The Denver Broncos had plenty of offensive success Thursday night, but Ryan Lindley and the Arizona Cardinals matched their ability to move the ball with a knack for scoring, winning a close game, 32-24, spurred by a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter that gave Arizona the lead for good.
Cardinals vs. Broncos 2013 final score: Ryan Lindley leads Arizona to victory, 32-24
The ball was put into Ryan Lindley’s hands and the backup quarterback shined on Thursday night.
Doug Pensinger
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Lindley was the star of Thursday's game, as the Cardinals' quarterback finished with 214 yards passing and two touchdowns. With just over five minutes left in the game he found Mike Thomas on a 13-yard touchdown pass, before passing to Andre Ellington for the two-point conversion. Running back Ryan Williams was playing for a roster spot and had mixed success, finishing with 25 yards and one touchdown on nine carries.
The Broncos outgained the Cardinals by almost 100 yards, but couldn't capitalize on that yardage. Quarterbacks Brock Osweiler and Zac Dysert had good games passing, but Denver couldn't get its running game to punch the ball into the end zone. Lance Ball was the most successful back the Broncos had, but that isn't saying much -- as he only gained 34 yards on 11 carries.
Did they cover?
The Cardinals were favored by one point, according to OddsShark. Their 8-point victory means they covered the spread.
What’s next?
9/8 Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams
9/5 Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens
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