Cardinals' Offensive Fireworks Inspire Hope for 2025

The Cardinals delivered the dominant offensive performance fans have been craving against the San Francisco 49ers.

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) catches a touchdown pass against San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals, though already eliminated from playoff contention, completed a sweep of their NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers at home on Sunday, winning by a score of 47-24 against their former quarterback in Joshua Dobbs.

In a season full of both hope and disappointment, it's hard to justify taking moral victories. A win in an inconsequential game provides little solace to Cardinals fans watching an Arizona-free playoff bracket.

But the Cardinals came into this game in a discouraging 1-5 slide. They needed a win, and they needed to find a way to jumpstart the offense. It might have been too little, too late, and it's valid to not place much stock into a week 18 contest, but there's plenty to glean from Sunday's win.

If this is a true look at the coming offense, there's at least a modicum of excitement to be had this off-season. Here's what went right for Arizona in week 18:

Kyler Murray

An aspect of the Cardinals that has been rightfully criticized was on full display of its high potential. Despite abysmal passing results through most of the second half of 2024, Kyler Murray and his pass-catchers put on a show in Week 18.

Murray was accurate, decisive and, most importantly, turnover-free. He completed 25 of 35 passes, throwing for 242 yards and four scores through the air. That's a season-high, and ties his career high for passing touchdowns in a game.

Murray was under heavy pressure to begin, but fell into a rhythm as the game progressed, finding his big playmakers in Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr.

It might have been against backups, but it's the type of robust passing output that fans and media have been looking for out of Murray. The question is consistency. Can Murray perform like this in tight games, in clutch situations, and more frequently than once in a blue moon?

That remains to be seen. His track record says otherwise, but it was an excellent performance by the 27-year-old signal-caller heading into the 2024 off-season.

Offensive Playmakers

With James Conner down, the Cardinals were forced to turn to a more pass-heavy attack. That didn't prevent a solid day on the ground, as Michael Carter delivered a respectable performance, and Arizona ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

But the true fireworks came in the passing attack. Though Murray played an outstanding game passing the ball, it was Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and, somehow, Greg Dortch that stole the show.

McBride continues to establish himself as a star in this league. He made seven receptions for 65 yards, was a menace with the ball in his hands, and brought down his second receiving touchdown in as many weeks, despite being held without one for 16 weeks.

Harrison looks to be gaining a firmer grasp on NFL play with each week. He hauled in five passes for 63 yards, but snagged a perfectly-placed end zone fade for a touchdown in one-on-one coverage. He was reliable, made plays with his hands rather than his body, and looked to be more locked in with Murray.

Greg Dortch saw some of his biggest action of the season. With Michael Wilson out due to injury, Dortch caught four passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first two-touchdown game of his career, and his utilization as a slot receiver showcased creativity on the part of offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.

Off-season momentum

But what was the point of all this, if the Cardinals are ultimately headed for their couches come Super Bowl time?

Well, as much as head coach Jonathan Gannon refuses to believe in momentum, the Cardinals were in desperate need of something--anything--to hold onto from this season.

With how poor they played down the stretch, it's easy to forget that this win doubles their 2023 win count. It's easy to forget the progress made, both defensively and offensively.

It hasn't looked pretty. Changes to the offensive scheme are needed. More talent is needed. But the Cardinals scored a season-high 47 points and established dominance over a rival. They needed this win, and the offensive explosiveness just as much as the fans did.

Sure, it's easy to point at it and say "well, it's only the 49ers' backups," or "it's a meaningless game, who cares?"

But that's exactly the point. The Cardinals aren't in the stage of their rebuilt to begin contending for playoff wins. What they should be able to do is beat up on bad teams in low-stakes environments. That's exactly what they did on Sunday.

It's valid to want to see these types of performances when the game matters - when playoffs are on the line. It's valid to want to see it more frequently. It's even valid to withhold faith that this team can find a way to contend in 2025.

But broken teams don't tend to perform this way at all, let alone when the lights are the brightest. The hope, however small, is that this is a glimpse of what is to come. It's not a guarantee, but it does serve as proof that a high ceiling can exist.

If the Cardinals can find a way to tap into this offense, with some added pieces on both sides of the ball and continued improvement, Arizona could truly turn the narrative of 2024's season to one of growth, rather than one of failure.