The Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers 47-24 on Sunday thanks to a wonderfully placed toss from Kyler Murray to rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., who scored a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was the team’s final passing touchdown of the season.
Arizona believes that’s only a sneak peek at what’s to come the next season.
Murray stated, “He’s only going to get better,” in reference to Harrison, the 2004 fourth overall choice. “We’re only going to get better.”
The Cardinals finished the season 8-9 after Murray threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Greg Dortch. Despite winning four more games than the previous season, Arizona missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
One year after losing the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco (6-11) missed the postseason after losing seven of their last eight games.
With 14:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, Michael Carter snuck into the end zone just inside the left pylon for a 2-yard touchdown, giving the Cardinals a 33-24 lead after leading the second half. With 5:47 remaining, Murray’s pass to Harrison gave Arizona the victory, making the score 40–24.
To wrap up the scoring and give Arizona its greatest point total since 2015, Tony Jones Jr. ran for a 46-yard touchdown.
“It hurts that we didn’t achieve our goals this year,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon stated. However, I am proud of them. Yes, I am. They battled, they fought. I found it impressive that they would put up that type of effort against the 49ers, a tough, physical team with excellent coaching.
Harrison’s eight touchdown receptions tied the franchise’s rookie record, which was previously held by Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.
After Brock Purdy was injured, Joshua Dobbs started for the 49ers and threw for 326 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. With 4:49 remaining in the third quarter, he struck wide-open fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a 36-yard touchdown, reducing the Cardinals’ lead to 26-24.
However, Dobbs made two costly errors in the fourth quarter: he threw an interception on one drive and lost a fumble on another. While Murray was recovering from a knee injury, the quarterback started eight games for the Cardinals in the first half of the previous season.
“Through three quarters we battled,” Dobbs stated. However, we were rather destroyed by the turnovers. That was the game’s difference.
The Cardinals led 20–17 at the end of the first half thanks to a 49-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. It just took 16 seconds to drive. Ricky Pearsall made a difficult catch in traffic for a 6-yard touchdown soon after San Francisco tied the score at 17-all.
The tight end With 1:51 remaining in the second quarter, Trey McBride, who was selected for his first Pro Bowl earlier this week, grabbed a 2-yard touchdown ball from Murray. This season, McBride broke his own tight end franchise record with 111 receptions.
Early in the second quarter, Murray connected Dortch for a 23-yard touchdown, giving Arizona a 10-3 lead. After catching a short throw, Dortch scored his second touchdown of the season by slicing through the 49ers’ defense. In the third quarter, he caught a 2-yard pass for his second touchdown of the game, making the score 26–17.
“They wore us down and got it going,” said Kyle Shanahan, coach of the 49ers. “We couldn’t get them off the field.”
On the first possession of the game, Jake Moody put the 49ers ahead 3-0 with a 51-yard field goal. Their only lead would be that.
Ejections
In the second quarter, 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings and Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting got into a fight and were sent off. One play after Jennings and Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V were ejected for personal fouls following their altercation across the field, the ejections took place.
Jennings had the most productive season of his four-year career, finishing with 975 receiving yards. Earlier in the first half, Murphy-Bunting made an interception.
Injuries
49ers: WR Deebo Samuel (ribs/wrist) and Purdy (elbow) were not in play. Early in the first quarter, running back Isaac Guerendo was carried off the field due to a knee/ankle injury. In the second quarter, S. Malik Mustapha suffered a knee injury, and early in the third quarter, S. Talanoa Hufanga was declared out due to a concussion.
Cardinals: LB Victor Dimukeje (eye) and WR Michael Wilson (hamstring) did not play. CB During the first half, Max Melton (wrist) left.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.