The Arizona Cardinals kept the Los Angeles Chargers out of the endzone and used a last-second kick to win 17-15 on the ESPN+ exclusive version of “Monday Night Football.”
One look at the stat sheet and people would think Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert dominated the game after completing 27-of-39 passes for 349 yards against a defense that has been poor. But the Arizona defense changed the narrative by using the bend but don’t break mentality, not allowing a single touchdown on the night. The only damage Los Angeles could do came on the leg of Cameron Dicker, who made five field goals on the night.
The Cardinals offense has struggled in recent weeks, and it didn’t look much prettier in Week 7, but the unit converted key plays when needed. Quarterback Kyler Murray threw and ran for a touchdown, while running back James Connor was the X-factor of the night as he made critical plays that got Arizona down the field. Murray and Connor combined to run for 165 of the team’s 181 rushing yards.
Murray said on the ESPN broadcast it was a “must-win game,” and with the victory, they are in great position after a few sloppy weeks.
Now at 3-4, the win suddenly puts Arizona back in contention in the NFC West. The Cardinals are just one game behind the first-place Seattle Seahawks and have wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. On the other side, the Chargers fall to 3-3, their third loss in their last four games. The schedule is favorable in the coming weeks, but Los Angeles missed a golden opportunity to stay above .500.
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The loss is also a rare one for Jim Harbaugh. In his NFL coaching career, he was 6-0 on “Monday Night Football” games heading into the night. Now, he starts a business week with a defeat.
Chad Ryland had no problem drilling a 32-yard field goal as the clock expired to give the Cardinals a 17-15 victory over Los Angeles.
The Cardinals are setting up for a potential game-winning score.
Now down 15-14, Arizona used a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty and a 33-yard James Conner reception to get into Los Angeles territory, well into field goal range. Now the home team can control the clock to set up a game-winning field goal.
Los Angeles nearly went the entire length of the field, but instead added another field goal and now lead 15-14 with just under two minutes left.
The Chargers started at their own one-yard line, and Justin Herbert was methodical in getting Los Angeles into Arizona territory. The team even converted a fourth-and-one, but when faced with a fourth-and-four at the 22-yard line, the Chargers decided to send out Cameron Dicker for another field goal. He made a 40-yarder for his fifth make of the night to cap a 15-play drive that took more than seven minutes.
Cameron Dicker has done it all for Los Angeles, and he has trimmed the deficit to two points.
The drive got off to a great start, with Justin Herbert finding Stone Smartt for a 31-yard gain to get into Arizona territory. However, they weren’t able to move the chains again and had to send the field goal unit out. Dicker knocked in a 47-yard field goal for his fourth kick of the day.
Kyler Murray finally broke through.
Facing a deficit, the Arizona quarterback scrambled and turned on the jets for an electric 44-yard touchdown run in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Murray wasn’t touched on the big run and just like that, the Cardinals are back out in front.
Los Angeles still hasn’t found the endzone, but it now has the lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Chargers took advantage of the good field position thanks to Cameron Dicker making his third field goal of the game, the latest a chip shot 28-yarder. Los Angeles got in the redzone, but couldn’t do anything once it got there and had to settle for the field goal.
The right thumb of Justin Herbert could be causing the Chargers quarterback some issues.
The Los Angeles training staff was examining Herbert’s thumb on the sideline and he appeared to be in pain. Herbert hasn’t missed any action, but it is something to watch for in the second half.
The tush push is one of the most successful plays in the NFL when needed to get a few yards, but the Chargers didn’t let the Cardinals get a first down on back-to-back plays.
Clayton Tune tried the play on a third-and-one near midfield but didn’t get anything. The Cardinals tried the play again and it was unsuccessful, giving Los Angeles the ball in Arizona territory.
Cameron Dicker kicked a 50-yard field goal as the clock hit zero in the second quarter to make it a one-point game headed into halftime.
The touchdown drive from Arizona in the second quarter was its best drive of the day, but it hasn’t been able to produce much before or after it. Luckily, the defense has kept Los Angeles from scoring a touchdown, including the critical Chargers fumble in the endzone. Justin Herbert is having a solid day with 172 passing yards on 13 completions, but the ground game has been limited to just 25 yards.
Kyler Murray is 9-for-16 with 74 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
What a way to get the two tip-toes in.
On the final drive of the first half, Justin Herbert found Joshua Palmer down the sideline and the receiver managed to get both feet in for a 24-yard gain.
After a stagnant start, Arizona put up its best drive of the day for a touchdown to take the lead over Los Angeles.
It was a 10 play, 79-yard drive that included Kyler Murray missing a play due to an injury and a fumble Arizona was able to recover. On the final play, Murray found Greg Dortch just beyond the goal line for a five-yard touchdown pass.
The drive was mostly carried by James Connor, who accounted for 43 of the yards.
The first points of the night tied some Chargers history.
Kicker Cameron Dicker had no problems making a 59-yard field goal to make it a 3-0 Los Angeles lead. The field goal also tied the longest field goal in franchise history, first set by Michael Badgley in 2018.
The scoreboard didn’t move in the first quarter thanks to two punts from Arizona and two fumbles from the Chargers.
Los Angeles’ offense has looked much more crisp early. Justin Herbert 6-for-6 with 101 passing yards, but the fumble into the endzone ended the scoring chance on the first offensive drive. The Chargers have the ball near midfield to open the second quarter.
Los Angeles is having a tough time holding onto the ball, and it just cost them a touchdown.
Justin Herbert launched a deep-ball to a wide open Jalen Reagor just a few yards from the goal line. But as he made his way toward the endzone, it got punched out by Arizona’s Starling Thomas V, and it bounced right past the goal line and out of bounds, resulting in a touchback and Cardinals’ ball.
That’s now two fumbles on the day already for Los Angeles.
The Chargers had the ball, and then they didn’t.
On the opening drive of the game, defensive tackle Teair Tart picked off Kyler Murray and appeared to give his team the ball. However, a few moments later, Cardinals running back James Connor punched the ball out of Tart’s hands and it rolled down the field. It was eventually recovered by Michael Wilson to give Arizona the ball back. It means first down for the Cardinals – but 31 yards back from where the wild play began.
The Cardinals vs. Chargers matchup is the second of two “MNF” games in Week 7, following the Buccaneers vs. the Ravens. It will kick off at 9 p.m. ET.
ESPN+, the streaming service, is the broadcast home of “Monday Night Football” in Week 7. Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky (color commentary) fill out the booth. Laura Rutledge will provide sideline reports.
ESPN’s popular alternate broadcast, the “ManningCast” returns. The two former NFL quarterbacks will have double duty with both matchups on Monday.
The Cardinals and Chargers matchup will not be aired on national television. The game will only be available for streaming on ESPN+. This game is the first-ever exclusive NFL game for ESPN’s streaming service.
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Bosa is dealing with a hip injury and didn’t participate in practice ahead of Week 7. The Chargers listed him as “doubtful” for the game, making him unlikely to see the field.
Johnston did not practice at all ahead of Week 7 as he deals with an ankle injury. Like Bosa, Johnston is listed as “doubtful” for the contest and isn’t expected to play.
Harrison landed on the injury report after exiting the Cardinals’ Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers with a concussion. The rookie first-rounder cleared concussion protocol ahead of his Week 7 game, which will allow him to suit up against the Chargers.
Monday looks like a beautiful day in Phoenix, with a high of 87 degrees and a low of 63. There is no chance of precipitation and a 5 mph wind will blow during the day.
Of course, none of this will matter for the Cardinals and Chargers. They’ll play inside of Arizona’s domed stadium in a climate-controlled environment.
The Chargers are favorites to defeat the Cardinals, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
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The Chargers enter their Week 7 matchup against the Cardinals as one of three teams in the AFC West with a winning record. Here’s a look at how the division standings stack up entering “Monday Night Football”:
The Cardinals need a win in Week 7 to avoid falling to last place in the NFC West. Below is a look at the division’s pecking order ahead of “Monday Night Football.”
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Week 7 “MNF” matchup between the Chargers and Cardinals will shape up:
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The Chargers have already had their bye, so they have 11 games remaining in their 2024 season, including Monday night’s matchup against the Chargers. Four of those contests will be against AFC West teams.
The Cardinals have 10 games left on their schedule including Monday night’s matchup against the Chargers. Four of those contests will be against NFC West teams.
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