Cardinals drop MNF win over Chargers

The Arizona Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 17-15 in a back-and-forth Monday Night Football game.

This is how our moderators and editors see it Arizona Sports take on the Cardinals, move to 3-4 this season and keep up with a confusing NFC West.

Luke Lapinski, co-host of Wolf & Luke: Kyler Murray called it an ugly win. And that was it.

The offense still doesn't look right. There is no way around it. Except James Conner, of course. Conner had 152 total yards while the rest of the Cardinals combined for 174 yards. Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. — who had five catches in October — still don't appear to be on the same page. And there were a lot of drives in Arizona tonight that went nowhere.

But the problem is: when you win, you forget everything.

Sure, these things still need to be worked on. But it is always better to learn from a victory than from a defeat. The Cardinals were far from perfect tonight, but they are dangerous against teams like the Chargers, who like to play close, low-scoring games because they have playmakers. They may not be consistent on offense yet, but Kyler can rip off a 44-yard touchdown run at any time. Or a 50-yarder like against the Niners. Or he can beat Marv through the air for 130 yards and two scores in a quarter, like he did against the Rams. And these moments are crucial in games like this, where offense is at the forefront.

However, we'll bury the lede here. The story tonight was the defense. That side of the ball has been decimated by injuries, but it has completely shut down the Chargers' rushing attack. Jim Harbaugh's group has built an identity based on being physical and playing the ball tirelessly. In the fourth quarter, however, they gave up on it completely. Maybe they would do things differently if they could return, but Arizona's defense basically gave them no other choice.

The Cardinals forced two turnovers against a team that had only turned the ball over twice in all of 2024. And Arizona never allowed a touchdown in this one. For the second time in three weeks, defense was the catalyst for a win. You can't just overlook this.

Suddenly the Cardinals are just one game out of first place in the wide-open NFC West. And yes, they're still just 5-20 in their last 25 home games, but they're now 2-2 in their last four. This is an improvement and means something if your fan base wants to get involved.

They are also 3-0 against California State this season. So maybe we can get the Dolphins to move to Bakersfield before Sunday.

Dave Burns, co-host of Burns & Gambo: I knew James Conner was capable of such a feat. We've seen it before and maybe we'll see it again. For me, however, it was the physicality of the defense that almost stole the show. No one will ever mistake the Chargers for a light offense, but Justin Herbert is a very capable NFL quarterback who just had a very tough day at the office. He made the yards, but it often came with a price. Dismissed three times. Numerous others put under pressure. His hasty attack was taken away from him. Herbert did everything he could to get a win, but too many field goals doomed the Chargers. And the Cardinals defensive line deserves an ice bath tonight.

But this night belonged to Conner. His tackle-break-and-run in the fourth quarter was the highlight of the game, saving an offense that appears to be more of a one-hit wonder than any of us could have imagined. The dynamic passing game is missing. Marvin Harrison Jr. had a stunning drop just before he was saved by a personal foul.

Figuring out when (and how) to attempt fourth down was an adventure. And aside from his game-changing run, the Cards' offense under Kyler Murray continues to shock and baffle because it looks so toothless. Granted, that's a league-leading defense they're up against right now. But too often, this violation leaves us wondering when the pieces will fit together the way we all imagined before the season began. Drew Petzing needs to figure things out because right now the cards are surviving rather than thriving. For them to truly be in contention for a postseason spot, the offense has to take the lead.

Kevin Zimmerman, Editor-in-Chief of ArizonaSports.com: The Chargers came into the game with a resume that said they would give it their all, create problems on defense and be lucky to find juice in the passing game.

Jim Harbaugh's team has done this against a number of previous opponents with questionable offenses, and that should be taken into account by all Cardinals fans who are calling this a momentum shift in the season. However, you don't make excuses for winning, and Arizona did it by stuffing the run despite having a number of defensive front seven players behind and capitalizing on the few offensive opportunities it had.

It helped that they got a few forced fumbles early on to negate a few mistakes. Above all, the win showed once again that the Cardinals can be dangerous against any opponent if they get the game going. This just needs to be consistent for their season to really go in the right direction.

Kellan Olson, co-host of Arizona sports at night: They all count the same, right?

The Cardinals did enough to win this football game. Conner had one of the Cardinals' best individual performances in recent years, the run defense was great, and there were enough plays made elsewhere to top it off. At least a six-point swing on two forced fumbles by the Cardinals decided this one – and kudos to Michael Wilson, who stayed in the game during Conner's punchout to recover that ball.

Herbert was great in this game considering the limitations around him, a non-existent running game that his offense relied on and a pass-catching group that required identification on almost every reception. But he wasn't able to make a game-winning play on his own, which Murray did exactly on his touchdown run.

This wasn't a season-changing win, either in the outcome or in the manner in which the Cardinals achieved it. Marvin Harrison Jr. continues to be a non-factor, the pass rush had its moments but also allowed Herbert a ridiculous amount of time to throw, a questionable, unnecessary roughing call probably saved the Cardinals, and their overall passing game was outscored 336-145. But they kept the season alive, and that deserves credit.

Mitch Vareldzis, co-host of Arizona sports at night: There was Phew-Lenty that could have gone wrong tonight. Remember catching the first drive? How about James Conner's fumble? Herbert burns the Cardinals through the air with the help of Will Dissly?

But you know what? A lot went to the Cardinals!

A defense that silenced the Chargers' rushing attack. An offense that held the ball long enough to keep the Chargers from having too many opportunities. NO TOUCHDOWNS ALLOWED. And just enough Murray magic for a miraculous win on Monday night!

I won't discount the things I didn't like about today's win compared to my reaction to their win over the 49ers. But I won't diminish the importance of a win like tonight. With everything happening with injuries to the 49ers and Rams, this is still an open division for the Cardinals if they can just string together some consistent performances.

The next three weeks are HUGE! With the dolphins. Home game against the Bears. Home game against the Jets.

Is a 2:1 too much to ask? Can you go into your bye week 5-5?

And then did you see who comes after you say goodbye?

I don't want to be that guy, but the crucial point of the season has arrived! A win tonight was a great first step!

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