Energy and enthusiasm weren't the only things missing during Arizona Cardinals' loss to LA
Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon promised changes after Sunday’s 37-14 rout at the hands of the visiting Los Angeles Rams. Don’t expect any sweeping developments or any earth-shattering personnel switches, however.
Whatever changes are coming after falling to 2-10, likely will involve minor tweaks during practices and team meetings leading up to next week’s game at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Will it make a difference? Who knows? Anything’s got to be better than what played out under an open roof at State Farm Stadium.
The Cardinals were outgained 457 yards to 292, Matthew Stafford passed for four touchdowns, the Rams carved up Arizona’s run defense with 228 rushing yards, and Kyler Murray and the offense went nine straight possessions without getting any points.
Stafford completed 25 of 33 passes for 229 yards and threw two touchdowns each to tight end Tyler Higbee and running back Kyren Williams, who torched the Cardinals for the second time this season. Murray was 27 of 45 for 256 yards and one touchdown.
“Not good enough obviously today,” Gannon said. “I felt like we didn’t match their level of effort or enthusiasm throughout the game. That falls solely on me when you get beat like that. We’ve got to take a good hard look of how we’re setting up the week because it really wasn’t competitive in my mind and that’s on me first and the coaches next.
“So, we’ve got to put together a better plan going into Pittsburgh.”
Gannon later corrected himself when he mentioned his players’ effort, saying, “That’s probably the wrong statement by me because they come out and they battle, and they tee it up. It was the emotion and enthusiasm of the game, I felt like we were just a little deflated and that’s on me. So, I’ve got to look with a critical eye how we set up this week because it wasn’t good enough.”
It won’t be a matter of tearing everything down, he said. He and the players trust the weekly process of getting ready for games. It’s the in-between nuances that might be altered just to try and bring an extra lift.
Maybe it’s just about making some changes for change’s sake. But Gannon sounded serious when he said he wants to make sure the Cardinals play with more energy and emotion. Left tackle D.J. Humphries wasn’t sure how to respond to that when asked about it after the game.
“Honestly, I just try to focus on my energy and those moments because that’s the best way I can help the team is by making sure my energy is high, making sure I’m doing what the team needs me to do. It’s kind of hard for me to assess that in those moments because I’m trying to make sure I’m giving the team what they need from me.
“That’s more of a head coach thing because he can see the whole overview. For me, I’m just going to tunnel vision on what I need to do.”
With five games left in the regular season and nothing much to play for besides pride, will the Cardinals fall into a tailspin to finish out the year or will they come back re-energized, keep putting up the good fight and refuse to hang their heads?
“Just get better,” wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown said when asked what the team's mindset has to be down the stretch. “I feel like individually and collectively, get better and keep playing as a team, stay together, and I feel like we’ll be all right.”
More on the game: Arizona Cardinals hammered at home by Los Angeles Rams and RB Kyren Williams
What went right for the Arizona Cardinals
Absolutely nothing: Say it again. Ok, absolutely nothing.
What went wrong for the Arizona Cardinals
The offense fizzled after the opening drive: After the Rams scored on the game’s first possession, the Cardinals answered right back with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by Murray’s short run and the subsequent two-point conversion.
Arizona got nothing on its next nine possessions, however. The Cardinals went three-and-out four times, four-and out-once, punted twice, had a field goal wiped out by a penalty and a missed field goal.
“We moved it down seamlessly, executed at a high level, punched it in, then it just kind of went downhill from there,” Murray said. “It wasn’t good football. Didn’t execute. They got the better of us pretty much. There’s nothing other to say than we got beat.”
The Cardinals didn’t score again until there was 5:12 left to play when Murray hit Greg Dortch for a 6-yard touchdown pass. Murray’s pass to Brown on the two-point try was intercepted by Derion Kendrick.
“I’m sure (the Rams) made some plays, but we’ve got to get some rhythm and gets some first downs so we can sustain drives and we can get plays off that are good that accentuate our guys,” Gannon said. “It’s hard when you’re going three and out and the scoreboard is ticking on the other side. That’s deflating.”
Where was the run defense?: The last time the Cardinals met the Rams, L.A. was held to just five rushing yards in the first half before exploding for 174 yards in the second half. This time, again behind Kyren Williams, the Rams had 94 rushing yards by halftime.
They went on to rush 33 times overall for a staggering 228 yards. Williams, who finished with 158 yards in the last meeting, did most of the damage with 143 yards on 16 carries. Royce Freeman chipped in nicely with 77 yards on 13 carries, including a 23-yard touchdown.
“Yeah, not good enough obviously,” Gannon said. “I think they had over 100 yards in explosive yards, not just the total run game but the explosive runs. Missed hit here, bad technique here, bad call here. It’s all of us together. It’s never one thing. Run defense is all 11, but we’ve got to play better in the run game.”
Going for it on fourth-and-2 backfired: After two straight three-and-outs, the Cardinals were facing fourth-and-2 at their own 48 at the two-minute warning of the first half. Trailing 14-8, they could have punted it and hoped their defense held.
Instead, it backfired like it usually has this season on fourth down. Murray’s pass to Trey McBride was knocked away by Jordan Fuller and the Rams went 48 yards on just four plays. Stafford’s third touchdown pass of the half, this one a 15-yard screen to Williams, made it 21-8.
“Didn’t execute,” Murray said, adding he probably should have thrown the ball to Rondale Moore, who was open. “Last read, late, but you’ve got an internal clock in your head as a quarterback. It’s tough, but we’ll be better.”
The Cards were successful on a fake punt during the first possession of the third quarter, but overall, they’ve been bad on fourth-down conversions, doing it just eight times on 25 attempts for the worst conversion percentage in the league.
The 56-yard FG that was good, but wasn’t: After three, three-and-outs and one four-and-out by the Cardinals’ offense, a Jalen Thompson interception of a Stafford pass gave Arizona one last shot to score some points at the end of the first half with just 3 seconds remaining.
Matt Prater made a 56-yard field goal, but a holding penalty on the Cardinals nullified the kick, the three points came off the board and the clock expired.
Did you notice?
— Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis elevated rookie cornerback Kei’Trel Clark to the starting lineup, which shifted the struggling Marco Wilson to the bench. Clark began the season as a starter opposite Wilson until he, too, began to struggle.
Wilson, who entered Sunday’s game allowing a passer rating of 138.8 when targeted, allowed eight receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 11 targets last week in the loss to Houston.
Also starting at cornerback was rookie Starling Thomas V, an undrafted free agent. Thomas, however, suffered an ankle injury during the second quarter and did not return. He was replaced by Divaad Wilson, who was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday.
Cardinals offense: Kyler Murray remains positive about his play vs. the Rams
— Murray operated under center five times during Arizona’s opening touchdown drive. After that, he was almost exclusively in shotgun formation.
“We did what we thought was the best way to attack that defense and win the game,” Gannon said, defending the limited snaps under center by Murray.
— Rookie quarterback Clayton Tune was used once again in a goal line situation and converted. Following Murray’s touchdown run in the first quarter, the Rams were called for illegal motion on the point after so the Cardinals accepted the penalty and decided to go for two.
Tune punched it in on the QB sneak to give Arizona an 8-7 lead. He’ll keep getting plays in these sort of short-yardage packages near the goal line, especially considering Murray is returning from his ACL tear.
The grades for Arizona Cardinals vs. L.A. Rams
Offense (D-): Two touchdowns and nothing else isn’t going to get it done in the NFL. The Cardinals didn’t have any turnovers on offense but going nine straight possessions without a score of any kind was simply brutal. Arizona also finished with just 72 total rushing yards and James Conner ran just six times for 47 yards.
Defense (D): The Cardinals allowed way too many explosive plays whether it was through the air or via the run game and it cost them. Arizona forced L.A. to punt only two times. Surrendering six touchdowns will get you beat every time. On a positive note, safety Jalen Thompson had an interception, but the pass rush generated no sacks.
Special teams (D): A holding penalty negated Prater’s 56-yard field goal near the end of the first half and in the third, he missed wide right on a field goal from the same distance. Punter Blake Gillikin did pick up a first down by running 10 yards on a fake punt, but the drive stalled and ended with a punt.
They said it: Quotes from Los Angeles Rams-Arizona Cardinals Week 12 game
Personnel notes
Safety Budda Baker played in his 100th NFL game for the Cardinals on Sunday. The only other player on the roster to have played in 100 games for the franchise is long snapper Aaron Brewer.
With his first-quarter rushing touchdown, Murray has now rushed for a touchdown in all three games he’s played since returning from a torn ACL. Sunday’s 2-yard keeper for a score was the 26th rushing touchdown of his career, which tied Ernie Nevers for eighth place on the franchise’s all-time list for career rushing touchdowns.
With both a rushing and passing touchdown, Murray now has 18 such games to his credit. He’s tied with Daunte Culpepper for third-most in NFL history in a player’s first five seasons.
Up next
The Cardinals hit the road for the seventh time this season, still in search of their first victory away from home when they meet the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Kickoff is 11 a.m. (Arizona time). Arizona has lost 10 straight road games dating back to last season, when its last win away from home came Nov. 13 at the Rams.
This will be the 62nd meeting in the all-time series with Pittsburgh holding 35-23-3 edge. The Steelers, who improved to 7-4 with a 16-10 victory Sunday over the Bengals, have won four straight games against the Cardinals, including Super Bowl 43.
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. with Roc and Manuch on Fox Sports 910-AM.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Nothing went right for Arizona Cardinals in loss to LA Rams
