Kyler Murray never lacked confidence. Even though the Arizona Cardinals were down two scores in the fourth quarter, he knew he could make the plays his team needed.
Murray drove the Cardinals into position for Chad Ryland’s game-winning field goal as time expired for the second week in a row. Arizona upset Tua Tagovailoa’s return from a concussion by defeating the Miami Dolphins 28-27 on Sunday.
“I like us,” Murray responded. “I want the ball in my hand. I want the ball in our hands. With the offensive players we have, as long as we keep on schedule and execute, I believe we can be one of the league’s greatest offenses.”
Murray led two scoring drives in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals rallied from a nine-point deficit. The first ended with a two-yard touchdown run by James Conner, which pulled Arizona within 27-25. The second was a methodical 13-play, 71-yard march that took 5:01 to finish with Ryland’s 34-yard attempt. A week ago, Ryland hit a 32-yard field goal on the final play to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers 17-15.
The Cardinals (4-4) won consecutive games for the first time since October 24, 2021. They had two receivers with 100 yards for the first time since A.J. Tagovailoa was relatively accurate, completing 28 out of 38 throws. He had a fumble on the first drive, which Miami recovered, and then a snap flew over his head in the third quarter, leading to a safety. “I would say I felt like myself,” Tagovailoa explained. “I’ve been preparing for five weeks as if I were to play while on IR, so it felt normal coming out there.”
Tagovailoa’s first pass was a 16-yard connection to fullback Alec Ingold on Miami’s first drive, culminating in a one-yard touchdown run by Raheem Mostert. The veteran also scored a touchdown run of six yards in the fourth quarter. Miami supporters applauded when Tagovailoa was introduced and yelled his name following the first touchdown drive. The loudest cheers came after Tagovailoa scrambled for a first down in the third quarter and slid to avoid being hit, which he did not do on the play when he was hurt in Week 2.
Tyreek Hill caught six catches for 72 yards, marking his first game with at least 70 yards receiving since Week 1. De’Von Achane carried for 97 yards and gained 50 yards receiving, including a 12-yard touchdown catch. It was the Dolphins’ highest-scoring game of the season; the previous high was 20 points in Week 1.
