Glendale, Ariz. — Kyler Murray electrified the crowd with a stunning 44-yard touchdown run that showcased his remarkable speed and agility. Rolling out to his left, he evaded a Chargers defender, raced to the sideline, and casually held the ball in one hand as he crossed the goal line, reminiscent of a backyard football game.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon acknowledged that this isn’t the standard way to protect the football but couldn’t help but admire Murray’s play. “Until he fumbles, I’ll let him ride,” Gannon said with a grin. “That was a pretty spectacular play.”
Murray’s game-changing touchdown early in the fourth quarter helped propel the Cardinals to a thrilling 17-15 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night. He later guided Arizona down the field to set up Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal as time expired.
The Chargers initially took a 15-14 lead with 1:54 remaining thanks to Cameron Dicker’s fifth field goal of the night, this one from 40 yards. However, the Cardinals (3-4) quickly surged into field goal range, benefiting from a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty against Cam Hart.
James Conner then made a significant impact with a tough 33-yard catch and run, finishing the game with 101 rushing yards and 51 receiving yards. His performance was a testament to his leadership, as he had inspired the team with a motivational speech the night before. “That’s just how the season’s been going,” Conner said. “As a captain, it’s my job to rally the troops.”
The Chargers struggled offensively despite amassing 395 total yards and saw their offense thwarted at critical moments. Quarterback Justin Herbert completed 27 of 39 passes for 349 yards but faced his first loss on Monday night, dropping his record to 6-1 in those games.
Dicker successfully kicked field goals of 59, 50, 28, 47, and 40 yards, with his first kick tying a franchise record for distance. Despite the strong performance from the Chargers’ defense, which is regarded as one of the best in the league, the offense could not convert opportunities into touchdowns, extending their streak to 16 consecutive offensive drives without a touchdown.
“We did a lot of good things, but we’ve got to score points in the red zone,” Herbert acknowledged. “We have an amazing kicker, but we need to do a better job to support our defense and special teams.”
Murray’s touchdown run gave Arizona a 14-9 lead, marking his second long touchdown run in three weeks, having previously scored on a 50-yard sprint against San Francisco. “It feels good to put the ball in the end zone,” Murray said. “I wish we could have done it more tonight, but a win’s a win.”
This win also marked Murray’s 20th career game with both a touchdown pass and a touchdown run. He completed 14 of 26 passes for 145 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Dicker’s 28-yarder late in the third quarter briefly gave the Chargers a 9-7 lead after they stopped backup quarterback Clayton Tune on both third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 attempts. The Cardinals occasionally use Tune in short-yardage situations due to his size compared to Murray.
Arizona opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Murray to Greg Dortch, giving them a 7-6 lead at halftime. This marked Dortch’s first touchdown catch of the season.
Dicker’s impressive 59-yard field goal in the first half set a personal best, surpassing his previous career-long kicks of 55 yards.
Both teams faced missed opportunities early in the game. Arizona’s opening drive ended with a pass from Murray being deflected by Khalil Mack and intercepted by Teair Tait, who fumbled after being stripped by Conner, allowing Michael Wilson to recover for the Cardinals. On the Chargers’ first drive, Herbert connected with Jalen Reagor for a 42-yard gain, only for Starling Thomas to strip Reagor, resulting in a touchback.
“It was a game of many near misses and close calls,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Both teams played well, and it came down to a lot of details, not just one play.”
Upcoming Games:
Chargers: Plays the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at home.
Cardinals: Travel to Miami on Sunday.
