Injury Ridden Cardinals Get Routed 41-20 By Manning And The Broncos

The Arizona Cardinals suffered their first loss of the 2014 season on Sunday, falling to the Denver Broncos 41-20 in what was a field day for Peyton Manning and Demaryious Thomas.

Peyton Manning was 31 for 47, throwing for a career high 479 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns were to Demaryious Thomas, weren't just redzone lobs. The first was a 31 yard pass and the second was an 86 yard pass, both coming against Antonio Cromartie. Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense picked on Cromartie all day long and it worked as Manning had more than 200 yards from passes thrown Cromartie's way.

Manning's other two touchdowns were reeled in by the other Thomas in Julius Thomas. The seven yard touchdown that Thomas caught to put the Broncos on the board was Manning's 500th career touchdown pass, making him just the second quarterback to throw for 500 touchdowns. This leaves Peyton behind only Brett Favre, who has 508.

The Cardinals were very much in the game until the fourth quarter started, where the offense was constantly punting and the defense was worn out. A Calais Campbell interception in the second quarter set up a five yard touchdown run for Andre Ellington that brought the Cardinals within one at 14-13. The Cardinals picked off Manning twice in the quarter, Jerraud Powers grabbing one in the beginning of the quarter. It was a one possession game at the half at 21-13 and the closest the Cardinals would get in the third quarter was 24-20. That was after rookie quarterback Logan Thomas found Andre Ellington for an 81 yard touchdown pass.

Thomas was in the game due to Drew Stanton taking a hard hit from Von Miller in the third quarter and the training staff suspecting him of having a concussion. Injuries were a huge part of the Cardinals loss as both Patrick Peterson and Calais Campbell didn't finish the game due to injuries. Peterson appeared to tweak an ankle and Calais Campbell was maliciously chop blocked by a pair of Bronco linemen and has an injury to his MCL. Head coach Bruce Arians said that it was "one of the dirtiest plays" he had ever witnessed in his 37 years of coaching and that he expects him to miss some time.

The Arizona Cardinals had just 215 yards of offense while allowing 568 yards on defense primarily through the air. A stat that will need to change in their game next Sunday against the Washington Redskins at University Of Phoenix Stadium.