Cardinals find winning blueprint against Chargers

The Cardinals wore all black on Monday Night Football. Because salvation doesn't always start with red.

This time they came to play. They came to fight. And in the end they came to win.

A tough 17-15 win over the Chargers comes with plenty of spoils. The Cardinals reestablished their physical identity. They have strengthened their credibility as a good football team that is going in the right direction. It was the first time in his head coaching career that Jonathan Gannon won two games in three weeks.

The season is upon us and a tough group of Cardinals are beating a good team in prime time. That doesn't happen very often in Arizona.

“I thought it was a physical game,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said.

Kyler Murray led an efficient offense that found its stride despite another poor performance from prized rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. The Cardinals quarterback took advantage of the star talents of Trey McBride. He threw a great touchdown pass to Greg Dortch from the red zone. He leaned heavily on the raw power of James Conner, who totaled 152 yards and forced a key fumble with sheer hustle. And for the second time this season, Murray managed a long touchdown run unscathed, only to be denied by a hopeless Chargers defender who severely underestimated his speed.

This happens to the best of them.

Best of all, Murray led the Cardinals on a game-winning drive, rewarding a defense that won the turnover battle and allowed no touchdowns. The drive came with a touch of controversy, a personal foul penalty against the Chargers that followed a key throw by Harrison Jr.

But that's not our problem.

“I wish we could have done more tonight,” Murray said. “But a win is a win.”

The game was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Cardinals, and they didn't let the moment pass them by. Just look at the landscape.

Despite their recent struggles, the NFC West is wide open. Ten wins could bring the division title and a home playoff game. The 49ers are decimated by injuries and appear primed for a fall. The Cardinals have already throttled the Rams and currently have a division record of 2-0. And is anyone really afraid of the Seahawks?

Gannon said he felt the momentum during Thursday's practice, which he described as particularly violent and choppy, a clear sign of the team's collective excitement. He also said that Conner gave an impassioned speech to the team on Sunday night, imploring the team to “put everything into this game.”

“He put the team on his back today and carried us home,” Gannon said.

The Cardinals survived a shaky start and forced two critical fumbles early on. They began to assert themselves at the point of attack. They outscored the Chargers 181-59 in rushing yards. They put pressure on Justin Herbert by activating players from the practice squad. At a critical point in the game and the season, the Cardinals found a way to make it happen.

There were games this season where Murray's quarterback rating seemed deceptively high. The value was deceptively low against the Chargers (67.0). But he was a winning quarterback. And there is no better statistic than this.

Reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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