Texans vs Cardinals Week 7 2021: Final Score 31

Final2021 Week 7

State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZSun, Oct 24, 2021, 4:25 PM ET

Houston Texans vs Arizona Cardinals, Week 7 2021

Houston Texans

Away

Arizona Cardinals

HomeWon

Scoring by quarter
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Texans	2	3	0	0	5
Cardinals	0	17	7	7	31

HOU 5ARI 31 Final

Passing leader
Kyler Murray
ARI · QB
22.4PPR pts
20/28, 261 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT
Top fantasy scorer
DeAndre Hopkins
ARI · WR
18.3PPR pts
7 REC, 53 YDS, 1 TD
Texans leader
David Johnson
HOU
10.2PPR pts
7 ATT, 25 YDS, 5 REC, 27 REC YDS
Defensive playmaker
Lonnie Johnson Jr.
HOU
1 INT, 9 TKL

Cardinals 31, Texans 5: Arizona beats Houston

The Texans went 2-for-13 on third down and committed one turnover, while the Cardinals kept the ball for 34:03.

Key advantages

+2.5 yards/play ARI 5.8 · HOU 3.3
+237 total yards ARI 397 · HOU 160
+35% third-down rate ARI 50% · HOU 15%

Game Highlights

Official NFL highlights · Opens from YouTube

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Why the Cardinals Won

Arizona won the efficiency, third-down, and time of possession battles.

Team stats comparison, Texans vs Cardinals
Texans	Stat	Cardinals
3.3	Yards per play	5.8

160	Total yards	397

15%	Third-down conversion	50%

Other team stats
49	Plays	69

1	Turnovers	1

25:57	Time of possession	34:03

Scoring Summary

The Cardinals scored four touchdowns and one field goal; the Texans scored one field goal and one safety.

Scoring plays, Texans vs Cardinals
Time	Team	Play	HOU	ARI
1st quarter
2:58	HOU	Safety Takes leadKyler Murray tackled in the end zone	2	0
2nd quarter
14:55	HOU	Ka'imi Fairbairn 53-yard FG Extends lead	5	0
9:01	ARI	Kyler Murray → DeAndre Hopkins, 1-yard TD Takes leadMatt Prater XP	5	7
2:45	ARI	Kyler Murray → Christian Kirk, 5-yard TD Extends leadMatt Prater XP	5	14
0:05	ARI	Matt Prater 31-yard FG Extends lead	5	17
3rd quarter
7:58	ARI	Kyler Murray → Zach Ertz, 47-yard TD Extends leadMatt Prater XP	5	24
4th quarter
10:22	ARI	James Conner 18-yard TD run Extends leadMatt Prater XP	5	31

Fantasy Points: Texans vs Cardinals, Week 7 2021

Fantasy leaders

Kyler MurrayARIQB22.4 PTSQB8
DeAndre HopkinsARIWR18.3 PTSWR11
Zach ErtzARITE16.0 PTSTE6
Christian KirkARIWR15.0 PTSWR20

Player Stats

Quarterbacks

Quarterback statistics
Player	FPTS	FIN	CMP/ATT	Pass YDS	TD	INT	Rush ATT	Rush YDS	Rush TD	Rate	Start/Sit
Kyler MurrayARIQB	22.4	QB8	20/28	261	3	1	6	10	0	121.3	Start/Sit →
Davis MillsHOUQB	2.4	QB28	23/32	135	0	0	—	—	—	79.6	Start/Sit →
Colt McCoyARIQB	-0.1	—	—	—	—	—	2	-1	0	—

WRs, RBs, & TEs

Receiver, running back and tight end statistics
Player	FPTS	FIN	POS	Rush ATT	Rush YDS	Rush TD	TGT	REC	Rec YDS	Rec TD	Start/Sit
DeAndre HopkinsARIWR	18.3	WR11	WR	—	—	—	9	7	53	1
Zach ErtzARITE	16.0	TE6	TE	1	4	0	5	3	66	1
Christian KirkARIWR	15.0	WR20	WR	—	—	—	5	4	50	1
James ConnerARIRB	12.4	RB23	RB	10	64	1	—	—	—	—
David JohnsonHOURB	10.2	RB26	RB	7	25	0	6	5	27	0
Chase EdmondsARIRB	10.0	RB27	RB	15	81	0	3	1	9	0
A.J. GreenARIWR	9.6	WR36	WR	—	—	—	3	3	66	0
Brandin CooksHOUWR	7.1	WR45	WR	—	—	—	7	5	21	0	Start/Sit →
Mark IngramHOURB	5.7	RB37	RB	6	9	0	3	3	18	0
Nico CollinsHOUWR	4.8	WR55	WR	—	—	—	5	2	28	0	Start/Sit →
Danny AmendolaHOUWR	4.7	WR56	WR	—	—	—	5	3	17	0
Pharaoh BrownHOUTE	4.1	TE29	TE	—	—	—	3	3	11	0
Rondale MooreARIWR	3.7	WR65	WR	—	—	—	3	2	17	0
Jordan AkinsHOUTE	3.3	TE33	TE	—	—	—	2	2	13	0
Phillip LindsayHOURB	0.8	RB63	RB	2	8	0	—	—	—	—
Eno BenjaminARIRB	0.7	RB64	RB	2	7	0	—	—	—	—
Jonathan WardARIRB	0.7	RB65	RB	1	7	0	—	—	—	—

Fantasy Usage

Houston Texans

Snap Share

Brandin CooksWR53 snaps95%
Nico CollinsWR35 snaps63%
David JohnsonRB30 snaps54%
Pharaoh BrownTE29 snaps52%
Jordan AkinsTE29 snaps52%

Target Share31 targets

Brandin Cooks23%, 7 targets
David Johnson19%, 6 targets
Danny Amendola16%, 5 targets
Nico Collins16%, 5 targets
Mark Ingram10%, 3 targets
Other16%, 5 targets

Carry Share15 carries

David Johnson47%, 7 carries
Mark Ingram40%, 6 carries
Phillip Lindsay13%, 2 carries

Arizona Cardinals

Snap Share

A.J. GreenWR60 snaps85%
DeAndre HopkinsWR59 snaps83%
Christian KirkWR51 snaps72%
Chase EdmondsRB49 snaps69%
Rondale MooreWR37 snaps52%

Target Share28 targets

DeAndre Hopkins32%, 9 targets
Zach Ertz18%, 5 targets
Christian Kirk18%, 5 targets
A.J. Green11%, 3 targets
Chase Edmonds11%, 3 targets
Other11%, 3 targets

Carry Share37 carries

Chase Edmonds41%, 15 carries
James Conner27%, 10 carries
Kyler Murray16%, 6 carries
Colt McCoy5%, 2 carries
Eno Benjamin5%, 2 carries
Other5%, 2 carries

View full usage tableHide full usage table

Offensive snaps and share for the skill positions
Player	SNAPS	SNAP %	TGT	TGT %	CAR
Brandin CooksHOUWR	53	95%	7	23%	0
A.J. GreenARIWR	60	85%	3	11%	0
DeAndre HopkinsARIWR	59	83%	9	32%	0
Christian KirkARIWR	51	72%	5	18%	0
Chase EdmondsARIRB	49	69%	3	11%	15
Nico CollinsHOUWR	35	63%	5	16%	0
David JohnsonHOURB	30	54%	6	19%	7
Rondale MooreARIWR	37	52%	3	11%	0
Pharaoh BrownHOUTE	29	52%	3	10%	0
Jordan AkinsHOUTE	29	52%	2	6%	0
Zach ErtzARITE	35	49%	5	18%	1
Chris ConleyHOUWR	27	48%	0	0%	0
Danny AmendolaHOUWR	24	43%	5	16%	0
Mark IngramHOURB	21	38%	3	10%	6
Demetrius HarrisARITE	21	30%	0	0%	0
James ConnerARIRB	21	30%	0	0%	10
Chris MooreHOUWR	13	23%	0	0%	0
Antony AuclairHOUTE	11	20%	0	0%	0
Antoine WesleyARIWR	12	17%	0	0%	0
Rex BurkheadHOURB	4	7%	0	0%	0
Phillip LindsayHOURB	4	7%	0	0%	2
Ross TravisARITE	5	7%	0	0%	0
Eno BenjaminARIRB	4	6%	0	0%	2
Jonathan WardARIRB	1	1%	0	0%	1

Fantasy Points vs Expected

PPRHalf PPRStandard

Expected points (xFP) are what a player's pass attempts, carries and targets are worth at the league's average rates; the difference is what the player made of them.

Biggest overperformer+6.9Zach Ertz16.0 PTS vs 9.1 xFP
Biggest underperformer−10.7Davis Mills3.4 PTS vs 14.1 xFP
Highest expected volume16.2 xFPKyler Murray22.4 PTS scored

Usage and expected fantasy points
Player	PTS	xFP	vs xFP	Snap%	Usage	Rte%	Pass att	Car	Car%	Tgt	Tgt%
Kyler MurrayARI · QB	22.4	16.2	+6.2	93%	28 att	—	28	6	16%	0	0%
DeAndre HopkinsARI · WR	18.3	15.2	+3.1	83%	32% tgt	—	0	0	0%	9	32%
Chase EdmondsARI · RB	10.0	14.7	−4.7	69%	41% car	—	0	15	41%	3	11%
David JohnsonHOU · —	10.2	14.6	−4.4	54%	47% car	—	0	7	47%	6	19%
Davis MillsHOU · QB	3.4	14.1	−10.7	100%	32 att	—	32	0	0%	0	0%
Brandin CooksHOU · WR	7.1	11.8	−4.7	95%	23% tgt	—	0	0	0%	7	23%
Zach ErtzARI · TE	16.0	9.1	+6.9	49%	18% tgt	—	0	1	3%	5	18%
Mark Ingram IIHOU · RB	5.7	8.9	−3.2	38%	40% car	—	0	6	40%	3	10%
Christian KirkARI · WR	15.0	8.4	+6.6	72%	18% tgt	—	0	0	0%	5	18%
Danny AmendolaHOU · WR	4.7	8.4	−3.7	43%	16% tgt	—	0	0	0%	5	16%
Nico CollinsHOU · WR	4.8	8.4	−3.6	63%	16% tgt	—	0	0	0%	5	16%
James ConnerARI · RB	12.4	6.4	+6.0	30%	27% car	—	0	10	27%	0	0%
A.J. GreenARI · WR	9.6	5.1	+4.5	85%	11% tgt	—	0	0	0%	3	11%
Pharaoh BrownHOU · TE	4.1	5.1	−1.0	52%	10% tgt	—	0	0	0%	3	10%
Rondale MooreARI · WR	3.7	5.1	−1.4	52%	11% tgt	—	0	0	0%	3	11%
Jordan AkinsHOU · TE	3.3	3.4	−0.1	52%	6% tgt	—	0	0	0%	2	6%
Colt McCoyARI · QB	-0.1	1.3	−1.4	7%	0 att	—	0	2	5%	0	0%
Eno BenjaminARI · RB	0.7	1.3	−0.6	6%	5% car	—	0	2	5%	0	0%
Phillip LindsayHOU · RB	0.8	1.3	−0.5	7%	13% car	—	0	2	13%	0	0%
Jonathan WardARI · RB	0.7	0.6	+0.1	1%	3% car	—	0	1	3%	0	0%

Team totals: Texans 31 targets and 15 carries; Cardinals 28 targets and 37 carries. Shares are from the box score. Snap counts are from the weekly player logs (Sleeper), and include plays wiped out by penalties. Route counts, air yards and red-zone touches appear when the tracking feed is connected. League-average rates from the 2021 season: 1.68 PPR points per target (67% catch rate), 0.64 per carry and 0.44 per pass attempt. They don't adjust for field position or target depth.

Fantasy Verdicts

Davis Mills Unlucky

HOU · QB · 3.4 pts on 14.1 expected

23 of 32 passing for 135 yards.

Verdict: The role was there, worth 14.1 points at league-average rates; the production wasn't.

No interceptions after 6 in the previous four games.

Start/Sit: Davis Mills →

Kyler Murray Ran hot

ARI · QB · 22.4 pts on 16.2 expected

20 of 28 passing for 261 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception; 6 carries for 10 yards.

Verdict: The opportunities were worth 16.2 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.

Start/Sit: Kyler Murray →

David Johnson

HOU · — · 10.2 pts on 14.6 expected

6 targets (19% of the team's), 5 catches for 27 yards; 7 carries (47% of the team's) for 25 yards.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 14.6 expected.

Best score since Week 1.

Brandin Cooks

HOU · WR · 7.1 pts on 11.8 expected

7 targets (23% of the team's), 5 catches for 21 yards.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 11.8 expected.

Start/Sit: Brandin Cooks →

DeAndre Hopkins Strong role

ARI · WR · 18.3 pts on 15.2 expected

9 targets (32% of the team's), 7 catches for 53 yards and 1 touchdown.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 15.2 expected.

A touchdown in 5 of the last 7 games.

Chase Edmonds

ARI · RB · 10.0 pts on 14.7 expected

3 targets (11% of the team's), 1 catch for 9 yards; 15 carries (41% of the team's) for 81 yards.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 14.7 expected.

Season high in carries (15).

Zach Ertz Ran hot

ARI · TE · 16.0 pts on 9.1 expected

5 targets (18% of the team's), 3 catches for 66 yards and 1 touchdown; 1 carry (3% of the team's) for 4 yards.

Verdict: The opportunities were worth 9.1 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.

Best fantasy game of the season.

Christian Kirk Ran hot

ARI · WR · 15.0 pts on 8.4 expected

5 targets (18% of the team's), 4 catches for 50 yards and 1 touchdown.

Verdict: The opportunities were worth 8.4 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.

Stock Up, Stock Down

Houston Texans

Stock up: Danny Amendola played 43% of the snaps, up from a 21% season average.
Stock up: Nico Collins played 63% of the snaps, up from a 39% season average.

Arizona Cardinals

Stock down: James Conner played 30% of the snaps, down from a 45% season average.

Fantasy Matchups

Fantasy points allowed per game by position, 2021 through Week 18.

Fantasy points allowed per game by position, Texans defense and Cardinals defense
Points allowed to	Texans D	Cardinals D
QBs	18.2	16.5
RBs	25.7	20.5
WRs	35.7	37.9
TEs	13.5	7.7

Regular season, summed from each game's box score and scored with this page's rules.

How the Game Swung

Arizona opened at 93% win probability and passed 98% before halftime on the way to the win.

Cardinals win probability

Key Swings

−3Texans safety91% → 88%Q1 2:58
−6Fairbairn 53-yd FG87% → 80%Q2 14:55
+15Murray → Hopkins, 1-yd TD77% → 92%Q2 9:01
+7Murray → Kirk, 5-yd TD90% → 98%Q2 2:45
+1Prater 31-yd FG98% → 99%Q2 0:05

Swing in Cardinals win probability, in points

Play Calling and Possessions

Play calling, Texans vs Cardinals
Houston Texans	Measure	Arizona Cardinals
49	Plays	69
69%	Pass rate	46%
3.5	Yds / dropback	7.0
2.8	Yds / carry	4.6
2/13	Third downs	6/12

Efficiency edge Arizona ran 20 more plays and gained 3.5 more yards per dropback.

Top targets
HOU Cooks 23% · Johnson 19% · Amendola 16%
ARI Hopkins 32% · Kirk 18% · Ertz 18%

Possession Results

How each possession ended, Texans vs Cardinals
Result	HOU	ARI
Touchdowns	0	4
Field goals	1	1
Punts	7	4
Turnovers	1	1
Turnovers on downs	2	0
Safeties	0	1

The Texans opened the scoring on their third possession, a 5-play, 25-yard drive that ended in a field goal.

All 24 possessions, drive by drive

Drive chart
Team	Start	Plays	Yards	Time	Result
ARI	Q1 15:00	5	15	2:23	Punt
HOU	Q1 12:37	3	-6	1:41	Punt
ARI	Q1 10:56	3	-12	2:33	Punt
HOU	Q1 8:23	7	18	5:17	Punt
ARI	Q1 3:06	1	-2	0:08	Safety
HOU	Q1 2:58	5	25	3:03	Field goal
ARI	Q2 14:55	14	75	5:54	Touchdown
HOU	Q2 9:01	6	24	3:18	Fumble
ARI	Q2 5:43	6	49	2:58	Touchdown
HOU	Q2 2:45	3	7	1:08	Punt
ARI	Q2 1:37	8	61	1:32	Field goal
HOU	Q2 0:05	0	0	0:05	End of half
HOU	Q3 15:00	6	13	3:29	Punt
ARI	Q3 11:31	7	88	3:33	Touchdown
HOU	Q3 7:58	3	8	1:32	Punt
ARI	Q3 6:26	5	15	2:05	Interception
HOU	Q3 4:21	3	2	2:02	Punt
ARI	Q3 2:19	3	-4	1:44	Punt
HOU	Q3 0:35	4	5	1:20	Downs
ARI	Q4 14:15	7	63	3:53	Touchdown
HOU	Q4 10:22	3	2	1:20	Punt
ARI	Q4 9:02	6	26	4:23	Punt
HOU	Q4 4:39	7	28	1:42	Downs
ARI	Q4 2:57	5	13	2:57	End of game

About these numbers

Possessions that ended with the clock running out at the half or the end of the game aren't counted.

Personnel groupings, average depth of target and pass rate over expected appear when the tracking feed is connected.

Texans vs Cardinals Head-to-Head

The Texans and Cardinals first met in 2005 and have played 7 times since.

All-time series: 4–3Texans lead, 7 meetings since 2005
Postseason: 0No playoff meetings
Largest Texans win: 40–202025
Largest Cardinals win: 31–52021

Since 2021

2–1 Texans lead

3 meetings since the 2021 season, regular season and playoffs.

Oldest to newest. T = Texans win, C = Cardinals win, outlined = this game.

Recent Meetings

2025 Wk 15 Cardinals at Texans, 2025 Wk 15 recap Sun, Dec 14, 2025 HOU 40 ARI 20 HOU W
2023 Wk 11 Cardinals at Texans, 2023 Wk 11 recap Sun, Nov 19, 2023 HOU 21 ARI 16 HOU W
2021 Wk 7 Texans at Cardinals Sun, Oct 24, 2021 ARI 31 HOU 5 ARI W

Season to Date (Through Week 18)

The 2021 regular season, from each game's box score.

Season to date, Texans vs Cardinals
Texans	Stat	Cardinals
4-13	Record	11-6

16.5	Points per game	26.4

278.1	Yards per game	373.6

4.7	Yards per play	5.6

26.6	Points allowed per game	21.5

384.4	Yards allowed per game	329.2

Texans vs Cardinals Odds and Results

How this game finished against the betting lines.

Spread: ARI −20Cardinals covered by 6
Total: 47.5Under: 36 points scored (by 11.5)

Expected vs Actual Scoring

Implied team totals against the actual score
Team	Implied	Actual	Difference
Cardinals	33.8	31	−2.8
Texans	13.8	5	−8.8

Both offenses finished under the market's expectation, which matches the low fantasy output in the Fantasy tab.

Betting Trends

Each team's 2021 season through this game. Over/under is overs first.

Houston Texans

Against the spread: 3–4
Over/under: 3–4
ATS as underdog: 3–4
ATS on the road: 1–3

Arizona Cardinals

Against the spread: 6–1
Over/under: 3–4
ATS as favorite: 3–1
ATS as underdog: 3–0
ATS at home: 2–1

Lines: ESPN's consensus, captured at kickoff. Individual sportsbooks varied.

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Game info

Round: Week 7
Date: Oct 24, 2021
Kickoff (ET): 4:25 PM
Venue: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Winner: Arizona Cardinals
Margin: 26 points
TV: CBS
Attendance: 60,297

Before and after

Houston Texans

Previous: Week 6: L 3–31 at Colts
Next: Week 8: L 22–38 vs Rams

Arizona Cardinals

Previous: Week 6: W 37–14 at Browns
Next: Week 8: L 21–24 vs Packers

The Cardinals' next games

Texans and Cardinals in Fantasy

The two teams don't meet again this season. If you roster a Texan or a Cardinal, these answer the week-to-week question.

Keep Exploring

2021 Game Logs for Players in This Game

Texans vs Cardinals Game FAQ

Who won the 2021 Texans vs Cardinals Week 7 game?

The Arizona Cardinals beat the Houston Texans 31–5 in Week 7 of the 2021 season. The game was played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, on October 24, 2021. See the Cardinals' 2021 schedule.

What was the final score of Texans vs Cardinals?

The final score was Cardinals 31, Texans 5. The Cardinals led 17–5 at halftime, and the second half went Texans 0, Cardinals 14.

What happened in the Texans vs Cardinals game?

Arizona led 17–5 at halftime after a 17-point second quarter and outscored Houston 14–0 after the break to win 31–5. The Cardinals finished with a 397–160 edge in total offense and averaged 5.8 yards per play. Kyler Murray led all players with 20 of 28 passing for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus 6 carries for 10 rushing yards.

Who scored the most fantasy points in Texans vs Cardinals?

Kyler Murray led the game with 22.4 PPR fantasy points, the QB8 of Week 7, on 20 of 28 passing for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus 6 carries for 10 rushing yards. DeAndre Hopkins was next with 18.3 (WR11). See Kyler Murray's 2021 game log.

Who led Texans vs Cardinals in passing, rushing and receiving?

Kyler Murray (ARI) led all passers with 20 of 28 for 261 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Chase Edmonds (ARI) led in rushing with 15 carries for 81 yards. Zach Ertz (ARI) led in receiving with 3 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

How many fantasy points did Kyler Murray score against the Texans?

Kyler Murray scored 22.4 fantasy points against the Texans in Week 7 of the 2021 season, the same in PPR, half-PPR and standard scoring because he had no catches, on 20 of 28 passing for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus 6 carries for 10 rushing yards.

Who outperformed and underperformed expected fantasy points in Texans vs Cardinals?

Zach Ertz outperformed his expected fantasy points the most, scoring 16.0 PPR points on 9.1 xFP (+6.9). Davis Mills fell furthest short, with 3.4 points on 14.1 xFP (−10.7). A gap either way reflects efficiency and touchdowns in one game; it is not a forecast. For matchups ahead, see fantasy points allowed by position.

Who had the highest expected fantasy points in Texans vs Cardinals?

Kyler Murray had the most fantasy opportunity in the game, worth 16.2 expected PPR points (xFP) at league-average rates, and scored 22.4. Expected points measure the volume of a player's pass attempts, carries and targets, not how well he used them.

How did the Cardinals beat the Texans?

The Cardinals beat the Texans 31–5 because they averaged 5.8 yards per play to 3.3 and outgained them 397–160.

What is the all-time Texans vs Cardinals record?

The Texans lead the all-time series 4–3 across 7 meetings since 2005.

When did the Texans and Cardinals last play before this game?

Before Week 7 of 2021, they last met in the 2017 season on November 19, 2017, when the Texans beat the Cardinals 31–21.

What is the Texans vs Cardinals record since 2021?

The Texans lead 2–1 across 3 meetings since the 2021 season, including this game.

What was the closing spread for Texans vs Cardinals?

The consensus closing spread at kickoff was Cardinals −20, making the Arizona Cardinals 20-point favorites, with a closing total of 47.5. That implied about 33.8 points for the Cardinals and 13.8 for the Texans.

Did Texans vs Cardinals go over or under the total?

The game went under. The consensus closing total was 47.5, and the teams combined for 36 points, 11.5 under the number.

Who covered the spread in Texans vs Cardinals?

The Cardinals covered by 6 against the closing line of Cardinals −20. The final margin was 26 points.