won six of their first nine games, including divisional wins against the 49ers and Seahawks, as well a hotly contested game against the Bills that ended in a Hail Mary from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins to win the game. The play would go viral and become known as the 'Hail Murray.' The Cardinals, however, disappointed down the stretch, losing five of their last seven games, finishing the season with an 8–8 record, and missing out on the last playoff spot by way of a tiebreaker with the Chicago Bears despite the playoff expansion to 14 teams. 2021 In the following offseason, the Cardinals continued their trend of big signings, adding many veteran players through both free agency and trade, highlighted by 3 time Defensive Player of the Year, defensive end J. J. Watt, and also included wide receiver A. J. Green, running back James Conner, and center Rodney Hudson (traded from the Las Vegas Raiders for a 3rd round pick). These 4 players had a combined 16 Pro Bowl appearances between them. For the second straight year, the Cardinals drafted a linebacker, Zaven Collins, in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Once again the Cardinals started the season hot, this time winning their first 7 games, and holding the NFL's only undefeated record for four weeks. Additionally, 5 of those 7 games were won by more than 10 points, including blowouts against strong opponents such as the Titans and Rams. Kyler Murray was an early favorite for MVP, with the offense averaging over 32 points per game, although on the other side of the ball, JJ Watt tore his labrum, bicep, and rotator cuff in addition to dislocating his shoulder, and was out for the remainder of the regular season. In October, the Cardinals acquired Super Bowl LII champion Zach Ertz from the Philadelphia Eagles. A Thursday Night Football showdown against the Packers saw the Cardinals lose, along with Kyler Murray taking a hit and injuring his ankle, missing the next three games. Led by backup Colt McCoy, the Cardinals went 2–1 in the month long absence of their star quarterback, beating the divisional rival 49ers 31–17 and Seahawks 23–13, but also lost 34–10 to the Panthers. Kyler Murray returned to the field in Week 13 and led the Cardinals to a 33–22 victory over the Bears, putting the team at a record of 10–2, but the