Two Arizona Cardinals rookies record first NFL touchdown

Arizona Cardinals wideouts KeeSean Johnson and Andy Isabella were able to score their first NFL touchdowns on Halloween night

During the past offseason, the Arizona Cardinals went out and got extremely young at the wide receiver position. By the time that last April’s NFL Draft had reached it’s conclusion, the club’s front office had added three new wideouts to the nest. During a defeat to the San Francisco 49ers on Halloween night, two of those youthful Cardinals managed to record the first touchdowns of their professional career.

KeeSean Johnson, a sixth-round selection of the organization, was the first of the pair to hit paydirt. The Fresno State University product’s nine-yard score occurred on Arizona’s opening drive of the second half. Johnson’s effort cut the deficit to seven points after coordinator Vance Joseph‘s defense had allowed the 49ers to stretch their lead to 14 right before halftime.

The next touchdown by a Cards youngster came late in the fourth quarter with the team trailing by 11. Second-round pick Andy Isabella gathered in a Kyler Murray throw and zigzagged his way to an 88-yard score. A successful two-point conversion followed, and suddenly the Cardinals found themselves down by only three points with 4:53 left in the matchup.

Both pass-catchers seem destined to have a bright future with the franchise. In the eight contests he has suited up for, Johnson has hauled in 19 passes for 173 yards and Thursday night’s touchdown. The 6’1, 202 pounder has been targeted 36 times, and has converted 10 of his catches into first downs.

Isabella, despite the fact that he was chosen four rounds before Johnson, has had a slower start to his pro career. The University of Massachusetts alum has totaled just three receptions on three targets. However, the speedy Isabella has parlayed those catches into a whopping 96 yards.

Johnson and Isabella both appear to be excellent fits for head coach Kliff Kingsbury‘s “Air Raid” offense. The impressive skill sets of each of those individuals were on full display during the loss to San Francisco. Arizona will be looking for much of the same from the duo for years to come.