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Quarterback Kyler Murray (1) of the Arizona Cardinals is sacked by linebacker Christian Miller (50) in the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, September 22, 2019, in Glendale, Arizona. The Panthers won 38-20. (AP Photo / Ross D. Franklin)
A loss and a failure are not the same things. Here is the proof:
The Arizona Cardinals suffered their second defeat on Sunday. It was their first failure.
The honeymoon is officially over.
"Winning, losing or anything else is a way to play," said defensive tackle Corey Peters. "And today, we have failed."
The 18-point loss was against a Carolina Panthers team without Cam Newton, a team that had 38 points with quarterback Kyle Allen. It can not happen. Not against a child who was cut off from the Panthers practice team in 2018 and was looking for a job at the same time last year.
It came in the form of abandoned passes. Christian Kirk smothered a deep, perfectly thrown ball. Trent Sherfield did not manage to get an easy touch pass. Once again, it appears that Larry Fitzgerald is the only receiver capable of catching the ball down the field when the result counts.
"I had the impression that we were going to play better than us, obviously," said head coach Kliff Kingsbury. "I felt we had a good plan in place. They went out and executed at a high level. You must salute this team. Back against the wall, they played a hell of a game.
"We have to improve at every stage. We must better coach. We must play better. So, there is a lot to learn from that one. "
The lessons were in the form of a porous offensive line that seemed to lead auditions to the correct address throughout the match. In general, that's why you practice during the week, right? In any case, the line allowed Kyler Murray to be fired eight times, raising a thorny issue.
Can Kingsbury's favorite offensive approach be a lasting success in the NFL? When you deploy four wide receivers on a preponderance of parts, the help available for the offensive line is very small. And this line seems to need help, just like previous editions.
This testifies to the overall failure of Managing Director Steve Keim in recent years. It's clear he's recruited the right-hand quarterback in Murray, but there's a reason why air raid concepts are mostly a side dish in the NFL, not a balanced diet.
You have to run the ball to win in professional football. David Johnson was better on Sunday, breaking tack and fighting for portage. But he always won 37 yards, 32 less than the starting quarterback. And once the cardinals fell, the situation became ugly.
"At that point we were back and they knew we were passing the ball," Murray said. "So, it's difficult."
Murray played well late in the second half with 69 yards on the ground and the double threat that will be part of his climb. But the four times that the Cardinals scored on Sunday, the Panthers took over the ensuing possession, matching the hosts, then some.
This led to frustration and a lack of concentration on the part of the rookie quarter, including two bad interceptions Murray, who at least showed a good form of struggle in one of the choices.
"Down 15, just trying to make a game, obviously forcing things," Murray said.
Nobody said it was going to be easy. Few people expected a winning record in 2018. But it was a match that the Cardinals could and should win, and the performance of their offensive line and their defense revived the worst fears of training camp.
Allen had an absurd pass of 144.4. Christian McCaffrey was nearly untouched by a 76-yard touchdown in the Cardinals' defense. And yet another tight end has been feasting on the Cardinals, making five receptions to touching opponents' tight ends in three weeks, including two tight ends surpassed the 100-yard reception at Arizona.
"It's unacceptable," said linebacker Jordan Hicks of the Cardinals.
The Cardinals now have a tie, a morale win and a bad defeat. They are 0-2-1 in a very competitive division. And after Sunday's performance, it will take some time before they are favored to win a football match in the near future.
Contact Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta on weekdays from 10am to 2pm. on the sports station 98.7 FM Arizona.
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