The Arizona Cardinals sit at a disappointing 7-9 on the season. But if you look at their losses, you can’t be too disappointed when you think big-picture.
Of their nine losses, six came against teams going to the playoffs.
They lost to the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and L.A. Rams. All those teams have at least 10 wins. And in three of those losses (Buffalo, Vikings, Rams), they had the ball at the end of the game with a chance to win.
They lost twice to the Seattle Seahawks, a team they probably should have beaten once as a division foe, and they lost to the Carolina Panthers. That was an egregious loss.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon said following the team’s loss to the Rams on Saturday, “It stings man, it does because we’re there, but we’re not there, so we’ve got to just keep working.”
They weathered season-ending injuries to three starting offensive linemen and two starting defensive linemen.
Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. has not had a bad rookie season but has not been as impactful as expected. First-round pick Darius Robinson missed most of the season.
Coming into this season, the Cardinals were expected to be improved but not yet a contender.
Expectations were raised with the four consecutive wins and 6-4 record heading into the bye.
But ultimately, they were what most thought they were. They are close, but not there yet.
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