Pardon as the Cardinals quietly conquer the NFC West

Escaping the San Francisco 49ers on the road Sunday means that the Arizona Cardinals remain undefeated in the NFC West.

Thanks to slumps by both the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, the 2-3 Arizona Cardinals are now finding new life as true NFC West contenders.

Trailing 23-13 in the fourth quarter Sunday, it was looking bleak for the Cardinals. Yet, somehow their rugged play on defense forced a crucial red-zone turnover that gave quarterback Kyler Murray another chance to win it, leading a game-winning drive ending in a 35-yard Chad Ryland field goal for a 24-23 win. 

Escaping the Niners on the road Sunday means that the Cardinals remain undefeated in their division. Remember, Arizona blasted the Los Angeles Rams in week two although the Washington Commanders made a mockery of their defense in week 4.

It’s been a very ambiguous start for Arizona but new found life on the defensive side of the ball may help them build the confidence needed to string together a few wins. 

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