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Cardinals Edged Chargers in Thrilling Finish

The Arizona Cardinals secured a nail-biting victory over the Los Angeles Chargers with a last-minute field goal that culminated in a 17-15 score. The drama unfolded in Glendale, Arizona, where a contentious unnecessary roughness penalty played a crucial role in the game’s outcome.

As the game approached its final moments, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker successfully converted his fifth field goal, bringing the visitors ahead 15-14. With under two minutes on the clock, the Cardinals’ offense, led by quarterback Kyler Murray, swiftly took to the field, needing just a field goal to clinch the win and improve to a 3-4 record this season.

In the crucial sequence that followed, Murray connected with rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., but the ball was jostled loose amidst a hit from two Chargers defenders. The officials threw a flag, citing Chargers’ Cam Hart for unnecessary roughness, ruling that he made contact with Harrison in a way deemed unsafe given the receiver’s defenseless position.

This pivotal call turned the game in favor of the Cardinals, allowing them to advance from their own territory to midfield rather than facing a challenging third-and-10 on the Arizona 30-yard line. Upon review, though, the contact appeared less clear-cut, with Hart’s helmet grazing Harrison’s and him apparently attempting to lessen the impact by turning his shoulder. This ambiguity sparked outrage among NFL fans on social media, who expressed discontent over what many deemed an overly stringent interpretation of the rules.

“When did the NFL get so soft! SOFTEST unnecessary roughness call I’ve ever seen!” commented one user, while another remarked on the inconsistency of what constitutes unnecessary roughness in today’s game.

Regardless of the controversy, Arizona capitalized on their improved field position following the penalty. Running back James Conner then caught a pass from Murray and surged 33 yards, placing the Cardinals at the Chargers’ 22-yard line and setting up the game-winning field goal by Chad Ryland.

The Chargers’ struggles were not solely rooted in the officiating. They also suffered from misplays, including a forced fumble by Conner right after an interception on the opening drive, which the Cardinals managed to evade without yielding points. Additionally, the Chargers saw a promising 41-yard completion from quarterback Justin Herbert to Jalen Raegor thwarted by a fumble that the Cardinals ultimately recovered in the end zone, leading to a touchback.

Despite passing for a season-high 349 yards, Herbert and the Chargers struggled to finish drives in the end zone, relying heavily on Dicker’s foot instead of their offense finding the end zone. On the other side, Kyler Murray threw for 145 yards and rushed for 64, contributing significantly to Arizona’s offensive efforts. His highlight plays included finding tight end Greg Dortch for the game’s first touchdown and galloping for a 44-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving the Cardinals a brief lead.

The victory marks a critical moment for the Cardinals, who solidified their success after a tough start to the season, while the Chargers will need to regroup following this narrow defeat and address their missed opportunities as they remain at .500 for the year.

As the conversation surrounds the game’s pivotal calls, both teams will look to build on the lessons learned in this gripping encounter as they advance in the season.

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www.foxnews.com