Whether the Cardinals can find a way to solve their protection problems long-term is yet to be determined, and the way Carson Palmer was whacked around much of Sunday was not what coach Bruce Arians wants to see.
But there the line was working in overtime, the Cards trailing the 49ers by three at University of Phoenix Stadium with a little more than two minutes left. The highlights will lead with the ageless Larry Fitzgerald leaping to high-point a game-winning 19-yard touchdown pass, or Palmer dealing his way down the field.
But somehow, Palmer wasn’t harassed like he had been the first four quarters, and that proved to be the difference in the 18-15 win.