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    • How optimistic should Cardinals be after stunning 49ers in Week 5?
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    How optimistic should Cardinals be after stunning 49ers in Week 5?

    Vaseline Posted on

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    SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Jalen Thompson sprinted toward the end zone, waving his arms wherever they wanted to go. Roy Lopez followed in pursuit. Khyris Tonga motioned for his teammates to join in and they did, from all corners of the Arizona Cardinals sideline. Their hero, Kyzir White, was somewhere in the mix, holding up his interception ball toward a stunned 49ers crowd.

    That crowd arrived in Santa Clara on Sunday with justified expectations. They thought this would be one of the easiest wins on the 49ers’ schedule, against an overmatched and undertalented Cardinals team. For Arizona, it would be a fourth loss in five games, another reflection of the gulf between them and the NFL’s elite.

    But this is the beauty of football. A week ago, the Cardinals were decimated at home by Washington, a low point of the Kyler Murray era. On Sunday, they stunned the 49ers, 24-23, and rewrote what’s possible over the next three months.

    Here’s what we learned in the shocking win:

    This was a seismic victory

    One win in early October doesn’t necessarily mean the Cardinals are headed to the playoffs. Just three weeks ago they beat the Rams by 31 points and looked to possess an exciting offense before scoring a total of 27 points in a pair of home losses. Reality changes weekly in the NFL.

    But at least Sunday retained the play-off option. Since 1990, only 6.6% of 1-4 teams have made the playoffs. The Cardinals can still feel like anything is possible at 2-3. They trail the Seahawks by a game, are tied with the 49ers and lead the Rams. They are 2-0 in the division. As the standings start to matter in the coming weeks, the Cardinals will be in the mix.

    The victory also showed an impressive level of resilience. The Cardinals were 7.5-point underdogs coming off a blowout loss to a team that has destroyed them in the recent past. For 60 minutes on Sunday, none of that mattered to them.

    “We took the arrow in the forehead,” said head coach Jonathan Gannon, “and we put all our energy and focus into San Fran.”

    The Cardinals win started with defense

    White’s interception on the play personified the Cardinals’ victory. This game was about winning crucial moments in defense.

    The Cardinals defense wasn’t perfect — allowing 244 yards and 5.9 yards per carry — but they came through when it mattered. In the first half, the Cardinals got three stops inside the 10-yard line, holding the 49ers to field goals. In the second half they forced three turnovers.

    On the first turnover, Brock Purdy had time in the pocket, but his pass was tipped by Roy Lopez, allowing Mack Wilson Sr. could come up with an interception. On the second, Jesse Luketa came in late to pick off Jordan Mason, who fought for extra distance. On the third, Jalen Thompson broke through with a safety blitz and hit Purdy, forcing a pop-up throw that White was able to secure for the win.

    The similarity: The Cardinals played hard and aggressive, just as defensive coordinator Nick Rallis preaches. Sometimes that is the recipe for winning enough crucial moments.

    “We got punched in the mouth every now and then,” White said. “But we kept hitting back.”

    Kyler Murray and the offense were resilient

    Like their defense, the Cardinals’ offense was far from perfect on Sunday. In the locker room at half-time, Murray became frustrated by the missed opportunities. At one point, they had consecutive drives inside the San Francisco 30-yard line that ended in minus 7 points – thanks to a blocked field goal for a touchdown and an intercepted screen pass.

    “We just didn’t take advantage of the opportunities we had when we got there,” Murray said.

    In many ways it was a familiar scene. The Cardinals scored on their opening drive – as they have done in every game this year – and then fell silent.

    This time they fought back. Trailing 23-13 after three quarters, Murray led a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive and a 14-play, 75-yard field goal drive. On those drives, he went 9-for-11 with a touchdown. James Conner added 77 yards on 13 carries after halftime.

    “It’s extremely important that we bounce back, fight back and ultimately win this game against a great team,” Murray said.

    Kicker secures the win: Emergency kicker helps Arizona Cardinals score over 49ers

    The offense showed his versatility

    Back in training camp, the Cardinals offense shined with its versatility. It wasn’t just Murray, Conner and Marvin Harrison Jr.’s show. It was Trey McBride and Michael Wilson and Elijah Higgins and so on.

    That was the offense the Cardinals displayed again on Sunday. Conner was quiet in the first half, rushing for nine yards on six carries. Harrison was silent for most of the match, netting just two of seven goals.

    It didn’t matter. Wilson stepped up with 78 yards and McBride went for 53 in his return from a concussion. Higgins caught the key touchdown in the fourth quarter. Murray used his legs better than he has all season. Greg Dortch and Tip Reiman both got involved when the offense needed them.

    It was also a performance that showcased some of the creative playcalling that has been missing in recent weeks. On the first play of the game, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing pulled Murray out of the pocket for a play-action pass to McBride for a first down. On the second, Murray saved a read option for a 50-yard touchdown. And on the fourth-quarter touchdown, the Cardinals feigned a planned run with Murray, which drew the attention of the San Francisco defense, after which Murray passed to an open Higgins.

    The Cardinals kept the 49ers off balance all afternoon. That is an honor for both their players and the technical staff.

    The Cardinals weren’t perfect

    Even though everything was going well, the Cardinals weren’t flawless, just like in the Week 2 win over the Rams. They were often too porous defensively and too wasteful offensively. They might not have won without an injury to 49ers kicker Jake Moody. At one point, the 49ers had to attempt a 4th-and-23 from the 27-yard line instead of kicking a field goal.

    All of that is reason for moderate optimism in the coming days ahead of a difficult trip to Green Bay. But when the Cardinals sprayed water on their various heroes in a festive locker room on Sunday afternoon, none of it mattered.

    Vaseline
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