Subscribe
Follow Us
Expectations were not high for the Arizona Cardinals in their Week 5 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, and yet, they managed to pull out a 24-23 upset victory over their division rival. Kyler Murray turned in another strong day at the office, as he played a pivotal role in allowing Arizona to walk away with their second win of the season.
Murray got it done in the air (19/30, 195 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT) and on the ground (7 CAR, 83 YDS, 1 TD) for the Cardinals in this one, and it resulted in a shocking upset win. It certainly wasn't easy, but Arizona did just enough on both sides of the ball to come out on top, leading to a fired up reaction from Murray after the game.
Via Kyler Murray:
“60 minutes, proud of the guys.”
Kyler Murray, Cardinals looking to build off of momentum from 49ers win
The Cardinals certainly felt the pressure to win this game, as they had a 1-3 record over their first four games, so suffering another loss would have made it even more difficult for them to find their way into the postseason. Murray and the rest of the team knew that, and it led to an inspired effort on both sides of the ball that yielded a big win.
There are still things that the Cardinals can improve upon, as their offense has run hot or cold for much of the season, with Murray struggling to get on the same page with his receivers while also receiving lackluster protection from his offensive line. But with this win, they have identified some things that have worked for them as a team, which could help them string together some more solid outings.
Murray's quick reaction is an acknowledgement of how hard Arizona worked to win this game, but just because they won here doesn't mean they can stop. The Cardinals have a lot more work to do over the next few weeks in order to truly get themselves back into the playoff conversation, but this is an encouraging start, and they will look to keep it up in Week 6 when they take on the Green Bay Packers.
