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The Cardinals team that surprised many doesn’t appear to be particularly close

Vaseline September 30, 2024

GLENDALE, Ariz. – On their first possession of the second half, the Arizona Cardinals lined up at their 30-yard line, trying to get back into a game that was already slipping away.

What happened next increased their misery. The Cardinals were flagged for holding their first two plays. Receiver Michael Wilson couldn’t hold on to an underthrown pass on the third. Quarterback Kyler Murray was sacked on fourth down.

A play later, Murray and the offense jogged to the sideline as the punt team took the field. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing waited for Murray. The home fans at State Farm Stadium booed, a fitting response to Sunday’s dismal 42-14 loss to the Washington Commanders.

Through four seasons, two as defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles and two as head coach of the Cardinals, Jonathan Gannon had never been part of a more lopsided defeat. “This competition is very humiliating,” he said. “We are humiliated today.”

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This matchup was not lacking in storylines. Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury returned to State Farm Stadium, where he coached the Cardinals from 2019 to 2022. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels returned to Arizona, where he played three seasons for Arizona State before transferring to LSU.

But the biggest takeaway from the scene was something else entirely. That an Arizona team that many wanted to surprise doesn’t seem particularly close. On September 15, the Cardinals dispatched a beaten-up Los Angeles Rams team in a way that suggested they might be ready. Two weeks later they were stumped against the Commanders, playing goalless and falling to 1-3 with trips to San Francisco and Green Bay on the horizon.

“We didn’t give ourselves a chance to win the game,” Gannon said.

It’s too early to suggest a season is in jeopardy, but after Detroit played hard in a Week 3 home loss, Sunday was a huge step back for an organization that can’t afford one. The Cardinals don’t need to win every Sunday, but they need to keep building, stay competitive and give themselves a chance. This was nothing of the sort. For the second week in a row they scored during their opening stage. They got to work for the second week in a row.

Other than running back James Conner, who rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, the offense accomplished little. Against one of the worst pass defenses in the league, Murray completed 16 of 22 for 142 yards and a touchdown. The addition of Marvin Harrison Jr., the fourth pick in April’s NFL Draft, would provide offensive options, giving Arizona a deep threat. With the exception of one quarter against the Rams, that’s not the case.

In Sunday’s loss, the Cardinals targeted Harrison four times in the first quarter and then again in the second half, which has been a season-long theme. The rookie receiver finished with five catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. For the second straight week, the Cardinals, playing without the injured Trey McBride, struggled on third down and failed to find a rhythm, converting 4 of 11.

“There’s really no excuse,” Wilson said. “(We’re) just not executing enough as a whole offense. Receivers, quarterback, run game, offensive line, just not executing enough.

Kyler Murray threw for a season-low 142 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Commanders, the Cardinals’ third loss in four games to start the season. (Normzaal / Getty Images)

Murray said: “We have to be able to stay on the pitch. That will take a lot of pressure off the defense. We all work together. “If you can’t stay on the field on third down, the defense is always on the field, they get exhausted.”

That became clear early in the fourth quarter. With a 27-14 lead, Washington moved into Arizona territory, but then stopped. The Commanders (3-1) committed three penalties over the next eight plays: taunting, holding and illegal substitution. And it didn’t matter. Daniels still hit Terry McLaurin for a 10-yard touchdown, then found tight end Zach Ertz for the two-point conversion. The Commanders scored on seven of nine possessions.

After the game, Kingsbury, often criticized for his playmaking in Arizona, walked to midfield and greeted Murray, the quarterback he helped draft in 2019. He spoke briefly with right tackle Kelvin Beachum and hugged outside linebacker Zaven Collins. Considering he was fired in 2023, this had to feel good: He outscored his former team by 449 yards and 42 points.

On the other hand, the cardinals talked about responsibility. Gannon said they need to be better at stopping the run. He said they have to master details like setting edges, dodging blocks and being in the right place. While they wouldn’t change their weekly routine, he said they have to learn to adapt. Gannon treats this like a boxing match. The Cardinals were hammered in Round 4, he said. The most important thing is how they react on Monday.

“I’m the head coach,” Gannon said. ‘Everything that happens there is my responsibility. When you get beat by what we beat today, it doesn’t really feel good, so I’m going to look in the mirror and adapt and adapt and do my job better.”

The cardinals have no choice.