PHX Reporter

The Arizona Cardinals staged a remarkable comeback on Sunday, overcoming a 23-10 deficit at halftime to secure a narrow 24-23 victory against the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals' defense played a pivotal role in the second half, shutting out the 49ers and forcing crucial turnovers.

"It definitely felt like a boxing match," said linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. reflecting on the game. "They had the upper hand the whole game it felt like. Second half, we come out and throw some punches and we just kept throwing punches and we came out on top."

This marked the second time in three weeks that the Cardinals managed to prevent their opponents from scoring in the second half. The 49ers' offensive efforts were thwarted by Wilson's interception, a turnover on downs, Wilson's fumble recovery, and Kyzir White's game-sealing interception.

"The guys really came out firing in the second half," defensive coordinator Nick Rallis stated. "It started with the takeaway early, helped get us rolling. We executed well and the players made plays."

Wilson was instrumental throughout Sunday's game with six tackles and two takeaways. His interception brought back memories of his college days at Alabama.

"Back in my college days, when I was at Alabama, I had a lot of diving interceptions," Wilson remarked. "Once I saw the ball in the air, I had flashbacks of some of those moments, honestly."

The fumble recovery came after linebacker Jesse Luketa forced it during his season debut.

"Jesse told us 'I'm going to punch it out,'" Wilson shared. "He does it at practice all the time, so for him to do it, I wasn't surprised."

Despite allowing 23 points in the first half, the Cardinals' defense managed to disrupt 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy significantly throughout the game.

"I think coverage had a hand in that," coach Jonathan Gannon noted. "We gave them some different looks, but rush and coverage go together. The guys did a good job."

Wilson expressed satisfaction with his role on the team since joining as a sixth-year linebacker.

"I wouldn't change nothing, honestly," he said. "We're sitting at 2-3, and I still feel like we've got a hell of a football team."

In other team news, offensive tackle Charlie Heck has been signed to the active roster following right guard Will Hernandez being placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season.