Budda Baker is Arizona Cardinals Week 6 MVP

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker gets his first interception of his career, and the week 6 game ball.

Budda Baker picked off Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton in the fourth quarter to get his first interception in his 51st game. Baker was all over the field in Monday’s 31-3 win, as he finished with seven tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.

This was Baker’s best game in his career. In his first primetime game ever, Baker showed viewers at home why he is the highest-paid safety in the league. His numbers from Monday night makes him the first Cardinals player since 2003 with at least one sack, forced fumble and interception in the same game.

Dalton and the Cowboys had no answer for him throughout the game. When he lined up at the line of scrimmage to rush, he pressured Dalton multiple times and managed to get a sack. He also stripped Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot, which ended up being recovered by defensive lineman Jordan Phillips. When he was at safety, he recorded his first interception and had seven tackles.

With his performance Monday night, it is likely Baker wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week. His performance also gained recognition from former Cowboys defensive back Deion Sanders.

The Cardinals defense managed to hold the number one offense to just 10 points, and forced four turnovers.

On the offensive side, it was a sloppy performance for quarterback Kyler Murray, who finished with nine completions on 24 attempts. Luckily, an 80-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk, and a 61-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins made Murray look better than he was.

While Kirk had one of his best games of his career, running back Kenyan Drake had one of his best games this season. Drake finished with 164 yards and two touchdowns on 8.2 yards per carry. His longest run came on a 69-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes in the game. Prior to Monday’s win, he had only rushed for more than 60 yards on two occasions.

This win will give the Cardinals momentum with an undefeated Seattle Seahawks next on their schedule. Like the Cowboys, the Seahawks defense is near the bottom, which could help Murray and the offense stay in the game.

Arizona will host the Seahawks in front of 1,200 fans on October 25.