GLENDALE, Ariz. — Three weeks in the NFL do not always reveal much. There are exceptions, usually consisting of established contenders or those stuck in massive rebuilds. The Arizona Cardinals are caught somewhere in the middle. A team trying to take the next step.
The Cardinals want to be a violent, physical football team. They got a strong look at one in Sunday’s 20-13 loss at State Farm Stadium. The Detroit Lions controlled the line of scrimmage, running the ball when they needed to and limiting the Cardinals on the other side. It was the difference in the game, but it also might have shown Arizona is not far away.
There’s an easy way to look at this. The Lions are in Year 4 under intense coach Dan Campbell. Their year-to-year progression has gone from three wins to nine to 12, which last season helped get them to the NFC Championship Game. The Cardinals are in Year 2 under head coach Jonathan Gannon. The physical mindset is taking root, but it’s not a finished product. Sunday offered a before-and-after picture. Here is where the Cardinals are. Here is what they want to become.
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How long will it take to get there? That’s a question that likely won’t be answered for a while, but Sunday brought a significant positive. Gannon has great respect for Campbell. He admires how hard the Lions play. He admires their technique and fundamentals. He admires their physicality.
And he thought the Cardinals matched it Sunday.
“I really do,” he said. “I thought our hitting was on display. Our effort was there. That’s not the reason we lost the game. The reason we lost the game is, starting with me, we got to do a better job of setting up all three game plans.”
The Cardinals (1-2) lost because the Lions (2-1) prevented them from doing what they do best, which is run the ball. The Cardinals rushed for 124 yards in a Week 1 loss at Buffalo. They rushed for 231 in a Week 2 home win over the Rams. Against Detroit, they rushed for 77. James Conner, who is often used to set a physical tone, could not get going, finishing with nine carries for 17 yards, his lowest rushing output in 44 games with the Cardinals.
With Connor silenced, the passing game was compromised. Not only did the Cardinals have nothing to keep the stout Detroit defense honest, but they also had to deal with Aidan Hutchinson, among the game’s top pass rushers. This wasn’t easy. Because of injuries to Jonah Williams (knee) and Kelvin Beachum (hamstring), Arizona started third-teamer Jackson Barton at right tackle. Barton had played in just 10 games over four years, never starting once.
To help, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing tried several things. He had tight ends Trey McBride and Elijah Higgins line up beside Barton. He had Conner behind him ready to deliver a chip block. He ran plays away from Hutchinson. And for the most part, it worked. Hutchinson, who had 5.5 sacks through two games, had just one against the Cardinals. He was credited with two “quarterback hurries.” But just his presence was enough to keep the Cardinals out of rhythm.
Arizona had 165 yards through three quarters, but 70 came on its first possession, an impressive drive that ended with quarterback Kyler Murray hitting rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with a 10-yard touchdown pass.
dare we say ~aura~ pic.twitter.com/LNUGuiY5Jy
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 22, 2024
From there, Detroit held firm. Murray, who completed 21 of 34 for 207 yards and a touchdown with an interception, tried to throw downfield but didn’t have much success. Michael Wilson had eight catches for 64 yards. Harrison had five for 64. Overall, the Cardinals converted just 1 of 9 third downs.
(Arizona appeared to get help from its defense late in the second quarter. Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. picked off a deflected pass from Detroit’s Jared Goff and had a clear path to the end zone. But the officiating crew ruled that the 2-minute warning had come before the ball was snapped and blew the play dead. Replays suggested the Cardinals might have gotten the play — which was not reviewable — off in time. Gannon’s reaction to the officials: “They call what they call.”)
In his postgame session with reporters, Murray made it clear what he thought of Detroit. He said some version of “The Lions are a good team” or “That’s a good defense” eight times. It’s not a stretch to assume he considered this an early-season measuring stick of sorts. And as ineffective as the Cardinals were offensively — and as out of reach as Detroit’s 10-point, second-half lead seemed to be — they still were in the game.
The defense gave up 373 yards, 187 coming on the ground, but it kept the Lions from pulling away. The Cardinals left State Farm Stadium thinking they were just a few plays from a win over a great team. Despite the loss, that’s something from which they can build.
“Losing’s frustrating,” Murray said. “Honestly, I’m encouraged, though, because I know what could’ve been in that game, and I know how things didn’t go our way. I’m excited because of the opportunity out there. That’s a good football team. And I felt like we had a lot of opportunities to make something happen and win that game. They made more plays than us. But that’s how it goes. I’m excited for the road ahead.”
(Photo of Kyler Murray during Sunday’s game: Norm Hall / Getty Images)
