Mission accomplished for Kyler Murray and Cardinals to shed recent history vs. Rams
Sep 15, 2024, 4:38 PM | Updated: 8:09 pm
This was no ordinary football game. This was a day to make history. A glorious day of new beginnings and second impressions.
The Cardinals turned the tables and a few pages on Sunday, smoking the Rams 41-10 at State Farm Stadium. For context, they had not beaten the Rams in Glendale since 2014, when their opponent still played football in St. Louis.
Rejoice. This is no longer the story of a hammer and a nail.
“When you play hard, when you play for each other, good things happen,” Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said.
Marvin Harrison Jr. shook off his shaky debut in Buffalo with a transcendent first quarter. Arizona’s prized rookie emerged with four catches, 130 yards and two touchdowns in the first 15 minutes. His first career touchdown was a toe-tapping masterpiece in the back of the end zone. His second was a deep throw off a perfectly designed play, allowing Harrison to traverse the field and finish with an ambitious leap into the end zone.
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The force-feeding of Harrison Jr. had profound effects. Giddy fans couldn’t help but wonder if they were watching a milestone in progress, the breakout game from their next Hall of Fame wide receiver.
Finally, Murray. His Houdini act in the first quarter was breathtaking stuff, worth the price of admission. His scrambling fireball of a touchdown pass to Elijah Higgins harkened back to his MVP candidacy in 2021. His overall performance was a powerful rebuttal to those who think Murray is not the answer in Arizona.
“He was lights out today,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said. “He’s a premium player for a reason. You take him against anybody. That’s how I feel.”
No argument there. The Cardinals had a 199-13 yardage advantage in the first quarter. Their 28-point lead early in the third quarter was their largest lead since Week 6 of the 2020 season. All of their stars were aligned, and all of their stars were contributors.
The Rams had issues. They were clearly compromised by injury. Their diminished offensive line was no match for the Cardinals, especially Dennis Gardeck (three sacks). But there will be no asterisks or caveats attached to this outcome, one of the most dominant displays at home in recent memory.
Cardinals sideline reporter Paul Calvisi coined a great phrase to describe the 2024 season, calling “September the new August.” Translation: For teams that put players in bubble wrap during the preseason, Week 1 is like a dress rehearsal and not to be trusted.
Their encore was much more promising, with so many victories inside a 60-minute game.
The Cardinals needed to prove they could beat the Rams. Gannon needed his first victory against an NFC West opponent. The team needed to reverse recent history and start winning a majority of their home games, reclaiming a home-field advantage at State Farm Stadium.
And before Murray regains his status as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, he must ascend in his own division, where he was 5-17 entering Sunday’s game. He responded with a perfect quarterback rating (158.3) along with 11.8 yards per rushing attempt.
With Rams great Aaron Donald enjoying his retirement, Murray suddenly looks like the best quarterback in the NFC West.
Missions accomplished. All of them.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6–10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
