THE STORY: MIAMI – The offense was finally what the Cardinals thought it should be when Kyler Murray was healthy and Marvin Harrison Jr. was drafted and Trey McBride took his place as one of the game's best.

Production rarely lasted seven weeks. But on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, it was all, and the Cardinals knew it after another dramatic rally, this time ending in a 28-27 victory over the Dolphins.

“It feels great,” Harrison said with a smile and a “that’s a relief” tone after Chad Ryland hit a 34-yard field goal on the final play.

“Hell, if we have a chance to score at the end of a game and a chance to win, then I like us,” Murray said. “I want the ball in my hands. I want the ball in our hands.”

The Cardinals (4-4) have won two games in a row for the first time since 2021. And with the Seahawks losing to the Bills on Sunday, the Cards are tied for first place in the NFC West and have reached the halfway point in the season tiebreaker.

Murray waved his hand. “For me, there is no complacency,” noting that he was 7-0 previously – in the 2021 season – and that led to nothing in the postseason. Jonathan Gannon had a similar reaction.

But that didn't mean there wasn't joy (and a winning Monday for the players) in the win over the Dolphins (2-5) – who were clearly experiencing an emotional boost with the return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

On National Tight Ends Day, McBride led the Cardinals with 124 yards and nine catches. Harrison was great, catching six passes for 111 yards, including a fingertip touchdown and a crucial third-down diving catch in the fourth quarter that required a Gannon challenge flag to be knocked down after a call of incomplete.

Murray threw for 307 yards, his first 300-yard passing game since completing it on Oct. 30, 2022, against the Vikings in Minnesota.

Murray reminded people that while the Cardinals want to run (and have struggled with that, gaining just 82 yards on 26 carries), their passing game should and will be strong. Doing it against the NFL's No. 1 pass defense made it even more special.

“It’s good to feel like we can be explosive,” Murray said.

Harrison's struggles and the passing game were well-documented – “It's hard not to hear it,” Murray admitted – but the rookie was spectacular when they needed him on Sunday. The diving catch was reminiscent of Larry Fitzgerald's game-saving diving catch in Green Bay in 2018 and he was disappointed that it needed review.

“I knew I caught the ball,” Harrison said.

Gannon also didn't feel like talking about what Harrison had or hadn't done.

“There is no panic. Don’t panic,” the coach said about his newcomer. “He will be a big player for us. He Is a big player for us.

The same goes for Ryland, who has now made game-winning field goals in the fourth quarter in three of the four games he has played in for the Cardinals – two on the final play of the game.

The final drive began at the Arizona 11 after the Cardinals' defense forced a crucial punt. Although the Dolphins had a season-high 27 points and Tua completed 28 of 38 for 234 yards and a touchdown, receivers Jalen Waddle and Tyreek Hill essentially played no role.

“Our goal was to stop '17' and '10,'” said safety Budda Baker.

From there, Murray was a conductor, hitting McBride for 17 yards on the third and fourth and sprinting for seven yards on the third and fourth, ensuring the Dolphins wouldn't get the ball back.

Murray finished the game with ten straight passes and was not sacked for a third straight time.

The Cardinals come home for two straight games before the bye, against the Bears and Jets. If they unlocked the offense permanently, it would change the season.

“I don’t think the wins carry over,” Gannon said. “But confidence does.”