Arizona Cardinal leadership nowhere to be found in loss to Detroit

Send out the distress signal because the Arizona Cardinals are once again drowning at the end of a season.

With an opportunity to secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2015, the Cardinals completely embarrassed themselves Sunday afternoon en route to a historic 30-12 loss at 1-11-1 Detroit. Coming into this game, the Cardinals were a robust 12.5 point favorite via the Draft Kings Sportsbook. Yet by the time this one mercilessly ended you’d never know the Redbirds began the year a perfect 7-0.

“Obviously we didn’t come prepared at all,” said quarterback Kyler Murray following the team’s second consecutive defeat. “I think that showed out there. No energy. No juice. We didn’t execute…didn’t come prepare.”

The lack of preparation and execution by the Cardinals was evident through four quarters against this history dismal Lions team. The casual approach taken by Arizona was especially nauseating when you consider the fact that Detroit was missing several key starters due to injury and COVID restrictions.

Kliff Kingsbury is now 0-4 in playoff clinching games.

— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) December 19, 2021

Even with the deck stack against them, it was Detroit and it’s veteran leaders making critical plays when it mattered most. NFL journeymen Charles Harris did his best Chandler Jones impression with 1.5 sacks as well as 12 total tackles on the day. Speaking of Jones, Sunday was another “no-show” outing from the free agent to be. He along with the large majority of his fellow Cardinal defenders allowed the Lions to tally their season high total in points (30) on their way to their second win of the year.

For the first time this season, the Arizona Cardinal defense has allowed 30 points in back-to-back games, calling into question the adjustments being made by defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

The same can also be said for coach Kliff Kingsbury’s offense which put together perhaps it’s most deflating outing of the season. Murray still doesn’t look himself following a slew of missed passes to a now DeAndre Hopkins-less receiving core. The offensive line, sans Rodney Hudson, allowed a practice squad level Detroit defense to terrorize their quarterback for much of the afternoon. From top to bottom, this was a performance that was lacking in both leadership and heart from an Arizona team that is slowly being exposed as a fraudulent contender.

The Cardinals have just been shut out in the first half by the worst team in football.

The only other time that's happened this season was against Carolina.

— Chierstin Susel (@ChierstinSusel) December 19, 2021

“This is the NFL and it’s not easy,” said Murray. “If you don’t come prepared, you don’t give respect to who you’re playing, you get beat. Hats off to them.”

From wire-to-wire Sunday’s contest never felt as if the Arizona Cardinals were truly in the game. With an opportunity to become the first team in league history to begin the season 8-0, winning each by double-digits, the Cardinals promptly lost their seventh consecutive game to quarterback Jared Goff. The former LA Ram now Detroit Lion carved up an Arizona secondary that has suddenly given up six touchdown passes in the last six days. With the loss, the Cardinals become the first team in NFL history to lose a game as a 10+ win team (by double-digits) to a team with less than two wins.

Not exactly the kind of history this Cardinal team was hoping to make prior to Sunday.

“I don’t know what happened today…just didn’t come ready to play,” said Murray.

Murray and the Cardinals better figure out the “what” and the “how” in a hurry as they soon play host to the red hot Indianapolis Colts on Christmas Day. At the writing of this article, the Cardinals are still atop the NFC West standings but could fall back into a tie for first should the LA Rams defeat Seattle on Tuesday night. Even with the playoffs still a near certainty, the Cardinals are an under .500 team in their last seven games played (3-4).

Categorizing this team as “trending down” is perhaps the understatement of the year.

If the Cardinals are unable to right the ship, it will again call into question the leadership of this organization. Dating back to 2019, the pairing of Kingsbury and Murray are now 5-8 in the month of December. During that span, Murray has a marginal 20 total touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Should the Cardinals continue to spiral into irrelevance, everyone within this franchise not named Michael Bidwill will be under immense pressure to turn it around quickly.

Quick Hits

• Right or wrong, Kyler Murray will shoulder the large majority of the blame should this Cardinal team continue to lose games in December. While Kingsbury was able to secure key road victories while Murray was out, the latter has consistently demonstrated an inability to carry his team late in seasons. For the Cardinals to salvage their season, Murray has to be the driving catalyst.
• In their first outing since DeAndre Hopkins’ MCL injury, the Cardinal receiving core was noticeably shaky against Detroit. A.J. Green misplayed a comeback route that resulted in an interception while Christian Kirk dropped several key passes. For this offense to find it’s footing again, Green and Kirk need to turn it around quick.
• Watching the Arizona defense consistently bow to the “mighty” Detroit offensive line emphasizes the need for a major shakeup this offseason. In particular, the Cardinals need to rethink their entire defensive line beginning first with the subtraction of several overpriced veterans. An infusion of talent is needed upfront perhaps more so than any other position unit on the team.
• What will likely be lost in Sunday’s massacre was the bounce back performance from running back Chase Edmonds. The fourth-year player returned for the first time since his Week 9 injury at San Francisco to lead the Cardinals in rushing with 53 yards on just six carries. With the offense in a major funk, Kingsbury and company need to lean on their effective ground game behind both Edmonds and James Conner.
• Veteran Joe Walker logging key snaps over the 16th overall pick in rookie Zaven Collins is indefensible by Vance Joseph.
• Both Rondale Moore and Jordan Philips left Sunday’s game with lower body injuries. Kingsbury did not have an update on either during his post game press conference.
• The Arizona Cardinals have officially opened up as a 1-point favorite on Christmas Day against the Indianapolis Colts.