GLENDALE, Ariz. — On their first possession of the second half, the Arizona Cardinals lined up at their 30-yard line, trying to get back in a game that was already slipping away.
What happened next added to their misery. The Cardinals were flagged for holding on their first two plays. Receiver Michael Wilson couldn’t hang on to an under-thrown pass on the third. Quarterback Kyler Murray was sacked on the fourth.
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 in State Farm Stadium booed, an appropriate reaction in Sunday’s dismal 42-14 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Over four seasons, two as defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles and two as head coach of the Cardinals, Jonathan Gannon never had been part of a more lop-sided defeat. “This league is very humbling,” he said. “We got humbled today.”
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Added left tackle Paris Johnson, Jr.: “To lose like this at home is not acceptable.”
This matchup didn’t lack 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 for Arizona State for three seasons before transferring to LSU.
But the biggest takeaway locally was something different altogether. That an Arizona team many picked to surprise does not appear to be particularly close. On Sept. 15, the Cardinals routed a beat-up Los Angeles Rams team in a manner that suggested they might be ready. Two weeks later, they were punchless against the Commanders, playing without purpose, falling to 1-3 with trips to San Francisco and Green Bay coming up.
“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 playing Detroit tough in a Week 3 home loss, Sunday was a massive step back for an organization that cannot afford one. The Cardinals do not have to win every Sunday, but they need to keep building, staying competitive, giving themselves a chance. This was nothing of the sort. For the second week in a row, they scored on their opening drive. For the second week in a row, they fizzled.
Aside from running back James Conner, who rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, the offense mustered little. Against one of the league’s worst pass defenses, 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, was supposed to provide offensive possibilities, giving Arizona a big-play threat. With the exception of one quarter against the Rams, it hasn’t.
In Sunday’s loss, the Cardinals targeted Harrison four times in the first quarter, and then not again until 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 week in a row, the Cardinals, who played without injured tight end Trey McBride, struggled on third down, failing to find a rhythm, converting 4 of 11.
“There’s really no excuse,” Wilson said. “(We’re) just not executing enough as an entire offense. Receivers, quarterback, run game, offensive line, just not executing enough.”
Said Murray: “We got to be able to stay on the field. That will take a lot of pressure off the defense. We all work together. When you can’t stay on the field on third down, the defense is always on the field, they get worn down.”
That was clear early in the fourth quarter. Leading 27-14, Washington moved into Arizona territory, but then stalled. 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 play-calling in Arizona, walked to mid-field and greeted Murray, the quarterback he helped draft in 2019. He talked briefly with right tackle Kelvin Beachum and embraced outside linebacker Zaven Collins. Given his dismissal in 2023, this had to feel good, beating his former team, running up 449 yards and 42 points.
On the other side, the Cardinals talked about accountability. Gannon said they need to be better at stopping the run. He said they need to master details like setting edges, getting off blocks and being in the right spot. Although they wouldn’t change their weekly routine, he said they need to learn to adapt. Gannon views this as a boxing match. The Cardinals got knocked to the mat in Round 4, he said. The most important part is how they respond Monday.
“I’m the head coach,” Gannon said. “Everything that goes on out there is my responsibility. When you get beat by whatever we got beat today, it doesn’t feel real good, so I’m going to look in the mirror and adjust and adapt and do a better job.’
The Cardinals have no choice.
(Top photo of Kyler Murray: Norm Hall / Getty Images)
