My Take Gritty Courageous Cardinals Come

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Maybe we simply shouldnt be surprised anymore.Maybe we should can the COVID Cardinals moniker (as accurate San Francisco 49Ers Accessories  as it might be) and come up with something more fitting.Maybe Courageous Cardinals?Now, dont read this the wrong way. Yes, some might believe that courage shouldnt be used to describe athletes. Surely, what football players and all athletes do pales in comparison to those that put their lives on the line for our country each and every day. And many are being honored this week as we commemorate Veterans Day.However, in the vernacular of sports, has there been any team exhibiting more courage in the face of adversity than what the Cardinals have accomplished in the first nine weeks of the season?They have embodied that same next-man-up mentality that often sounds like a clich, but they live it by being a band of brothers on the field just as their counterparts do on foreign battlefields.Sunday in Santa Clara was so impre sive, its difficult to put into words.We thought Sunday in Cleveland three weeks ago might have been the worst po sible scenario for this team when linebacker Chandler Jones was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on the Tuesday before the game, and then defensive tackle Zach Allen landed on the list four days later.That was in combination with the revelation one day before traveling that head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterbacks coach Cam Turner had also tested positive. Insult was added to injury Sunday morning when nose tackle Corey Peters became unavailable because of a positive test.Then there was the Thursday against Green Bay when defensive end J.J. Watt was out with a shoulder injury along with second-string center Max Garcia Achilles, who was playing because Rodney Hudson was out with injuries to his ribs.Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins played only 15 snaps because of a hamstring i sue, and then quarterback Kyler Murray sprained his ankle late in what could have been a crushing lo s to Green  Joe Montana Hoodies Sweatshirts Bay.That offensive line has continued to take shots to the bow since the season opener when right tackle Kelvin Beachum left the game with injured ribs. But they battle and persevere while exhibiting the personality of their position coach Sean Kugler.With Garcia out against the Packers, Sean Harlow played center. Sunday, Garcia started at right guard against the 49ers, but eventually gave way to Josh Jones. Harlow ended up at left guard when Pugh left the game NFL San Francisco 49Ers Jersey  in the first quarter. At least Hudson was back at center.There was also the lo s of three a sistant coaches to COVID this week: special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers, running backs coach James Saxon and a sistant offensive line Brian Natkin.Oh, did I mention that running back Chase Edmonds suffered an ankle injury on his first carry of the game and didnt see the field again? Or that wide receiver A.J. Green went on the COVID-19 list Wednesday? Its hard to remember it all.Scroll to ContinueBut none of it seems to matter to this team.With Colt McCoy at quarterback, James Conner (without his position coach on the sideline), carrying the load at running back, the Cardinals stunned the 49ers 31-17, also thanks to linebacker Markus Goldens three sacks, three tackles for lo s and three quarterback hits.Jones finally broke the franchise record for career sacks and also added a tackle for lo s and two QB hits. Linebacker Jordan Hicks recovered two fumbles on punch-outs by  Bryant Young Jersey cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and linebacker Isaiah Simmons.After a punt the first time they had the ball, the team's next five po se sions ended with four touchdowns and a field goal.Meanwhile, McCoy played like the savvy veteran he is even though hes now started only 31 games in 12 seasons.He hit plays downfield, found checkdowns when there was pre sure while keeping his poise, and ran for several key first downs.Conner was a wrecking ball, totaling 173 yards from scrimmage (96 rushing, 77 receiving), while scoring three touchdowns. Heck, wide receiver Christian Kirk, who had six receptions for 91 yards including a 50-yarder, connected with wide receiver Antoine Wesley on a 33-yard pa s to the 1-yard line that led to a Conner score.Kirks pa ser rating of 118.8 was only slightly lower than McCoys 119.4.Most important, McCoy protected the ball with no interceptions and the Cardinals had no turnovers while forcing three takeaways. The 49ers rushed only 11 times for 39 yards.Leading 17-7 at halftime, the Cardinals needed only three plays and 1:27 to open the third quarter to move 72 yards with Conner scoring on a 45-yard play that began with a screen pa s from McCoy.The Cardinals have already won as many games as they did last season and they are 3-0 in the NFC West where they were 2-4 in 2020.On the road, where they are 5-0, they have scored at least 31 points in every game and have outscored those opponents 174-83. In their nine games, the Cardinals have allowed 64 points in the second half with only 23 in the fourth quarter.There are still  San Francisco 49Ers Pet Gear eight games to play, but its probably time to admit this team isnt a surprise. This is what they are.As McCoy said, We just had to circle the wagons and we came in here and found a way to win. I enjoy playing with these guys. Losing the way we did last week, (it was tough) having to sit on that. I've been on some teams who wouldn't have been able to handle how we handled it this week. And I'm proud to be part of this team.