The Cardinals pulled off an upset over the Chargers on a walk-off Chad Ryland field goal in the second of two Monday night games in Week 7.
Here are five takeaways from Arizona’s 17-15 win.
What happens on ESPN+ stays on ESPN+
The NFL really made people pay extra money for this:
While we don’t have data to back this up, it certainly feels like games that air through non-traditional means are always up to tomfoolery.
Monday night’s ESPN+ exclusive was no different. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray threw an opening-drive interception to Chargers defensive lineman Teair Tart on a tipped pass, only for Tart to fumble the ball, giving Arizona the ball back.
Los Angeles fumbled a second time on its first offensive possession when wide receiver Jalen Reagor lost the football near the goal line after a 41-yard completion.
It was for the best that the NFL put the game behind a paywall. The fewer eyes on the Cardinals’ and Chargers’ misadventures, the better.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert needs help
Reagor’s fumble illustrated L.A.’s glaring lack of wide-receiver talent after the team parted ways with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams during the offseason.
Herbert was excellent in Monday’s loss, going 27-of-39 (69.2 percent) for 349 yards (8.9 yards per attempt). But as ESPN’s Bill Barnwell noted on social media, he’s largely working with a collection of talent that is both underwhelming and underperforming
As Herbert showed on this excellent pass to wide receiver Joshua Palmer, who did a great job getting both feet in bounds to secure the catch, he’s more than worth the investment of a top-flight wide receiver.
The Chargers could make a playoff run in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season, but not if the front office doesn’t add a wide receiver before the trade deadline.
Cardinals offense coordinator Drew Petzing confounds questionable playcalling
Arizona’s win masked one awful sequence from its second-year offensive coordinator.
Faced with a third-and-one in the second half, Petzing called consecutive quarterback sneaks with backup quarterback Clayton Tune. Both failed.
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert and ESPN’s Mina Kimes were among those unsure about the tactic afterward.
Cardinals running back James Conner had a successful day, finishing with 19 carries for 101 yards. He would have been a better option in the short-yardage situation, as would have been two Murray pass attempts.
Petzing either overthought the moment or didn’t think it through enough, and it could have cost Arizona the game.
Young Cardinals defenders stepping up
Despite allowing Herbert to throw for over 300 yards, Arizona’s defense allowed its second-fewest points of the season in the win.
Young defenders stood up, led by rookie cornerback Max Melton. He was second on the team with nine total tackles and timed a pass breakup perfectly to prevent a third-down conversion in the second quarter.
Second-year pro Dante Stills recorded his second sack of the season on a second-and-eight in the red zone in the third quarter, helping force the Chargers to settle for a field goal.
Arizona ranked 31st in scoring defense (26.8 points per game) a season ago and entered “Monday Night Football” ranked 29th in scoring defense this year despite allowing more points per game (27.2).
The unit remains a work in progress, as shown in blowout losses to the Commanders and Packers, but it’s a promising sign for Arizona that it’s getting meaningful contributions from its recent draft picks.
Are the Cardinals an NFC West contender?
As weird as that might sound, they’re only one game back of the Seahawks (4-3) for first and hold a tiebreaker over the 49ers (3-4) due to their come-from-behind 24-23 Week 5 win.
Arizona has one of the league’s best rushing offenses, which could be huge down the stretch. The Cardinals entered Monday night averaging 5.2 yards per attempt, the second-highest mark in the league, and averaged 6.2 yards per carry against the Chargers, rushing for 181 yards on 29 attempts.
Seattle ranks 27th in rush defense (146.1 yards allowed per game), while San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams have had brutal injury misfortune that’s left them weaker than in previous years.
It might not be the likeliest end to the Cardinals’ season, but an NFC West title is within their reach.