The Arizona Cardinals were the victims of one of the most agonizing losses of the season on Sunday, falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-17. This defeat underscores the systemic issues that have continued to plague the organization. Their record is now in the depths of despair at 3-9 on the season. Jacoby Brissett, stepping in for the injured Kyler Murray, addressed the media following the game and succinctly encapsulated the team’s struggles in just 18 words.
Brissett’s repeated theme of execution resonates deeply as the Cardinals have lost five games this season despite outgaining their opponents. In their last meeting, they beat the Bucs by 107 yards. They didn’t have much success converting that advantage into points. Cardinals defense The Cardinals’ offense sputtered, with four drives ending in Buccaneers territory without a touchdown.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon lost out on nine important points. Those missed points easily could’ve changed the whole complexion of the game. As he stated, “You take away nine points from the board and then the game is played a whole different way.” With all of these injuries though, Gannon credited the work of offensive coordinator Drew Petzing for generating solid opportunities for this offense.
Brissett was not the only one voicing such optimistic thoughts about the team’s showing on Saturday. In particular, I see the guys playing the aggressive plays largely at the right times and close to consistently making a lot of great plays when the opportunities arise. It all comes to execution and details, and again, I’m rooting for them. His frustration is echoed by many players’ and fans’ feelings of helplessness. They fail to get the most out of good times.
The Cardinals have lost every game against winning teams this season, aghast as they hold an 0-8 record so far in faceoffs against clubs over .500. This high profile miss points to their struggle to deliver when it matters, a popular motif of their campaign trail through and through. In addition to all of this, they’ve lost seven such one-score games, adding fuel to the fire of their frustrations.
Kelvin Beachum, an offensive tackle for the Cardinals, gave thought to how hard it is to keep playing with poise in the midst of battles. “When you think about it, I think we haven’t truly been in control of a game in those five games [in which we outgained our opponent but lost], like truly in control where we’re dictating what’s going on,” he commented. He continued, “We’re not playing with the lead. I believe it truly has all been very very neck and neck for the most part. We’ve been playing from behind. There’s no excuses. It’s just factual.
Josh Weinfuss has covered the Cardinals since 2012. After coming to ESPN seven years ago, he’s found himself chronicling this long-running soap opera front and center—as a Cardinals NBA beats by a committed staff writer, covering both the Cardinals and the NFL. Weinfuss is a graduate of Indiana University and an unapologetic member of the Pro Football Writers of America. With it, he carries loads of knowledge and insight into what’s become the team’s challenge this season.
As the Cardinals keep working out the kinks of his system execution and consistency, they have reached a pivotal point in their season. With only a handful of games left, they will need to find a way to turn around their fortunes to avoid further disappointment.
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