Another Game, Another Loss for the Arizona Cardinals

Is this rock bottom for the Cardinals? Every time fans think it gets bad, it happens to get worse. The Cardinals fell to the Jaguars on Sunday and lost a game that they should have realistically won. The defense was absolutely amazing. The offense did not play adequately enough to win, though. The Cardinals lost 24-21 and are now 3-10. They are sitting at the bottom of the division and are looking up at their rivals, gaining momentum before its playoff time.

Cardinals Start Strong

The game started as a shootout. Trevor Lawrence marched the ball down the field to find Travis Etienne Jr. in the end zone on a 15-yard score. The Cardinals got some big plays and pushed the ball into field goal range, but then Jacoby Brissett got sacked, and they had to punt. Lawrence and the Jags then received the ball in terrible field position. They were on their own three-yard line when Lawrence fumbled into his own end zone, and the Cardinals recovered it for a touchdown. The Jags got the ball back, and Trevor Lawrence scrambled for 19 yards. He then hit Etienne Jr. again for a six-yard gain. Lawrence was then sacked for a two-yard loss. The ball was now at Arizona's 39-yard line. Lawrence then had a nine-yard gain to get to the Arizona 30-yard line. On third and eight, Budda Baker sacked Lawrence, making it a fourth and 14. The Jags then scored a 52-yard field goal. The score was now 10-7. The Cardinals started on their own 35-yard line. Brissett then found Michael Wilson for a big gain. With a roughing the passer call, the Cardinals went from the 50-yard line to field goal range at the 35-yard line. Wilson then had another completion for 11 yards. From the Jags’ 24-yard line, Michael Carter ran the ball up the middle for an 11-yard gain. From the Jags' 13-yard line, Carter gained another nine yards on a pass. Then he ran the ball up the middle for another two yards. Bam Knight ran it into the end zone. The score was now 14-10. The Jags then started from the 25-yard line but did nothing with it. Jacksonville punted. Then the Cardinals had the ball. On first down, Brissett finds Trey McBride for 13 yards.  Another pass to McBride put the Cardinals into field goal range. Carter gained 19 yards to the Jags’ 17-yard line. Then the Cardinals missed a field goal wide right. The score was now 14-10.

Defense Steps Up

The Jaguars immediately started moving the ball with multiple completions, getting them into field goal range. Then Lawrence threw a 24-yard pass to Brenton Strange. On first and goal from the Arizona six-yard line, Lawrence threw an interception to Garrett Williams on a play-action pass. The Cardinals try to get something moving on offense, but a holding penalty causes the Cardinals’ offensive drive to stall. They punted. The Jags returned it to the Cardinals’ 27-yard line. Lawrence threw a nine-yard pass to Etienne Jr. It was now second and 10 from the Arizona 14-yard line. Then Jakobi Meyers caught a touchdown. The score was now 17-14. The Cardinals could not get anything rolling on offense, so the Jaguars got another chance. Lawrence passed the ball down the field until Akeem Davis-Gaither caught an interception from the Jags QB. Arizona punted again. Jacksonville got the ball back and brought it to their ’ 41-yard line, where Lawrence threw another interception to Baker. After, Brissett found Greg Dortsch for a 39-yard touchdown pass. The score was now 21-17. Trevor Lawrence was not going to let this stop him, though. He threw multiple big passes down the field until he got to the Cardinals’ 19-yard line. Then he hit Strange for a 10-yard pass. Next, he scored by throwing a nine-yard touchdown to Parker Washington. The score was now 24-21. The Cardinals’ offense could still have had a shot. With a minute and 38 seconds left in the game. Brissett threw the ball down the field until he hit a 31-yard pass to Wilson that got them to the Jags’ 42-yard line. Then they kicked a field goal, and it was time for overtime.

Overtime

The Jags started with the ball first and brought the ball down the field. Lawrence hit Washington for a 25-yard gain. The Jags got into field goal range and scored a field goal. The score was now 27-24. Jacksonville’s defense ended up holding the Cardinals on the last fourth-and-four play, and the game was over. The Jags won 27-24.

Stats

Trevor Lawrence had 18 completions on 30 attempts for 256 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Jacoby Brissett had 33 completions on 49 attempts for 317 yards and one touchdown. Michael Wilson had 118 receiving yards, and Brenton Strange had 93 receiving yards. The Cardinals’ offense is simply not good enough.  If the opposing quarterback throws three interceptions, then there is no reason that the team that gets the interceptions should not win.  It is extremely frustrating for the defense when the offense does not capitalize on the opportunities that they give them. Another game, another loss for the Cardinals. They no longer have any hope of making the playoffs.