Cardinals burst the 49ers' dreams of a victory

Kyler Murray kicked off his day with an electrifying 50-yard touchdown run, celebrating by pointing to the end zone almost instantly after breaking through the line of scrimmage.

The game concluded with Murray orchestrating a drive that set up a field goal, ultimately watching from the sidelines as his team’s backup kicker and defense secured a thrilling finish. Chad Ryland successfully booted a 35-yard field goal with just 1:37 remaining, and Kyzir White sealed the deal with an interception off Brock Purdy, leading to a 24-23 comeback victory for the Arizona Cardinals over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

“I really didn’t like that I had to watch at the end,” Murray shared about being sidelined during the crucial moments. “I wanted to keep the ball and finish it ourselves, but that didn’t work out. Chad did an awesome job with the field goal, and the defense stepped up big time.”

Murray made significant contributions with a touchdown run, a touchdown pass, and a pivotal late-game drive, but he also had substantial support from his teammates. James Conner rushed for 86 yards and contributed to a 2-point conversion, while Marvin Harrison Jr. made a critical fourth-down catch that sparked the game-winning drive. The defense was impressive, shutting out the 49ers in the second half and forcing three turnovers.

This performance was a stark contrast to the previous week, where the Cardinals (2-3) suffered a heavy 42-14 defeat against Washington at home.

“Our goal was to make it to the fourth quarter with a shot at winning, and we achieved that,” commented coach Jonathan Gannon. “Last week's performance was not acceptable, and the players took that to heart.”

For the 49ers (2-3), this marked the second time this season they squandered a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter against a division rival, having previously done so against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.

In the past two seasons, San Francisco has lost only one divisional game while claiming NFC West titles, but they now find themselves 0-2 in the division this year, marking the sixth time they have lost a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter under coach Kyle Shanahan.

“All in all, we fell apart in the second half,” said All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. “We gave up too many yards, missed tackles, and didn’t execute properly.”

Murray finished the game with 195 passing yards, a touchdown, and added 82 rushing yards.

The 49ers had numerous opportunities but managed only one touchdown on six drives that reached the red zone. A pivotal moment came in the fourth quarter when Jordan Mason’s fumble was recovered by Mack Wilson at the 8-yard line, keeping Arizona within striking distance.

Murray led the pivotal drive, making a crucial 14-yard connection to Harrison while under pressure. The Cardinals then ran the ball five consecutive times to set up Ryland’s field goal, who had just joined the team this week to replace the injured Matt Prater.

“The locker room was electrified,” Gannon remarked. “Half the players didn’t even know him yet.”

Purdy completed 18 of 33 passes for 229 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception for the 49ers, who secured only one offensive touchdown— the other coming from a blocked field goal return.

The Cardinals started strong, forcing a quick three-and-out and then witnessing Murray’s stunning 50-yard touchdown run on just their second play. However, the 49ers dominated the remainder of the first half, with Purdy connecting with George Kittle for a 4-yard touchdown and Deommodore Lenoir returning a blocked field goal for a 61-yard touchdown, putting San Francisco ahead 23-10 at halftime.