Middling Cardinals, maddening results: Can Arizona discover an identity?

TEMPE, Ariz. — Three weeks ago, in the wake of the Arizona Cardinals’ 28-point blowout loss to the Washington Commanders, wide receiver Michael Wilson woke up upset.

He was angry at what transpired on the final Sunday in September, after a week of productive practices Arizona felt good about stepping onto the field at State Farm Stadium to face Washington, only to be embarrassed, 42-14.

“I’m sour throughout,” Wilson said. “It affects the day to day. I don’t think fans and media really realize like, yeah, I’m playing in the NFL and we all get paid a happy salary, but when your performance isn’t what it needs to be, like, none of that really matters.”

What happened over the next two weeks — a one-point win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5 and a 34-13 blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 6 — was emblematic of what the Cardinals’ season has become through six games: a roller coaster. Arizona’s been consistently inconsistent. Which Cardinals team will show up Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+) in front of a national audience is anyone’s guess — as it has been all season.

There has been some good this season, like a 31-point win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 and Marvin Harrison Jr.’s four touchdowns in a three-game span. But the bad has shined brighter. Yet, the Cardinals’ locker room, starting with quarterback Kyler Murray, isn’t panicking or flinching. It even believes a run could be in store.

“It’s frustrating, for sure,” Wilson said. “Because I know the talent and I know the preparation we put in every single Sunday, and I know the people that we have in our room, in our group that are truly dedicated and committed to the game.

“So, it’s hard when the work doesn’t equal the result.”

Despite riding the waves of the first third of the season, Arizona finds itself in what Wilson called a “sort of a crossroads of destiny.” The Cardinals are trying to keep pace with the Seattle Seahawks (4-3) in the NFC West and sit right behind the 49ers (3-4). A loss would put them in last place behind the Rams (2-4).

“It’s crazy,” Wilson said. “That’s the thing about the NFL is because the season’s so short narratives change so fast.

“Only with 17 games, everything is magnified. The margin for error is a lot smaller, and so headlines change fast. You just got to ignore that and try to get to 3-4 at the end of Monday.”

---

AS THE CARDINALS wrapped up on Saturday, the feeling of having another good week of work permeated through the locker room. Coach Jonathan Gannon said he knows which one of his teams is going to show up every week: “We’re going to play violent. We’re going to play fast and physical.”

That’s only taken the Cardinals so far.

Arizona’s weekly practices and routines have been consistent throughout the season, right tackle Kelvin Beachum said. It’s what happens on Sundays that has been the difference.

Red zone efficiency, in which the Cardinals are ranked 13th at 58.8%. Third-down conversions, in which they’re 15th. Ball security. Tackling.

Against Green Bay, Arizona was 4-for-10 on third down while fumbling three times. To fix Arizona’s recent third-down struggles, Murray said there needs to be better attention to detail. Arizona has converted 40.6% of its third downs this season but 35.5% in the past three games, and 37.2% in losses compared to 47.6% in wins.

“Last game was pretty bad,” Murray said. “It happens in this league. I think we had a great week last week [against San Francisco], but on Sunday, we just didn’t put it together. I also think, yes, we do have to remain positive because we know what we have in there.

“It’s not like we hit rock bottom, so I don’t think anybody has given up on what we can accomplish or anything like that. Again, I got full faith and confidence in all the guys in the locker room.”

The swing between the good, the bad and ugly has been drastic.

The Cardinals’ have been held to 14 points or fewer three times this season, which is tied for most in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. They’re averaging 7.0 points per game in the first quarter, which is sixth in the league, but 15.2 points in the final three quarters, ranking 23rd.

In three games where they’ve held opponents to less than 24 points, they’ve gone 2-1. But when they’ve allowed at least 24 points, the team has gone 0-3.

The Cardinals have taken a deep look into what’s been going wrong, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said, and the early conclusion is that it’s a little bit of everything: Scheme, where they’re lining people up, execution, throwing and catching. Petzing said it comes down to finishing drives and, as what happened in Green Bay, not turning the ball over in scoring position.

Petzing also said his playcalling has been inconsistent.

“I’m always going to say my playcalling is how we roll as an offense,” Petzing said. “So, when we’re rolling, I take a lot of pride in that. I also think I got to give a lot of that credit to the players and their execution. And when we’re not, I got to look at myself and say, ‘What can I do better?’ So, I think, [when] you look throughout our first, what is it, six games now, I think we got to clean up the inconsistency and that starts with me as a playcaller.”

The lack of details — fundamentals, technique, focus, discipline — have been a major issue, players said. In Week 6, the Cardinals’ 13 penalties for 100 yards were the most of the Gannon era and the three fumbles were uncharacteristic.

Running back James Conner fumbled on a screen pass on second-and-6 from Arizona’s 30. He caught it behind him a bit, turned upfield and was stripped by the first Green Bay player who hit him, cutting short a drive two plays after Arizona went down 31-13.

Then, the ball was knocked out of wide receiver Greg Dortch‘s hands as Arizona was closing in on the end zone. That turnover led to Green Bay kicking a field goal for the final tally, 34-13. And late in the fourth quarter with Arizona closing in on the end zone, again, the Cardinals were at the Packers’ 18 when the ball fell loose during an exchange from Murray to running back Trey Benson.

Three chances to get a touchdown or field goal. Three chances to make it a game.

“You got to know that those mistakes that you’re making previously have to be corrected because that’s what the league is,” cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting said. “You can’t constantly make the same mistakes over and over again. That’s what gets you out.”

---

AFTER THE LOSS to the Packers, defensive lineman L.J. Collier stood in front of his locker, cameras in his face, and declared that despite what just occurred at Lambeau Field, he felt the Cardinals have what it takes to go on a run.

A few days later, after flushing the loss and moving onto the Chargers, Collier felt the same way.

“​​I feel like we can be nasty, bro,” Collier said Saturday. “Six, seven game run. Like, it’ll be a surprise to everybody else, but not us because we know what’s there. We got to go out there and execute, man.”

Until each mistake, Arizona’s offense moved the ball, signs that the Cardinals had what it took to compete.

There was Murray’s 50-yard touchdown run against the 49ers. Harrison’s 130 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter, and a complete offensive and defensive showing against the Rams. And then an offensive blitz in the first half against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 that led to a 17-3 lead, which Arizona eventually gave up.

All were glimpses — some small, some large — of what Arizona could be this season.

There are some players in the locker room who aren’t looking beyond Monday night. There are others who agreed with Collier.

“Teams are made up of the guys in the locker room,” Wilson said. “I think the type of dudes we have in the locker room are team-first guys that love ball and are willing to do whatever it takes to put themselves in a position to win and help our team win whatever role that looks like.”

Collier said the line needs to focus on alignment, assignment and its key technique. Murray said Arizona needs to practice the right way. Wilson said the receivers need to improve their contested catches, which was a point of emphasis this week. Starting Thursday, they added an extra 8-10 minute session before practice with receivers coach Drew Terrell that was focused solely on working on contested catches.

“I think, truthfully, no one beats us,” Wilson said. “We really beat ourselves and, so, focusing on our details, focusing on our brand of football is going to lead to more victories.”

It’s a long season. In 2021, Murray led the Cardinals to a 7-0 start which turned into 10-2. It ended with Arizona finishing 11-6 and losing to the Rams, 34-11, in the wild-card round.

This year could be the opposite, if the Cardinals can figure out a way to flatten the waves they’ve been riding.

“Learn from the last one, focus on the next one,” Murray said, “keep getting better and attack each day like it’s my last. So that’s the mentality.

“I have full faith in the guys and in myself and in the coaching staff to get us on the right track and get this thing going in the right direction.”