The Cardinals were down 20-0 at halftime of Sunday’s game in Las Vegas and they were down 23-7 in the fourth quarter, but they won’t be leaving Nevada with an 0-2 record.
Kyler Murray played a terrific fourth quarter to force overtime with the score tied 23-23 and they wound up winning the game with their defense. Linebacker Isaiah Simmons forced Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow to fumble the ball and cornerback Byron Murphy returned the ball 59 yards for a game-winning touchdown.
There was a lengthy review of whether Murphy let go of the ball before crossing the goal line, but officials eventually confirmed that the Cardinals are heading home with a 29-23 win. The score allows them to join the Dolphins and Jets in authoring improbable comeback wins in Week Two.
Murray was just 6-of-9 for 53 yards at halftime, but he went 25-of-40 for 224 yards and a touchdown after the break. He also ran for a touchdown, scrambled for eons to convert a two-point conversion with his legs and hit A.J. Green in the back of the end zone for the game-tying two-pointer at the end of regulation.
The three Cardinals touchdown drives in the second half helped keep the Raiders off the field and they had a pair of three and outs when they did have the ball in their possession. They were still in position to win the game in overtime after safety Duron Harmon broke up a pass to Hollywood Brown on fourth down to kill the first Cardinals drive of the extra session.
Derek Carr hit Renfrow to move the team into field goal range, but the wideout nearly lost a fumble at the end of the play. Carr still went back to him two plays later and Simmons knocked the ball loose as Renfrow tried to pick up a few more yards for Daniel Carlson to use for an attempt to win the game with a field goal.
The Raiders are now 0-2 and they’ll try to win on the road against the Titans next weekend. The Cardinals will host the 1-1 Rams in an NFC West matchup.