Hjalte Froholdt could sense déjà vu when he walked into the huddle for Sunday's final drive.
Less than a week before, the Cardinals' offense had taken the ball at the end of the game and driven down for the game-winning field goal. With a chance to repeat the feat in Miami, the unit did it again.
"Chad's been coming in and killing it, so it's good to rely on him in the end," the center said. "Would love for them to not be that close again."
As time expired, Ryland gave the Cardinals the 28-27 victory over the Dolphins, Ryland's kick his second game-winning field goal in as many weeks. Up until Ryland's field goal, the Cardinals never held the lead. The Dolphins were in the driver seat for nearly 50 minutes, forcing the Cardinals to play from behind.
"There's resiliency in that locker room," coach Jonathan Gannon said. "They've been through some battles. It hasn't gone their way, but you keep doing the right things on a day-to-day basis and you are going to give yourself a chance to win, and that's what we're doing."
Sunday marked the Cardinals fourth win of the season, matching their win total of each of the previous two seasons. They did it while persevering through the injuries that continue to haunt the defense, including cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and defensive lineman Roy Lopez who were out this weekend.
It was also the third time this season the Cardinals entered the final quarter behind yet finished the game as victors. It's the most by any team in the NFL.
As the Cardinals sit in first place in the NFC West, it's a credit to the coaching staff and front office who have been the masterminds behind the team's development and next-man up mentality.
"(Gannon) will make you believe you can do anything," linebacker Kyzir White said on The Cardinals Locker Room Podcast. "He's a great leader."
While Gannon doesn't believe wins can carry over each week, he does think confidence is contagious.
"Our guys know if we have the ball at the end of the game, two minutes, one minute, three minutes, four minutes, we feel really good about operating and winning the game," Gannon said. "It's fun to watch that because I know that they're connected. They're playing for each other and they're doing everything in their power to win the game."
Which is why Froholdt and the offense didn't find the moment too big as they began the final drive. "This is the time now," he said of the team's thought process on the final possession.
With their backs against the wall, the Cardinals delivered in dramatic fashion. Starting at their own 11, the Cardinals held the ball for the final 5:01, covering 13 plays and 73 yards, fittingly led by the player that wears No. 1.
"I just knew when we got a chance at the end we were going to go score," quarterback Kyler Murray said. "That's the mentality. That's how I felt. I felt like I was in a groove. I felt we were in a groove. There was really nothing ... like when you're in that zone, there's really nothing that they can do."
In the fourth quarter, Murray completed 10 straight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. The offense put up its best performance since Week 2, with wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride both eclipsing 100 yards.
When the schedule was released, the first eight games were referred to as a gauntlet. Six of their eight opponents were in the playoffs this past season. But within a league where "any given Sunday" rarely disappoints, the Cardinals continue to believe in themselves.
"We're confident in our team and confident in our play callers as well," McBride said. "We know we're going to fight till the end, we're going to give it everything we've got and we're not going to quit. That's the main thing about us."
ROBINSON ON ROSTER
According to the NFL's official transaction page, the Cardinals activated defensive lineman Darius Robinson from Injured Reserve on Monday. There has been no official announcement from the team. Robinson reached the end of his three-week practice window this week.
