-3 lead at the break.
Feely opened the second half scoring with a 23-yard field goal and also missed a 49-yard attempt with 1:03 left in the same quarter.
During the next play, Orton fumbled the ball to give it back to Arizona on the 39-yard line. The offense then traveled only eight yards, and Feely redeemed himself with a 49-yarder, making the score 22-3.
Denver got back on the board thanks to a Hightower fumble on the 25-yard line. The Broncos traveled only 13 yards, though, and had to settle for a Hauschka 30-yard field goal
It became a 29-6 contest when Hightower scored an eight-yard touchdown. He set up the TD run with a 41-yard scamper two plays prior. Denver added a late score with 3:31 to play when Moreno dove from one-yard out
Hightower answered back, bouncing a 35-yard touchdown run 27 seconds later, and Daryle Washington’s 40-yard interception return for a touchdown accounted for the final margin.
