Baring a small miracle, Sunday afternoon was the last time in which the Arizona Cardinals will play in front of their hometown fans at State Farm Stadium this season.
That’s because, thanks to their fifth straight defeat at home, the now 11-6 Redbirds will travel as a wild card team to LA to take on the NFC West champion Rams. A division crown that should have been secured long ago but never was will now force the Cardinals to travel out west to take on a coach who boasts a 9-1 record against them.
Arizona started 10-2 on the year only to inexplicably lose four of their final five games to end the regular season.
“We would have liked to have won the division but we’re in the playoffs,” said coach Kliff Kingsbury following his team’s 38-30 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks.
“It’s a new season. You gotta get back up.”
The problem with Kingsbury’s point is that the Cardinals have been down for far too long this year to suddenly “get back up” when the postseason lights come on. They fumbled away a golden opportunity Sunday in which, despite their December collapse, still could have secured their first NFC West title since 2015. The San Francisco 49ers had just completed a miraculous comeback against said Rams thus giving Arizona a clear path toward success.
All Kingsbury’s Cardinals needed to do was win and they’d own the west for 2021.
No dice.
Now, as a result, tens of thousands of faithful Cardinal fans must request a refund for their pre-bought playoff tickets sold by the team site back on December 12th. A valley that was previously captivated by a historic start to the year now must watch in terror as the Cardinals cap off wild card weekend against their kryptonite in McVay’s Rams.
If they hope to turn it around, the Cardinals will need to show some semblance of life offensively. Despite a some what fraudulent 30 points scored against Seattle, Sunday marked the fifth straight game in which the team’s offense has failed to score more than two offensive touchdowns. Given the injuries to his receiving core, Kyler Murray must play damn near perfect football for a Kingsbury scheme that suddenly has very little margin for error. Since the injury to DeAndre Hopkins, Murray is averaging less than seven yards per attempt when throwing the football.
A far cry from the big play offense this passing game was once known for.
“It’s a new season,” said Murray following the loss to Seattle. “Nothing in the past matters. It doesn’t matter who we play. We gotta be better. We gotta execute when the game comes.”
With all due respect to Murray, his words ring hollow with Cardinal fans that have been patiently waiting for this Arizona team to flip a switch prior to January football. As a result, they’ll be forced to watch their beloved Cardinals take the field on the road at SoFi Stadium rather than the comfort of their home turf.
The Cardinals are 8-1 on the road, but robbing fans of an opportunity to see postseason football in their backyard is nothing to root for. No matter how this season ends, ownership will need to examine just exactly why this Cardinal team performs so poorly in Glendale.
Quick Hits
- Kingsbury did not have an updated on Pro Bowl running back James Conner following his third quarter exit from the game. Conner, who now joins Chase Edmonds with a pair of bruised ribs, has been the second half catalyst for this Cardinal offense. If neither running back is able to go next Monday, the workload will likely fall to former Sun Devil Eno Benjamin.
- Following his one-week absence thanks to a bout with COVID-19, left tackle D.J. Humphries returned to the starting lineup Sunday and promptly put together his worst game in years. Humphries, who had already been relatively average this season, was continually smoked off the edge by Seahawk defender Carlos Dunlap. If Humphries is still comprised, the team should strongly consider rolling out Kelvin Beachum at left tackle against LA.
- The dud against Seattle was ever more frustrating for both A.J. Green and Christian Kirk, who were largely neutralized in what could be their last home games with the club. Green in particular was especially ineffective, hauling in only four of the nine targets thrown his way. Both receivers figure to have quality markets this March and could prove too expensive for the cash-strapped Cardinals.
- On the flip side, tight end Zach Ertz remains a bright spot for an otherwise broken Cardinal passing attack. Since his arrival in the desert back in October, no tight end in football has been targeted more than Ertz. The former Eagle was the Cardinals’ leading receiving Sunday against Seattle, churning out seven catches for 84 yards. The Cardinals would be wise to engage Ertz in contract extensions early this offseason.
- After several weeks of quality play, Cardinals’ defense struggled mightily against Seattle’s run game on Sunday. Rashaard Penny, who has been on fire as of late, promptly torched Vance Joseph for over 190 on the ground. Until the team figures out their long-term solution as it relates to both Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins, outings like Sunday are unfortunately to be expected.
- If it wasn’t clear already, Jalen Thompson is a big time player who deserves attention on par with his safety counterpart Budda Baker. For all the inconsistencies the Cardinals currently have at corner, they thankfully boast perhaps the best pair of safeties in pro football.
- While it’s no guarantee, it’s expected that the Cardinals are going to activate star defensive end J.J. Watt this week. The team was undefeated with Watt prior to his lengthy trip to the injured reserve. If there’s anything that can spark this free-falling franchise, it’s #99 back in the starting lineup.
- The Cardinals became the first team in league history to begin the season 7-0 and finish at least six losses.
- The Rams have opened up at a 4.5-point favorite against the Cardinals next Monday night.
