The Arizona Cardinals earned a hard-fought victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, winning 24-23.
The victory means the Arizona Cardinals move to 2-3 for the season, with the San Francisco 49ers dropping to the same record, 2-3.
Both teams are a win back from NFC West leaders Seattle Seahawks, who fell to 3-2 after a loss to the New York Giants.
This season has already been a vast improvement for the Cardinals, who ended 2023 with a 4-13 record.
Kyler Murray resurgent
One of the big reasons the Arizona Cardinals were so bad in 2023 was that Kyler Murray was still recovering from a torn ACL.
He did not make his return until midway through the season, and he only showed flashes of his skillset. Now he looks close to back to his best.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon is seeing improved play from Murray this season, he is healthier, and benefiting from high draft pick, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Murray highlight at 49ers
Kyler Murray threw for 195 passing yards against the 49ers, with one touchdown and one interception, yet the highlight was his rushing, proving he is back to full health.
Murray ran for 83 yards and one touchdown against the 49ers, including one 50+ yard run where the 49ers defense parted at the seams.
The style he did it in was spectacular, with Murray raising his fingers in victory salute 43 yards out, while the 49ers defensive players were still chasing him down.
Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho, a Fox Sports analyst, was blown away by Murray’s confidence.
He wrote on X: “This is the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever seen done to the Niners defense.”
Kyler Murray is one of the NFL’s most exciting quarterbacks, and his return to form is fantastic for the whole league.
He has nine touchdowns passing and rushing combined through five weeks, and the Cardinals are making the NFC West an exciting division in 2024.
