The Cardinals earn an MNF victory over the Chargers with a last-second kick

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Kyler Murray has done it again.

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback turned around Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers and shined as he broke free for a 44-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, bringing back memories of his 50-yard touchdown run in San Francisco woke up for two weeks. The run gave the Cardinals a 14-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, a lead that was eventually lost to Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker 15-14. But Murray's ability to direct Arizona's offense on a game-winning drive, control the clock and put his offense in good position led to a 17-15 victory after a game-winning 32-yard field goal by kicker Chad Ryland.

The win put Arizona in a two-way tie for second place in the NFC West, with a trip to Miami coming up this weekend. The win also helped Arizona bounce back from its embarrassing loss in Green Bay last week.

But it was Murray's run that sparked the sudden resurgence.

According to ESPN Research, he became the fourth quarterback since the merger to have multiple touchdown runs of 40 or more yards, joining Justin Fields in 2022, Michael Vick in 2002 and Steve McNair in 1998.

Most surprising performance: The Cardinals defense may have allowed Justin Herbert to throw for 349 yards, but it didn't allow him to throw a touchdown. Arizona had two huge stops on third down, one by rookie cornerback Max Melton and another by second-year defensive back Garrett Williams. Both contributed to the Chargers making four field goals. The Cardinals' pass rush was able to reach Herbert seven times for three sacks.

Worrying trend: Cardinals rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. finished the game with 21 yards on three catches, extending his streak of failing to reach 100 yards in a game to five. His catches came in the first, second and fourth quarters, continuing the trend of Harrison missing for entire quarters or longer. His six goals on Monday night were the third fewest in a game this season.

QB distribution: Murray didn't have an impressive game, throwing for 145 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 14-for-26 passing, but he made the plays when he needed to, like a touchdown run. And he controlled the offense while trying to buy time when needed. —Josh Weinfuss

Next game: at Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Quarterback Justin Herbert looked like Justin Herbert again, throwing for 349 yards and dismantling the Cardinals' defense with ease. And yet it wasn't enough for the Chargers.

Their defense, which had been one of the best against the run all season, faltered, allowing the Cardinals to gallop 178 yards, including a 44-yard run by Murray in the fourth quarter for a touchdown.

The Chargers never reached the end zone Monday night and relied on Dicker for five field goals. Their offense, which dominated local teams earlier in the season, is no longer dominant and the team has not scored in the fourth quarter since Week 1. It will be another week full of questions for this team and offensive coordinator Greg Roman about how to fix this offense and whether this team needs to make improvements at receiver.

Forecast for next week: Ladd McConkey has first 100-yard receiving game after struggling on Monday. The Chargers play the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, who have allowed the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL in their last three games. It could be a breakout game for McConkey, who had five catches for 45 yards on Monday night and who Herbert called one of his favorite targets.

Promising/Troubling Trend: Herbert has been sacked multiple times in the last four games. Herbert spent much of Sunday's game dealing with collapsing bags and throwing while a defensive lineman was wrapped around his waist or other body parts. He was sacked three times, the fourth game in a row that the opponent sacked him multiple times. That's a concerning statistic for an offensive line that boasts three first-round picks: left guard Zion Johnson, right tackle Joe Alt and left tackle Rashawn Slater.

Amazing statistics: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Herbert is the fastest player in NFL history with 1,700 completions. In a season where Herbert hit career lows in almost every category, he looked like the Herbert of old and set another record. The only player to reach 1,700 completions in fewer than 70 games is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who did so in 69 games. Herbert's 1,700. Career finish went to Will Dissly at 2:20 p.m. of the second quarter. —Kris Rhim

Next game: vs. New Orleans Saints (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)