MINNEAPOLIS — On Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals appeared to be in control for much of the game against the Minnesota Vikings, largely thanks to the impressive performance from quarterback Kyler Murray. However, in a surprising twist, the Vikings came back to score 17 points in their final three possessions, securing a narrow 23-22 victory. The responsibility for this collapse can be partly attributed to Murray’s play in the crucial moments of the match.
Arizona’s record fell to 6-6, placing them one game behind first-place Seattle in the NFC West. This defeat was their second consecutive loss after a strong four-game winning streak, setting the stage for an important home game against the Seahawks next week.
At the 4:37 mark of the third quarter, Murray delivered a 15-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr., putting the Cardinals ahead 19-6. Up until that point, Murray’s performance was stellar — completing 24 of 32 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, plus adding five carries for 40 yards.
The fourth quarter, however, proved to be a challenging period for Murray. His statistics dipped significantly, as he went 6 for 12 with 51 yards and tossed two interceptions, resulting in a disappointing passer rating of 21.9. After the Vikings responded to Harrison’s touchdown with one of their own, the Cardinals aimed to control the clock and extend their lead. Instead, just four plays into their drive, Murray’s throw was intercepted by Byron Murphy Jr. near the Vikings’ 32-yard line after he was flushed out of the pocket and attempted a hasty pass.
Murray later admitted, “I was trying to throw the ball away, so that’s on me,” acknowledging the impact of his earlier drives that stalled in the red zone during the first three quarters. The Vikings capitalized on the turnover, converting it into a field goal by John Parker Romo, narrowing Arizona’s lead to 19-16 with 11:08 still remaining in the game.
Murray briefly shifted momentum back in the Cardinals’ favor with a significant 66-yard drive that consumed over seven minutes of playtime. However, after reaching the Vikings’ 5-yard line, he was penalized for intentional grounding, contributing to a total of ten penalties against Arizona for 96 yards. Instead of a touchdown, Chad Ryland’s fifth field goal put the Cardinals ahead 22-16 with just 3:20 to go.
The Vikings responded decisively, with Sam Darnold orchestrating a nine-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Aaron Jones. With Romo’s successful extra point, Minnesota obtained their first lead of the game, leaving the Cardinals with 1:13 on the clock and all three timeouts to make a comeback.
Unfortunately for Arizona, Murray’s struggles persisted in these closing moments. On the second play of their drive, he was stripped of the ball by Minnesota’s Jonathan Greenard, who later commented on the play, “It just so happened that he cut back, and I was like, ‘Oh, perfect.’” Murray recovered for an 8-yard loss, marking the Vikings’ first sack of the match. A subsequent scramble only gained three yards, as Murray failed to get out of bounds, wasting precious time.
In the final moments of the game, Murray attempted to connect with Harrison along the sideline but was intercepted by Minnesota’s Shaq Griffin, sealing the game. This loss came on the heels of a previous week where Arizona’s four-game winning streak ended in a disappointing defeat to Seattle, where Murray also threw a critical interception returned for a touchdown.
Coach Jonathan Gannon remained supportive of his quarterback, stating, “I’m sure he’ll want some plays back, but I thought he made plays with his legs, the touchdown pass, a couple conversions in there. I thought he played well enough to win.”
