The Arizona Cardinals have had a few moments this season when they’ve looked like one of the better teams in the NFL. They’ve had even more moments when they’ve looked like one of the worst.
Add those up, and they’re a 2-4 team.
The past two weeks have been a good representation of the Cardinals’ inconsistency. Seven days after a come-from-behind 24-23 win over the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, the Cardinals got smoked 34-13 by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
It was an ugly day for the visitors at Lambeau Field. Arizona had three turnovers, 13 penalties and one frustrated quarterback.
The Cardinals haven’t won back-to-back games since 2021.
“To be a good team, you have to be consistent,” quarterback Kyler Murray said. “We just got to look in the mirror. I don’t know if you feel like you did something because you beat the 49ers last week. I don’t know what it is, but that can’t happen.”
As the Cardinals prepare to host the Los Angeles Chargers next Monday night, it’s fair to wonder which Arizona team will show up. Second-year coach Jonathan Gannon said after watching video from the Packers game that effort wasn’t a problem.
“We’re going to be violent, we’re going to play fast and physical,” Gannon said. “But we’ve got to be cleaner.”
The Packers took a 24-0 lead on Sunday and coasted from there, but Gannon said he expects the Cardinals to bounce back quickly.
“It’s very clear why we lost the game,” Gannon said. “We did some good things in that game, too. But there are things that if we continue to do, we’re not going to win.”
What’s working
The Cardinals have gotten solid play out of Murray, won completed 22 of 32 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown against the Packers, though he did lose a fumble. Murray ranks eighth in the NFL in quarterback rating through six games, sitting just behind C.J. Stroud and ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield.
What needs help
Arizona’s defense couldn’t get much pressure on Green Bay’s Jordan Love, who had plenty of time to throw four touchdown passes. The Cardinals have 11 sacks this season, which ranks 24th in the league.
“We have to do a better job of affecting the quarterback and that starts with me,” Gannon said.
Stock up
TE Trey McBride had a productive game, catching a season-high eight passes for 96 yards. The 24-year-old is arguably the team’s top pass-catching option if Marvin Harrison Jr. has to miss time with a concussion.
Stock down
Arizona has gained a reputation as one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL during Gannon’s tenure and had a league-low 19 penalties through five games this season. The sixth game was not as kind. The Cardinals were whistled 13 times for 100 yards.
Gannon was particularly irritated about pre-snap penalties.
“Those are non-negotiables for us, uncharacteristic of us, so that’s why we have to look at why those things happened and do a better job there,” Gannon said. “You don’t want to go backwards before the ball is snapped.”
Injuries
The Cardinals had several players leave Sunday’s game but Gannon was hopeful that none of the injuries would be long-term. Harrison (concussion), LB Kyzir White (knee), DL Bilal Nichols (stinger), G Evan Brown (ankle) and CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (neck) are among those batting ailments.
Key number
Dec. 5, 2021 — That’s the last time the Cardinals won a second straight game. Since then, Arizona is 11-34.
Next steps
The Cardinals get an extra day to recuperate before hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday, Oct. 21.
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