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Cardinals Reprise Late-Game Concerns In Another Ugly Win

Alex D’Agostino Avatar

Arizona Cardinals, Calais Campbell

Is this the sort of season it’s going to be for the Arizona Cardinals?

For the second straight week, what could have easily been a stress-free waltz to the finish line turned into a nail-biter. The Cardinals found a way to make Sunday’s game as difficult as possible on themselves, hanging on just tight enough to secure a 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers in front of the State Farm Stadium crowd.

As good as a 2-0 number looks in the win/loss column, it was anything but a resounding victory.

Arizona squandered numerous chances to put the game well out of reach. Its defense sustained concerning injuries, and both units played a very undisciplined brand of football — with which head coach Jonathan Gannon is likely quite displeased.

But first: some positives.

Cardinals’ Defense Makes Early Mark

The Cardinals’ new-look defense made its presence known immediately. OLB Josh Sweat slid inside on just the third play of the game to strip-sack Panthers QB Bryce Young. Zaven Collins then found himself with the football in the end zone for the 7-0 lead.

One drive later, Mack Wilson Sr. got to Young, forcing a poor throw and allowing Baron Browning to come up with an interception

Those two plays were exactly the type of impact fans were hoping to see out of Arizona’s defense — a unit that has been more of a strength than the offense in recent days.

Arizona’s defense was excellent for the entire first half. They held Carolina to a field goal in the only Panthers drive that went further than 31 yards. Young faced pressure and the secondary looked nearly as secure as it did a week prior. If this was the reward for a defense-focused offseason, it was all worth it. But unfortunately, the consistency (and discipline) wasn’t there for the duration.

Cardinals Offense Finds Early Rhythm

While Arizona’s offense was only responsible for 20 points (for the second straight game), there was a bit more to be excited about — at least, in the middle third of the game.

The Cardinals took a 27-3 lead after back-to-back scoring drives, closing out the first half and opening the second half with impressive efforts. Kyler Murray was sharp and Arizona had the Panthers on their heels, mixing run and pass to a high level of success.

Arizona recorded just 293 total yards of offense, and 116 of them came on those two drives. Murray finished an explosive 45-yard drive with a laser of a touchdown pass to Michael Wilson in the end zone with mere seconds left in the half. He then engineered a nine-play, 71-yard drive to open the second half with a James Conner score.

For a period of time (however brief), it looked as if the Cardinals were in rhythm, spreading the ball around to their top targets and getting some legitimate push in the run game for the first time all season. A run-focused team with a dynamic quarterback was looking just like it.

But then…

Cardinals’ Self-Inflicted Wounds

…it all began to break down.

It started with a drive that could have easily been the dagger. Arizona had just given up a 14-play touchdown drive, but stuffed the Panthers’ two-point attempt. A 27-9 lead looked comfortable, especially after an electric 30-yard scramble by Murray set Arizona up at the opposing 19.

A holding penalty on Isaiah Adams set them back, and an ill-advised interception by Murray gave Carolina life. The pick was eerily reminiscent of the type of plays that doomed the Cardinals’ playoff hopes against these very same Panthers in 2024. Murray later told reporters he was trying to throw the ball away, but he was hit on the throw, forcing the turnover.

The Panthers would go on to score on back-to-back drives, and the Cardinals would only manage four yards on three plays offensively.

“I don’t want to make it a thing, but at the same time, we’ve got to be better. We’ve got to finish games, bottom line,” Murray said postgame. “You keep playing around, and you get bit. We’ve got to be better.”

Then the defensive blows began to fall. Penalty after penalty, completion underneath after completion underneath. Young couldn’t miss, and the Cardinals couldn’t catch a break as the Panthers roared back to life.

26 plays, 164 yards, two touchdowns and a successful onside kick recovery (in the year 2025). That’s what Carolina was able to execute with just over five minutes to play.

That level of utter breakdown is what well-coached teams are able to prevent — perhaps not in entirety, but at least in part.

This is not to suggest Arizona is not a well-coached team, nor that there isn’t enough talent to get the job done up front. For the first time in years, the 2025 season hinges on execution, but the execution was simply not good enough for the vast majority of the second half on Sunday.

Gannon shouldered that responsibility in his postgame interview.

“I, obviously, have to do a better job making our guys — all three phases — understand how to close games out, because that’s two in a row now we’re not doing a good enough job.

“That falls strictly on me, so I’ve got a lot of work to do… we’ve got to do better there,” Gannon said. “I’m glad we’re 2-0, but we’ve got a long way to go.”

But ultimately Arizona’s defense stepped up in the final drive. Calais Campbell — in his homecoming game — delivered the final blow on fourth down, but not before the Cardinals committed four defensive penalties to extend a drive that could have been squelched in the minimum number of plays.

Perhaps thankfully, the Cardinals do have a long way to go. There are still 15 games left to play, and Arizona clearly has not even scraped its own ceiling. What can be said in their favor is that they ultimately did hold, despite all of the adversity and self-inflicted wounds.

Think for a moment: do the 2023 and 2024 iterations of this franchise manage to win either of the Cardinals’ ugly victories this season?

Winning ugly isn’t the problem. Consistency could be. If the Cardinals can win ugly consistently, it’s just a matter of how long fans can handle the high blood pressure. But at a certain stage, clean late-game execution becomes the separating factor between true contenders and those that bounce out of the Wild Card round — or earlier.

It’s fair to praise the resilience, but Arizona needs to find a way to end games on its own terms.