GLENDALE, ARIZ. – The house was packed at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals took on their division rivals the San Francisco 49ers. Tension levels couldn’t have been raised any higher for the Cardinals fans as they watched in hopes that their team could accomplish the grossly anticipated expectancy. This game wasn’t a “must win” for the Cardinals, it was a “should win”. Gratefully, at the end of the day, the fans and their team were not disappointed. The Cardinals won the match-up against the 49ers 23-20, and for now in the wonderful world of Cardinals Land, everything is good.
“It’s over,” said coach Bruce Arians, after the game. “It’s over if you don’t win it at home. It really is. Now it’s where it needs to be.”
Arizona Cardinals Week Ten Takeaways
A Little About The Game
When the Cardinals led 14-0 into the second quarter, fans felt assured that the team would dominate this game and beat the 49ers handily, just as they should. But the 49ers had an answer and were able to keep the game close, actually throughout the entire game. At halftime the Cardinals were leading 20-10.
Quarterback for the 49ers, Colin Kaepernick, rallied his team for a win. By the end of the third quarter, the scoring gap had diminished to a 20-13 lead for the Cardinals. Into the fourth quarter, Kaepernick was able to continue the momentum swing for his offense and, with 1:55 left on the game clock, the game was tied 20-20.
Cardinals fans were concerned. A loss at this point in the season would be devastating to accept, and would surely dispel any possible hopes of their team making it into the post-season. Fortunately (maybe even luckily), quarterback Carson Palmer had enough at the end to march the Cardinals down the field one last time and set up kicker Chandler Catanzaro for the walk-off field goal. The Cardinals won, 23-20!
The 49ers did what they could to keep the Cardinals from winning this one. Desperation played a major role for the opposing team (actually for both teams), but at the end of the day it was the better team that won the game. Kaepernick finished the game 17-of-30 for 210 yards and a touchdown. With this loss, the 49ers (1-8) have now lost eight games in a row.
Palmer finished 30-of-49 for 376 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was targeted an incredible 18 times for 12 receptions and 133 yards. For the Cardinals (4-4-1), winning this game secures their position in the second place spot in the NFC West division, behind the Seattle Seahawks (6-2-1).
“You want to put teams away,” said Fitzgerald. “We have to learn how to do that.”
TAKEAWAYS FROM THE GAME
The Good
The “player of the game” honor goes to wide receiver Michael Floyd. With five receptions for 101 yards, Floyd had his first 100 yard game of the season. Fitzgerald, with his 133 yard day deserves the honor as well, but it was Floyd’s leaping 26-yard grab with seconds remaining on the game clock that truly secured the victory.
The Bad
The 49ers were supposed to have one of the worst run defenses in the league. What happened? Running back David Johnson was stymied throughout the game. Johnson averaged under three yards a carry, and finished the day with 19 attempts for 55 yards and a touchdown. Johnson was able to secure five receptions against the 49ers for 47 yards.
The Ugly
The ugliest and perhaps the most evaded term in the NFL handbook would have to be the word “turnover”. Most team losses are attributed mainly to the amount of turnovers accumulated in a game. Against the 49ers, the Cardinals had four. It is uncharacteristic for a team with four turnovers in four quarters of play, to win the game. The Cardinals dodged a bullet in this match-up, but the team must find a way to remedy their turnover situation before going any further. The team schedule for the remainder of the season second-half doesn’t get any easier. Next up, the Cardinals are on the road to face the 5-4 Minnesota Vikings.
