Analysis: What went wrong for the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6 loss at Seattle Seahawks

Analysis

SEATTLE — Sunday was the day for the Arizona Cardinals' offense to break out with a big game, after weeks of slow starts and inconsistency.  The Cardinals faced a Seattle Seahawks defense last in the NFL in yards allowed per game, second to last in points allowed and last in rushing yards per game for an opponent.

Instead, the Seahawks didn't need much offense to take a 19-9 win at Lumen Field, with the Cardinals' offense generating just three points.

The Cardinals (2-4) scored for the first time in six first quarters this season. After that, too much didn't go well enough on offense for them to win. Of utmost concern is an injury to leading wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, who was helped off the field late in the game after going up for a catch and landing awkwardly.

Brown was helped to the locker room but ultimately needed a cart to get there. After the game he was in a walking boot over his left foot.

DeAndre Hopkins, back from suspension this week, can't get back soon enough for an offense that needs a big boost, even though the Cardinals are somehow only one game out of first place in the NFC West. However, they are also in last place.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said the offensive woes start with him.

"I've got to do a better job of making sure we're running things that we can execute at a high level and be efficient and stay on schedule and you know, score touchdowns," Kingsbury said after the game. "So it starts there and then execution, routine plays that we make in practice and how we do it in practice has to carry over to the games, and right now it's not for a reason."

Three turnovers on downs when they decided against NFL-range field goals, a costly Kyler Murray fumble late in the third quarter and no offensive points for three full quarters doomed the Cardinals Sunday. Despite a Chris Banjo fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter on special teams, the Cardinals once again had to rely on another inspired defensive effort that could not save the day.

"Anytime you have a group playing that hard and playing that good, a bunch of young guys that continue to get better flying around, and offensively we're just not able to convert some of those opportunities they're given us," Kingsbury said  "It's definitely frustrating."

Kingsbury clearly had little faith in kicker Matt Ammendola, who made one short field goal and missed an extra point, but was avoided when the Cardinals got into field goal position.

Regular kicker Matt Prater's return from injury is a day-to-day situation, made more challenging by a short week, Kingsbury said. Regarding Ammendola for another week (which would be his third as kicker), the coach said that will have to be discussed.

The start was promising on offense. Kingsbury opened up the playbook for a more creative game-opening possession.

It took until Week 6 to get first quarter points, but a 76-yard drive resulting in Ammendola's 23-yard field goal gave the Cardinals an early lead. It felt disappointing, however, as Arizona had the ball at the Seattle 1-yard line on second down and couldn't punch in a touchdown.

The drive saw an option run from Murray, a third-and-4 fake handoff and keeper by Murray for 42 yards off the right side of the offensive line and a short pass to speedy Rondale Moore, who gained 25 yards after the catch with his speed.

But that would be the only points for the Cardinals offense. They put together another good drive with their second possession, Eno Benjamin running hard and even displaying a spin move for a 12-yard gain on third down, but were stopped on fourth down.

On the fourth-down play, the Cardinals lost left guard Justin Pugh to a knee injury. Pugh had his right knee in a brace after the game and said he will have an MRI Monday.

The Seahawks defense was the best unit on the field all afternoon. Murray was hurried often, forced to run and sacked six times. While at times able to move the ball between the 20-yard lines, Arizona punted four times.

But the overriding theme of the day on offense was that it wasn't so much what the Seahawks did to the Cardinals, it was what the Cardinals did to themselves.

"I don't want to get into any details, but like I said, it's tough right now," Murray said.

"We know amongst ourselves that we have the talent on the offensive side of the ball to go anywhere we're willing to take it," Moore said. "We've just got to be better with execution.

"I wouldn't say it was what they were doing, we just hurt ourselves."

The Cardinals' defense continued its strong play since Week 1. Besides keeping it a six-point game at halftime, the Seahawks' biggest threat at wide receiver, D.K. Metcalf, was held without a catch, and Tyler Lockett caught one short pass.

Metcalf and Lockett had 51 receiving yards and four catches between them.

Certainly the Seahawks had some energy as the final major sporting event of one of most epic of sports weekends in the city of Seattle's history. Saturday saw the Seattle Mariners play — and lose in 18 innings — the first baseball postseason game in town in 21 years. There was a Pac-12 football game the same afternoon between Washington and Arizona, and the NHL's Seattle Kraken played their home opener Saturday night.

Sunday at halftime, Seahawks legend Shaun Alexander was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor.

The Cardinals had their chances to spoil the whole party. They could not, and now face a short week with Thursday night's game against the New Orleans Saints at State Farm Stadium.

Plenty will need to be addressed, including pass protection, field goal kicking if Prater has to miss another week and above all that, how to get more out of the offense that could be down another major weapon if Brown has to miss time.

The Cardinals were already without top running back James Conner and center Rodney Hudson.

"We're in this together," Brown said.

Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Analysis: What went wrong for the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6 loss at Seattle Seahawks