After a devastating loss against the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, the Arizona Cardinals have their first bye week. This could not have come at a more perfect time, as the identity of this organization has been stripped through 7 games. Arizona went into this season with a new spark that had not been seen in this franchise in years, with an exciting defense and a versatile offense that the front office hoped would push Kyler Murray to his full potential.
Photo Cred: KNBR
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case — every Cardinals game this season has turned into a nail-biter, each decided by a single possession.. They are on a 5-game losing streak with a combined score of 13 points. After the loss to the Packers, head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters, “We do need to get rested up, I think physically, mentally (and) emotionally. I told them today we’ve got some projects we’ve got going on and (to) come back here Monday with a plan of action to get better, coaches, and players. Full steam ahead when we get back in here on Monday.”
One glaring issue Arizona needs to fix is its fourth-quarter defense — or lack thereof — and its ability to finish games. Through the first seven weeks, the Cardinals have surrendered 78 points in the first three quarters combined. Respectable numbers — until you look at the fourth quarter, where they’ve given up a staggering 76 points alone. What was supposed to be the team’s backbone has instead become its breaking point, with late-game collapses turning winnable contests into heartbreaking losses.
Efforts to fix Arizona’s late-game meltdowns have been underwhelming, to say the least. The defensive adjustments have been few, and the ones they’ve tried have fallen flat. If the Cardinals hope to finally close out games, they may need to shake things up — dialing up more blitzes and turning up the pressure when it matters most. Allowing the opposing quarterback to get comfortable late is a problem that the Cardinals have not been able to fix, and showing pressure is a great way to prevent a rhythm offense.
Kyler Murray is expected to make his long-awaited return under the bright lights of Monday
Night Football in Week 9 against Dallas — and all eyes will be on him. The pressure couldn’t be higher. Head coach Jonathan Gannon has made it clear: if Murray’s healthy, he’s the guy. Now it’s up to Kyler to prove why. This matchup won’t just test his readiness — it’ll reveal what this Cardinals team truly became during the bye week and what moves need to be made for next season. With the most likely being a new quarterback through the draft.
The Cardinals have one of the hardest schedules remaining after week 7, and it puts the franchise in an awkward spot.
Photo Cred: Sportsnet
The NFC West might be the toughest battleground in football this season,
with Arizona staring up at a three-way logjam — every other team sitting at five wins and
showing no signs of slowing down. This puts Arizona in a potential selling position, especially as quarterback questions have risen. Although this seems like an easy decision, Jonathan Gannon, as the head coach in Arizona, has a 14-27 record so far. What was supposed to be a franchise reset after Kliff Kingsbury’s firing hasn’t exactly inspired confidence. Constant quarterback injuries and inconsistency have kept the Cardinals from finding any real footing. If another rebuilding year is on the horizon, Gannon’s seat could start heating up fast as he approaches the end of his third season at the helm.
