Drake rushed 15 times for 110 yards and a touchdown and also secured all four targets for 52 yards in the Cardinals' 28-25 loss to the 49ers on Thursday. He also caught a two-point conversion pass.
The odds were stacked against a successful Drake debut coming in. There was naturally the matchup against the elite 49ers defense, as well as the fact it would be difficult to find an offense more incompatible to a three-day cram session (the running back was traded to Arizona on Monday) than coach Kliff Kingsbury's air raid attack. However, Drake's fresh legs and apparently buoyant mindset after being dealt out of Miami combined to produce a spectacular performance, one in which the fourth-year back posted his best rushing total since Week 14 of the 2017 season. Drake also put his impressive receiving skills on display in the fast-paced scheme, and for at least one game, provided solace to Cardinals coaches and fans alike that he can keep the team's ground attack afloat in the event of any further absences on the part of David Johnson (ankle) and Chase Edmonds (hamstring). Drake will look to build on Thursday's effort against the Buccaneers in Week 10, although the status of both Johnson and Edmonds will help determine who large Drake's workload might be in that contest.