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CARDS WIN! 3 big takeaways from the Cardinals' victory over the San Francisco 49ers

Posted at 8:32 PM, Oct 06, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-07 00:14:08-04

On a must-win night, the Arizona Cardinals' stars stepped up in Santa Clara.

The Cards (2-3) avoided a three-game losing streak by beating the San Francisco 49ers (1-4) 31-21 on Thursday Night Football behind two touchdowns apiece from Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson and a decisive plus-3 turnover margin.

Here are three big takeaways from the Cardinals' much-needed victory.

1. Stanton feeds Fitz.

As predicted, Drew Stanton wasn't especially good Thursday night (11 of 28, 124 yards). Fortunately, he didn't have to be thanks to his beast of a running back (see below) and the ability to throw to one of the best receivers of all-time.

Stanton connected with Larry Fitzgerald early and often against the 49ers: six catches, 81 yards and two touchdowns. Fitz was so excited after his second score that he barreled over his own teammate.

With his two touchdowns, Fitzgerald passed Vikings running back Adrian Peterson for 19th on the all-time touchdown list. Like a fine wine, the 33-year-old Fitz only seems to get better with age.

2. David Johnson is still very good.

The 49ers came into Thursday's game as the NFL's worst team against the run. David Johnson is one of the NFL's best running backs.

Advantage: Cardinals.

The second-year pro did pretty much what you'd expect he'd do to the 49ers on Thursday, rushing for an NFL season-best 157 yards on 27 carries and while catching three passes for 28 yards. He now leads the NFL in rushing yards and padded his lead in total yards from scrimmage.

3. Silence is Golden.

Defensively, the Cardinals set the tone at the line of scrimmage by making Blaine Gabbert's life miserable. The 49ers quarterback threw a pair of interceptions and was sacked seven times, including twice by linebacker Markus Golden, who silenced the 49ers crowd more than once Thursday night.

The Cardinals' second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft (David Johnson was their third-round pick that season) now leads the NFL in sacks with six on the season, and he has at least one in every game the Cardinals have played this year.

Not to be outdone, defensive lineman Calais Campbell recorded a pair of sacks of his own, including a safety with less than two minutes to play to put icing on the Cards' cake. He also had an interception late in the first half to change the tone of the game.

 

1. Stanton feeds Fitz.

As predicted, Drew Stanton wasn't especially good Thursday night. Fortunately, he didn't have to be thanks to his beast of a running back (see below) and one of the best receivers of all-time.

Stanton connected with Larry Fitzgerald early and often against the 49ers: six catches, 81 yards and two touchdowns. Fitz was so excited after his second score that he barreled over his own teammate.

With his two touchdowns, Fitzgerald passed Vikings running back Adrian Peterson for 19th on the all-time touchdown list. Like a fine wine, the 33-year-old Fitz only seems to get better with age.

2. David Johnson is still very good.

The 49ers came into Thursday's game as the NFL's worst team against the run. David Johnson came in as one of the NFL's best running backs.

Advantage: Cardinals.

The second-year pro did pretty much what you'd expect he'd do to the 49ers on Thursday, __________. He now leads the NFL in rushing yards and padded his lead in total yards from scrimmage.