What Arizona Cardinals' win over the Philadelphia Eagles means for the future
It didn’t save their season. It didn’t define it, either.
But make no mistake, the Arizona Cardinals’ 35-31 upset victory Sunday over the Philadelphia Eagles was clearly a defining moment and it matters.
It was the kind of performance that first-year coach Jonathan Gannon, in a stunning return to Philadelphia where he spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator, can package, put in a trophy case, and hold it up to remind his new team what they can be moving forward.
It was also an improbable win that can carry this rebuilding Arizona franchise into the offseason on a very positive note, even if there’s still one more game left to play next Sunday in Glendale against the NFC West rival Seahawks.
This one, despite the Cardinals’ lowly 4-12 record, will live on. And it should.
People will remember Gannon’s homecoming and how he spoiled a chance for his former team to grab the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC. They’ll also remember his botched decision to try an onside kick in a tied game with 5:26 left to play despite having all three timeouts remaining, including the two-minute warning.
They’ll talk about how the Cardinals scored 29 second-half points and how the Eagles, in their last two games, have been outscored 44-10 over the final two quarters. They’ll also talk about how Arizona ran the ball down Philadelphia’s throat to the tune of 221 yards, one shy of their season-high, and how James Conner ran 26 times a season-high 128 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown with 32 seconds left to play for the game-winning score.
And people won’t forget Joey Blount’s interception to end the game, when he leapt high in the end zone to pull down Jalen Hurts’ last-gasp, Hail Mary throw into the end zone.
But no one will forget Kyler Murray’s effort in this one, either. Especially after that miscommunication debacle, he had early in the game with rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson, who turned the wrong way on a deep pass and it was intercepted by safety Sydney Brown and returned 99 yards for an Eagles’ touchdown.
Murray, in yet another audition to convince management he should remain the team’s starting quarterback and face of the franchise, delivered in a big, big way by leading the Cardinals’ offense to four straight touchdowns on each of their four second-half possessions.
He was 25 of 31 for 232 yards and three touchdowns, improving to 3-4 since returning from his torn right ACL. Though once again he operated mostly out of the pocket and rolled out on bootlegs and QB waggles only a limited number of times, he proved offensive coordinator Drew Petzing correct by showing he can dismantle a defense without having to move around and scramble for his life.
He also showed, at least on this day, that yes, he can see over an offensive line and complete pass after pass to whichever receiver, tight end or running back happened to be in his sights. This game will do wonders for Murray’s confidence as much as it will for the entire team.
It was the defining moment of the season — bigger than that 28-16 upset of the Cowboys way back in Week 3 in Glendale. Yes, that win was special. This one will mean more in the end.
No, it didn’t help the Cardinals’ draft positioning. For once, who cares? That should tell you something.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kyler Murray continues to make his case as Cardinals' long-time QB
