Football Sundays are back and in full swing. Although the stands may be empty this year, the product on the field did not disappoint. In Week 1 of the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals took on the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals have struggled the last few seasons keeping up with the other teams in the NFC West, but they came with something to prove in the first game of the year.
First Half
The San Francisco 49ers started the first quarter with a drive resulting in a field goal to start the game. The Arizona Cardinals first drive did not result in a score. In their second drive, the 49ers showed why they are yet again, Super Bowl contenders. Jimmy Garrapolo found Raheem Mostert for a 76-yard touchdown pass. San Francisco was off to a quick 10-0 lead, but Kyler Murray didn’t want to allow that lead to extend any farther. In the first quarter, Murray connected with Chase Edmonds for the first Arizona Cardinals touchdown of the season. The quarter ended 10-7.
Early in the second quarter, the 49ers found themselves in scoring position again. Inches away from the goal line on 4th down, 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan, made the decision to go for it. Perhaps a poor coaching choice because the Arizona Cardinals defense came through and prevented another score. The Cardinals found some momentum after the stop and drove downfield far enough for Zane Gonzalez to come out for a field goal attempt. Unfortunately, that’s all it was- an attempt. A miss for the kicker left the score at 10-7 halfway through the second quarter.
The San Francisco 49ers quickly found their way into Cardinals’ territory again in the second half of the quarter but were unable to convert that drive into a score. The Cardinals were scoreless the second quarter and Murray threw an interception late in the half. The 49ers turned that interception into a field goal to continue their lead, but the Cardinals answered right back with a drive resulting in a 56-yard field goal to end the half 13-10.
Second Half
The Arizona Cardinals found their way to scoring position again early in the third quarter. The Cardinals sent out their field goal unit to give Zane Gonzalez another attempt, which was missed again. The Cardinals would have had their first lead of the game if Gonzalez hadn’t missed two crucial field goals. The third quarter was slow and scoreless.
About 5 minutes into the fourth quarter, the Arizona Cardinals were working their way toward the red zone. On 2nd and 9, Kyler Murray ran for 22-yards for a Cardinals touchdown. Even more exciting for Cardinals fans, was the extra point that was made. The Cardinals got their first lead of the game at 17-13. On the next drive, the San Francisco 49ers made their way down the field rather quickly. San Francisco answered to the Arizona Cardinals with a touchdown of their own, taking the lead back with 20-17.
With the clock ticking, the Arizona Cardinals needed to make some plays and get the ball down field quickly, and boy did they. DeAndre Hopkins made a huge play to get the team in scoring position, which they did. The Cardinals got back on top 24-20 with less than 5 minutes remaining. The 49ers quickly drove the ball downfield in order to have a game winning drive. While they were able to get the ball in a good position with plenty of time to score, the 49ers were unable to score.
The Arizona Cardinals take a huge win against the defending NFC Champions, the San Francisco 49ers. Kyler Murray had an impressive game going 26/40 with 230 yards. Another player who had a massive game in a Cardinals uniform was DeAndre Hopkins, with 14 receptions for 151 yards. The Cardinals take a 1-0 record to start the NFL season. Kyler Murray and the rest of the Bird Gang take on The Washington Football Team next Sunday.
