THE STORY: SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Kyler Murray was still in full uniform as he climbed up on the dais to speak to the media on Sunday.
“I’m tired,” he said, quietly.
But the quarterback still had a small smile on his face. This weariness was a good exhaustion, the by-product of an emotional but joyous 24-23 comeback win over the defending NFC champion 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. There had been multiple times the outlook became bleak. But the Cardinals still found a way.
“(A win) does wonders for us,” Murray said.
It will be the last drive that sticks, a drive that only happened because linebacker Jesse Luketa – who hadn’t been active yet this season – stripped the ball loose inside the Cardinals 10. Fellow linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. fell on the ball, and what looked like a 49ers TD drive wasn’t.
Then came lots of James Conner, the bell cow getting the Cardinals (2-3) going. There was Marvin Harrison Jr., a non-factor much of the game pulling down a 14-yard catch on fourth-and-5 to keep hopes alive. There was Chad Ryland, a practice-squad kicker just signed this week because of Matt Prater’s injury, drilling a 35-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a one-point lead.
And then there was safety Jalen Thompson whacking 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on a blitz as Purdy threw, the ball floating in the air just long enough for linebacker Kyzir White to make a diving interception and seal the glorious result.
“My eyes got real wide,” White said. “That’s been something I’ve been trying to manifest all year.”
The celebration was big in the locker room.
“There was no panic,” said coach Jonathan Gannon, who himself looked weary but in a good way. The Cardinals – again – started so well. Forcing a three-and-out by the 49ers (3-2). Scoring themselves on their first drive, in just two plays. A 22-yard pass to tight end Trey McBride, and then Kyler Murray keeping on a read-option and streaking 50 yards untouched for a touchdown.
The play worked so well Murray was gesturing that he knew he would score at the San Francisco 44.
But the 49ers blocked a Ryland field-goal try in the first half for a touchdown, and defensive end Nick Bosa made a fabulous interception of a Murray screen pass to set up a field goal. It was 23-10 at halftime and Murray acknowledged “I was frustrated.”
The defense never cracked, however, pitching a second-half shutout to give the Cardinals a chance. Gannon was nearly giddy talking afterward of the defense’s work in the red zone – the 49ers were only 1-for-6 and was the difference in the game.
Other than Murray, the Cardinals’ run game wasn’t effective much of the day, but Conner loaded up. He finished with 86 yards on 19 carries and punished the 49ers on the last drive.
“That’s what we want,” Conner said. “My job is to put the ball in the right spot.
“If you stick with it, the game will reward you.”
The drive stalled, and Murray admitted “I hated it.” The idea had been to run the clock down so Ryland’s kick came on the final play.
But White and his defensive mates were there.
“Terrible performance last week, and we put that on the back burner,” White said. “We battled. We got punched in the mouth at times, but we kept punching back.”
