The Cardinals reached a milestone on Sunday. A rite of passage.

They are officially a good football team.

After a thrilling 28:27 away win over the Dolphins, the Cardinals have won consecutive games for the first time since 2021. They’re a .500 team suddenly competing for an NFC West title, a confident team entering a weak stretch of the schedule.

Continue. Dare to believe.

What makes this victory so special was their journey to victory and the maturity required. On a day in which the Dolphins held James Conner in a locker for nearly 60 minutes, the Cardinals found an alternative path. Kyler Murray played elite football and finally elevated a passing game that had previously been dominated by low-flying birds.

It started with Murray’s patience and progress. He’s clearly trying to use his quick reaction skills to better fit evolving routes. On Sunday, those efforts led to a real connection with prized freshman Marvin Harrison, who made six catches on seven targets, many of them spectacular and many of them crucial.

On a day where Conner was largely undone, the Cardinals produced two 100-yard receivers. Harrison played in MIA and was no longer MIA. His performance paired with rising star Trey McBride like the perfect bottle of wine.

The Cardinals won this game because of their resilience. They survived the emotional tsunami that came with the return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who carved up Arizona’s defense in the early going. And despite the appearance of a legitimate pass rush to test the concussion-prone quarterback…despite the Dolphins’ dominance in third-down conversions…the Cardinals continued to compete. They hit hard every time they had the chance. Budda Baker was hideous, as wild as I’ve seen him in years. And in the end it all paid off.

The Cardinals were trailing 27-18 in the fourth quarter when they decided to raise their flag. Harrison made a bold diving catch that was so improbable that it was initially ruled incomplete. After a touchdown, the Cardinals defense came to a crucial stop on demand and created pressure with two risky, timely and very smart blitzes. And then Murray led his team to a game-winning drive for the second time in as many weeks.

The ending was breathtaking and inspiring. Kicker Chad Ryland was carried on the shoulders of joyful teammates. Earlier in the day, his 57-yard field goal helped the team get three points from an unenviable 2nd-down-and-30 situation. His final kick was his third game-winning goal since joining the team and capped a drive in which the Cardinals fended off a damaging holding penalty.

It was a snapshot of a football team that had launched its star freshman, equalized its record and accomplished something very important on the road.

Reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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