To borrow a quote from the Kurt Russell during his portrayal of the late Herb Brooks in the 2004 movie Miracle, "Great moments are born from great opportunity."
There were definitely opportunities to be had in San Francisco with Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins declared out before game started, and after losing Chase Edmonds early in the first quarter.
"It's a battle of attrition once you hit the second part of the season. You just have to find a way," said coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Find a way they did. Not only did James Conner continue his torrid pace with 173 total yards and 3 touchdowns, but third-string running back Eno Benjamin put a thunderous touchdown run on tape. Benjamin's touchdown also resulted in him being named 'Angry Run of the Week' on Good Morning Football on Tuesday morning. I know what you're thinking and yes, we will have photos of Eno holding the scepter when it arrives this week.
"Everyone on this team feels like they can get on the field and do something for this team. It's easy to say it, but when guys get those opportunities and step up, it's been huge for us," said D.J. Humphries.
Speaking of stepping up, can we all take a moment to appreciate Colt McCoy? The man stepped in for one of the most dynamic playmakers in the National Football League, and the offense didn't miss a beat. McCoy threw for 249 yards and a touchdown, and even showed off his wheels when a first down was needed.
"I got pretty locked in. Sometimes I have to remind myself to smile," McCoy said. "Even when we were up big, I was not ready to let up on the gas."
Chandler Jones also hit a momentous milestone on Sunday, passing the late Freddie Joe Nunn for the most sacks in Cardinals history. After the record-breaking sack, Jones paid homage to Nunn by pulling up his jersey to reveal a T-shirt with 'Rest in Peace, Freddie Joe Nunn' emblazoned on the front.
"That sack was for Freddie Joe Nunn," Chandler Jones said. "All of my respect to him and his family."
While this win felt great for a short-handed Cardinals team, their focus is already on the next game and continually proving the doubters wrong.
"Although our record and our rankings say otherwise, we still feel like we're still the underdogs," said Christian Kirk.
1-0 every day.
