Inside the Arizona Cardinals Ongoing Struggle to Close Out Drives

Football is a game of turnovers. Well, it’s a game of turnovers, unless you're the Arizona Cardinals. Last Sunday, when the Jaguars played the Cardinals, the Jaguars’ offense turned over the ball four times. That still was not enough for the Cardinals to win, though. The Cardinals lost 24-27 in overtime in a game that should have been won.  The Cardinals' offense has a lot of work to do if they want to be a winning team.

​Not Taking Advantage of Opportunities

​Trevor Lawrence had a terrible game against the Cardinals, turning the ball over constantly. At the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals’ defense forced a fumble into the endzone and scored a touchdown. Then the Cardinals’ defense forced three more interceptions throughout the game.  The Cardinal’s offense was only able to score off one of those interceptions. In this game, the Cardinals’ defense scored seven points and forced three interceptions, but the Cardinals still could not win. That is ridiculous.

​The Bigger Picture

​The Cardinal’s offense has struggled to take advantage of opportunities all season. It happens all the time. The Cardinal’s defense keeps the offense in the game, but the offense can never finish. The challenge stems from the lack of a run game. When James Conner went down at the beginning of the season, it destroyed the Cardinals’ offense. James Connor was an elusive back who always kept the defense on its feet. After Conner went down, what was originally a split run and pass offense became much more of a pass offense. This made it easier for the defense to read the Cardinals’ offense. Kyler Murray also made it much easier for the offense as he could scramble to pick up big yards and extend plays, but he was also injured earlier this season. The Cardinals currently have 2,819 yards and 17 touchdowns when they pass the ball. They have 1,112 yards and nine touchdowns when they run the ball. They are much more effective at passing, and that makes it easier for the defense to prepare to face them. Once James Conner and Kyler Murray are back, the offense should be back where it needs to be, but that won’t be until next season or, for Kyler Murray, maybe Week 14. For now, the Cardinals need to do their best with what they have.