Cardinals post comeback win against Dolphins

The Arizona Cardinals defeated the Miami Dolphins 28-27 on Sunday with a game-winning field goal from Chad Ryland, securing back-to-back wins for the first time since October 2021.

This is how our moderators and editors see it Arizona Sports face the Cardinals and move to 4-4 on the season with a chance to take sole possession of first place in the NFC West.

Vince Marotta, co-host of Bickley & Marotta Mornings: One word. Three letters.

That's all I can muster after the Cardinals' improbable 28-27 win in Miami.

OK, that's not all I can say. Nobody would want to read that.

This was a strong win, especially considering Arizona's defense couldn't get off the field on third down – Miami converted 11 of 15 in the game. But the last one, a 3rd-and-9 at the Cardinals' 47, went through thwarted a well-timed attack from Tua Tagovailoa that forced an incomplete pass from Devon Achane. That only required the second Dolphins punt of the game, effectively making Kyler Murray the hero, and the sixth-year quarterback seemed very comfortable in that role.

On a 3rd-and-4 at the Miami 27, Murray patiently waited for a gap and exploded for a 7-yard run that moved the chains and forced Miami to use their timeouts. And when you have Chad “Walkoff” Ryland at kicker, the game winner is a given.

But Murray's performance was about more than just that play. He played turnover-free football again, but more importantly, he ignited the Cardinals' dormant passing game against one of the league's best pass defenses. We had to wait until Week 8, but Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. got it right. Harrison was outstanding in this game. He had a beautiful touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone on a route that involved running the entire field and beating Jalen Ramsey. He had another diving catch in the fourth quarter on a big third down that was initially ruled incomplete, but Jonathan Gannon challenged it and replays showed it was a completion. Five plays later, James Conner plunged into the end zone from two yards out, cutting Miami's lead to two.

Harrison also made several contested catches in the game – something that hadn't happened with any consistency all season.

Trey McBride continues his rise to star level with 9 catches for 124 yards.

Most importantly, the Cardinals have FINALLY won two games in a row for the first time under Jonathan Gannon, and for the first time since December 2021. And they are 4-4 after eight games.

Given the deficiencies on defense (and a growing injury list), it will be difficult to continue this run, but seeing the Cardinals' offense reach its potential for the first time in a long time has been very, very encouraging.

Dave Burns, co-host of Burns & Gambo:
This win is the model and vision that so many Cardinals fans had for their team this year: Offensive elite behind a good and still-improving quarterback, a tough running back, an instant elite wide receiver and a fast-rising tight end End. Don't just rely on this device; They must claim their size to overcompensate for a defense that has more construction zones than our valley highways. It's the only way, and on Sunday the Cardinals took it.

Kyler Murray had – and not just because he threw for over 300 yards for the first time in two years – another one of those games in which you can see the undisputed franchise quarterback. Getting there was never a problem for Kyler. The stay there has. The Kyler/Marvin Harrison Jr. punch finally landed and it was a bell ringer. Harrison and Trey McBride were the duo we all dreamed of. The offensive line has worked through injuries to keep Kyler clean. And Chad Ryland is the new addition this season that will hopefully convince Monti Ossenfort that he should make another addition to help his defense.

Because the defense could use it. Of course, there are always individual standout plays and players (I'm looking at you, Budda), but every time you give up 11 of 15 on third downs, you're asking for it. They got that one stop when they needed it most, on a send-the-house blitz, and the Cardinals offense took advantage of that gift and made the most of it. Ossenfort must become ambitious; An acquisition via a midseason trade won't dramatically change the equation, but it will help. At the halfway point of the 2024 season, this team has shown that it's worth it. But even if Ossenfort does, the blueprint remains unchanged. The burden of proof that they are great is on Murray, Harrison, Conner and Drew Petzing. It's the only way.

John Gambadoro, co-host of Burns & Gambo: What a gut-check win for the Cardinals.

Kyler Murray ultimately threw for 300 yards (307 to be exact), all but 79 of which came in the second half. When the Cardinals absolutely had to play, Kyler delivered. This was Kyler at his best in the second half.

The pass to McBride for 37 yards set up the field goal that made it 13-10. 3rd-and-6 to Dortch for 8 yards, followed by a beautiful 22-yard TD strike to Marvin Harrison Jr. that made it 20-18. The 3rd-and-4 pass after a tremendous Miami blitz that he perfectly set up for Harrison Jr. for 16 yards, setting up the touchdown that brought Arizona to within 27-25.

Then, after a huge stop by the defense, Kyler took the lead at his own 11-yard line with 5:01 left and took it down the field for the game-winning field goal. After a holding penalty gave them first-and-20, he hit MHJ for 17 yards. On the drive, he got a first down on a 3rd-and-4 where he once again found a way to make players – especially Marcus Maye – miss shots.

This was the special Kyler Murray we expect. This win could very well give the Cardinals the No. 1 spot. The Dolphins season was definitely over. With Tua back, Miami absolutely had to win. But now they're 2-5 and there's no coming back from that. For Arizona, we plan to play meaningful football games in the second half of the season!

Kellan Olson, co-host of Arizona Sports at Night: This was the Kyler Murray game many of us have been waiting for. The Cardinals passing attack led to a win today. The defense was mostly poor, and while the running game was able to score some crucial runs, it wasn't the backbone of the offense. Murray was great throughout the game, finding a brilliant rhythm between short, medium and deep throws. The mix of that and his usual stellar work improvising and running was a feast for the eyes.

The potential of a wideout-tight end duo like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride finally came to fruition after eight games. Both reached the 100-yard mark, the first time in more than three years that Arizona had done so by a duo. Harrison finally seemed to find his rhythm and made some outstanding individual catches, making him look like a top-five pick. McBride has developed well in recent weeks and can undoubtedly be cemented as one of the best tight ends in football.

Murray had a relatively clean pocket to work on for most of the afternoon, including a few key completions when he had all day to throw. The offensive line continues to be the unsung hero of this team and it's hard to believe how well they continue to play despite the starters on the right side being out.

This was the first time since Week 2 of 2022 that a high-profile performance from Murray led the Cardinals to a win. Those were his late heroics in Las Vegas against the Raiders, and if you want a more complete effort rather than a second-half rush, you'll have to go back to 2021. Murray is more than capable of doing this a few times a year, aka establishing himself as a bona fide top-10 quarterback. We'll see if he can do more of that this year because this football team is going to need it.

Tyler Drake, Cardinals reporter and co-host of Cardinals corner Podcast:

Well, well, well.

After failing to pick up wins since 2021, the Cardinals did it with flying colors against the Dolphins. Despite a difficult first half, Arizona pulled ahead behind quarterback Kyler Murray, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride.

Do you know why the Cardinals were able to pull this off? Because they finally used Marvin Harrison Jr. in the second half! With a touchdown and 111 yards on six catches, the No. 4 overall pick lived up to his price tag for the second time this year.

Earlier this week, Harrison said his NFL start wasn't what he expected. I am sure that Sunday's performance fits this mold.

As for McBride, he celebrated National Tight Ends Day in style with nine catches for 124 yards. He continues to be the most consistent pass catcher Arizona has and continues to build his relationship with Murray.

Even with the win, there is still a lot to clear up. Chief among them were the persistent third-down deficits that continued to plague the Cardinals on both sides of the football for most of the game.

All eyes are now on the duel between Seattle and Buffalo. A Seahawks loss moves the Cardinals into first place in the West. Exciting times!

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