Arizona Cardinals vs Chargers Match Player Stats
Arizona Cardinals vs Chargers Match Player Stats

Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Chargers Match Analysis: 2024-25 NFL Season

The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers met once during the 2024-25 NFL regular season, delivering a thrilling, low-scoring battle on October 21, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This article provides a detailed breakdown of the game, focusing on player stats, key moments, and team performance. The Cardinals edged out the Chargers 17-15, thanks to a game-winning field goal as time expired, highlighting standout performances from Kyler Murray and James Conner. Below, we analyze the game, ensuring accuracy and optimizing for people engaging.

Game Highlights

  • Sport: American Football
  • League: NFL (National Football League)
  • Matchup: Arizona Cardinals vs Chargers Match Player Stats
  • Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
  • Game Covered: October 21, 2024
  • Result: Cardinals 17, Chargers 15

Overview: Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 2024-25 NFL Season

The Arizona Cardinals secured a 17-15 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on October 21, 2024, in a Week 7 Monday Night Football game. Kyler Murray’s electrifying 44-yard touchdown run and James Conner’s all-around performance, including a 33-yard catch-and-run, set up Chad Ryland’s game-winning 32-yard field goal as time expired. The Chargers, led by Justin Herbert’s 349 passing yards, struggled to find the end zone, relying on five field goals from Cameron Dicker. Both teams battled turnovers and defensive stands, making this a game of critical plays and missed opportunities.

Game Breakdown: Arizona Cardinals 17, Los Angeles Chargers 15 (October 21, 2024)

Game Summary

The Cardinals (3-4) rallied to defeat the Chargers (3-3) 17-15 at State Farm Stadium, with 64,357 fans in attendance. Kyler Murray threw for 145 yards and one touchdown while rushing for a game-changing 44-yard score. James Conner contributed 101 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards, and a forced fumble. The Chargers’ offense, despite gaining 395 total yards, failed to score a touchdown, with Justin Herbert completing 27 of 39 passes for 349 yards. Cameron Dicker’s five field goals (59, 50, 28, 47, 40 yards) kept Los Angeles in the game, but two early fumbles and a stout Cardinals defense proved costly. A 15-yard penalty on the Chargers during Arizona’s final drive set up Ryland’s clutch kick.

Key Player Stats: Arizona Cardinals

  • Kyler Murray (QB): 14-for-26 passing (53.8%), 145 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 80.0 passer rating; 6 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD (44-yard run), 36 minutes, +2 +/-. Murray’s 44-yard TD run (14:26, Q4) gave Arizona a 14-9 lead, and his leadership on the final drive secured the win.
  • James Conner (RB): 19 rushes, 101 yards, 5.3 YPC; 2 receptions, 51 yards (33-yard catch), 1 forced fumble, 28 minutes, +3 +/-. Conner’s 33-yard reception (1:17, Q4) set up the game-winning field goal, and he stripped the ball from Teair Tart after an interception.
  • Trey McBride (TE): 5 receptions, 51 yards, 10 targets, 28 minutes, +2 +/-. McBride’s 4 catches for 39 yards in the first half kept drives alive.
  • Greg Dortch (WR): 1 reception, 5 yards, 1 TD, 3 targets, 20 minutes, +1 +/-. Dortch’s 5-yard TD catch (Q2) gave Arizona a 7-3 lead.
  • Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR): 3 receptions, 21 yards, 6 targets, 30 minutes, 0 +/-. Harrison’s dropped pass (Q4) was offset by a 15-yard penalty on the Chargers.
  • Michael Wilson (WR): 1 reception, 16 yards, 3 targets, 1 fumble recovery, 25 minutes, +1 +/-. Wilson recovered Conner’s forced fumble after Tart’s interception.
  • Defensive Standouts:
    • Naquan Jones (DT): 1 sack, 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 20 minutes, +2 +/-.
    • Ben Stille (DT): 1 sack, 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 18 minutes, +1 +/-.
    • Dante Stills (DT): 1 sack, 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 20 minutes, +2 +/-.
    • Starling Thomas V (CB): 1 forced fumble, 4 tackles, 1 pass defended, 30 minutes, +3 +/-. Thomas’ fumble forced on Jalen Reagor (Q1) prevented a Chargers TD.
    • Budda Baker (S): 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 35 minutes, +2 +/-. Baker’s tackling limited Chargers’ YAC.
  • Inactives: None reported; CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (neck) and LB Dennis Gardeck (knee) left during the game.

Team Stats: 46.2% 3rd-down conversion (6/13), 1/1 red-zone efficiency, 263 total yards (118 rushing, 145 passing), 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 16:04 TOP, 7 penalties for 50 yards, 17 points in the paint, 7 points off turnovers, 6 fastbreak points. The Cardinals’ defense and clutch plays were decisive.

Key Player Stats: Los Angeles Chargers

  • Justin Herbert (QB): 27-for-39 passing (69.2%), 349 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 97.1 passer rating; 2 rushes, 8 yards, 38 minutes, -2 +/-. Herbert’s 349 yards set a season high, but red-zone struggles (0/2) limited scoring.
  • Will Dissly (TE): 8 receptions, 81 yards, 11 targets, 30 minutes, -1 +/-. Dissly’s 6 catches for 59 yards in the first half kept drives alive.
  • Ladd McConkey (WR): 5 receptions, 46 yards, 8 targets, 28 minutes, -1 +/-. McConkey’s 25-yard catch (Q3) set up a field goal.
  • Simi Fehoko (WR): 3 receptions, 65 yards, 5 targets, 25 minutes, 0 +/-. Fehoko’s 25-yard catch (Q3) aided a scoring drive.
  • Jalen Reagor (WR): 2 receptions, 51 yards, 3 targets, 1 fumble, 20 minutes, -1 +/-. Reagor’s 42-yard gain (Q1) was nullified by a fumble in the end zone.
  • J.K. Dobbins (RB): 11 rushes, 25 yards, 2.3 YPC; 1 reception, 8 yards, 25 minutes, -2 +/-. Dobbins was limited by Arizona’s defensive line.
  • Cameron Dicker (K): 5/5 FG (59, 50, 28, 47, 40 yards), 15 points, 10 minutes, +1 +/-. Dicker’s 59-yarder tied a franchise record.
  • Defensive Standouts:
    • Denzel Perryman (LB): 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 30 minutes, -2 +/-. Perryman’s hit on Murray forced a brief exit.
    • Khalil Mack (LB): 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 pass defended, 1 INT, 35 minutes, -2 +/-. Mack’s deflection led to Tart’s interception.
    • Teair Tart (DT): 1 INT, 1 fumble, 3 tackles, 20 minutes, -1 +/-. Tart’s interception was negated by Conner’s forced fumble.
    • Daiyan Henley (LB): 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 35 minutes, -2 +/-. Henley led the team in tackles.
  • Inactives: OLB Joey Bosa (hip), TE Hayden Hurst (groin).

Team Stats: 36.4% 3rd-down conversion (4/11), 0/2 red-zone efficiency, 395 total yards (59 rushing, 336 passing), 1 sack, 2 fumbles lost, 1 INT thrown, 28:56 TOP, 6 penalties for 45 yards, 0 points in the paint, 0 points off turnovers, 3 fastbreak points. The Chargers’ fumbles and red-zone failures were costly.

Critical Moments

  • First Quarter (LAC 0, ARI 0): Arizona’s opening drive ended with Murray’s pass deflected by Khalil Mack and intercepted by Teair Tart, but Conner forced a fumble, recovered by Michael Wilson (10:45). The Chargers’ next drive saw Herbert hit Reagor for 42 yards, but Starling Thomas V forced a fumble at the 1-yard line, resulting in a touchback (8:30).
  • Second Quarter (ARI 7, LAC 6): Dicker’s 59-yard field goal (11:15) gave the Chargers a 3-0 lead. Murray’s 5-yard TD pass to Dortch (5:30) put Arizona up 7-3. Dicker’s 50-yard field goal (0:00) made it 7-6 at halftime.
  • Third Quarter (LAC 9, ARI 7): The Chargers stopped Clayton Tune on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 (2:15), leading to Dicker’s 28-yard field goal (0:43), giving Los Angeles a 9-7 lead.
  • Fourth Quarter (ARI 17, LAC 15): Murray’s 44-yard TD run (14:26) gave Arizona a 14-9 lead. Dicker’s 47-yard field goal (12:13) and 40-yard field goal (1:58) put the Chargers ahead 15-14. On Arizona’s final drive, a 15-yard penalty on Cam Hart for hitting Marvin Harrison Jr. (1:30) and Conner’s 33-yard reception (1:17) set up Ryland’s 32-yard field goal (0:02) for the 17-15 win.

Head-to-Head Analysis

Since 1970, the Chargers and Cardinals have played 15 regular-season games, with the Chargers leading 11-4, per The Football Database. The Chargers have scored 367 points to the Cardinals’ 277. In their last five meetings, the Chargers won four, averaging 23.6 PPG to Arizona’s 20.6 PPG, with a 60.0% ATS win percentage and 40.0% total points over percentage.

In the 2024-25 game, the Cardinals showcased:

  • Clutch Plays: Murray’s 44-yard TD run and Conner’s 33-yard catch flipped the game.
  • Defensive Resilience: Three sacks (Jones, Stille, Stills) and two forced fumbles (Conner, Thomas) limited the Chargers to 15 points despite 395 yards.
  • Red-Zone Efficiency: Arizona converted 1/1 red-zone trip, while the Chargers went 0/2.

The Chargers’ strengths included:

  • Passing Game: Herbert’s 349 yards and Dissly’s 81 receiving yards kept drives alive.
  • Kicking Precision: Dicker’s 5/5 field goals, including a 59-yarder, accounted for all points.
  • Defensive Pressure: Mack’s interception setup and Perryman’s tackles disrupted Arizona’s offense.

Standouts

Arizona Cardinals

  • James Conner: Game MVP with 101 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards, and a forced fumble, setting up the winning field goal.
  • Kyler Murray: 145 passing yards, 1 TD, 56 rushing yards, 1 TD, with a game-changing 44-yard run.
  • Starling Thomas V: Forced fumble on Reagor prevented a Chargers TD, a pivotal defensive play.

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Justin Herbert: 349 passing yards, season-high 27 completions, kept the game close despite no TDs.
  • Cameron Dicker: 5/5 field goals, including a 59-yard franchise-record tie, scored all 15 points.
  • Will Dissly: 8 receptions for 81 yards, a reliable target for Herbert.

Team Performance Context

Arizona Cardinals (3-4, 2nd in NFC West by October 21, 2024)
The Cardinals, at 3-4, showed improvement with a balanced attack (263 total yards) and a stout defense that held the Chargers to 59 rushing yards, well below their 112.7 YPG average. Conner’s leadership and Murray’s dual-threat ability were critical, but injuries to Sean Murphy-Bunting (neck) and Dennis Gardeck (knee) raised concerns. The win moved Arizona to 2-2 at home.

Los Angeles Chargers (3-3, 2nd in AFC West by October 21, 2024)
The Chargers, also 3-3, leaned on their top-ranked defense (allowing 13.8 PPG entering the game) but struggled offensively, failing to score a touchdown for 16 consecutive drives. Herbert’s 349 yards were offset by two fumbles and red-zone inefficiencies. Dicker’s kicking kept them competitive, but the absence of Joey Bosa (hip) and Hayden Hurst (groin) limited their depth.

Injury and Roster Notes

  • Arizona Cardinals: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (neck) left in the first half; LB Dennis Gardeck (knee) left in the third quarter. Marvin Harrison Jr. was active after clearing concussion protocol.
  • Los Angeles Chargers: OLB Joey Bosa (hip) and TE Hayden Hurst (groin) were inactive. No in-game injuries reported.

Conclusion

The Arizona Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 17-15 on October 21, 2024, in a tightly contested Monday Night Football game. Kyler Murray’s 44-yard touchdown run and James Conner’s 101 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards, and forced fumble powered Arizona, while Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal sealed the win. The Chargers, led by Justin Herbert’s 349 passing yards and Cameron Dicker’s five field goals, fell short due to two fumbles and red-zone struggles. The Cardinals’ defense and clutch plays proved decisive in a game defined by critical turnovers and defensive stands. For detailed stats and recaps, visit ESPN, NFL.com, CBS Sports, or USA TODAY.

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