The Consensus Week 12: Cardinals see significant slide after loss to Seattle
Nov 25, 2020, 6:50 AM
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
It was a tough loss at the hands of a division foe for the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football.
The Cardinals had a chance to extend their lead over the Seahawks in the NFC West, but instead see themselves in third place behind both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle.
Adding to the 28-21 loss to Seattle, second-year quarterback Kyler Murray sustained a shoulder injury in the game.
It’s been reported that Murray should be fine for his next start, but the injury and the defeat were weighed heavily across national power rankings. All but two of the outlets included below dropped Arizona at least four spots.
The Cardinals will look to flip the switch this Sunday against the New England Patriots.
| Outlet | Rankings | Cardinals’ Rank | Movement | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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NFL Power Rankings Week 12: 1-32 poll, plus what each team is thankful for |
Without Murray playing like he has, regardless of his ups and downs, the Cardinals wouldn’t be 6-4 and in the playoff picture. He has bailed out the Cardinals’ offense and coach Kliff Kingsbury on many occasions by using his legs to make plays, get first downs and score touchdowns when a play has broken down. He has been able to read the defense a specific way on an RPO or when Kingsbury has called a designed run. As Kingsbury said recently, Murray has covered for a lot mistakes and made them right. And, for that, Cardinals fans should be saying extra thanks this Thanksgiving. | ||
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NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Rams enter top five, Ravens exit top 10 |
There are plenty of positive ways to describe the Cardinals on offense, but “balanced” would not be one of them. This is a team whose success or failure is almost entirely dependent on the greatness of Kyler Murray. The second-year quarterback struggled to find his groove against the Seahawks on Thursday night, then suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder in a 28-21 loss. Murray has a sprained AC joint, an issue that’s not expected to keep him out of action. That said, Kliff Kingsbury likely de-emphasized Murray in the running game to protect him against Seattle. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues when Arizona returns from its mini-bye. Quarterbacks and shoulder injuries can be a lethal combination. | ||
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NFL Power Rankings: Chiefs Take Top Spot, Saints Will Be Just Fine Without Brees |
Every NFL team walks a tightrope, but had the Cardinals not gotten a Hail Mary to beat an already-shorthanded Bills team two weeks ago, or benefitted from Russell Wilson forgetting how to play football a few weeks back, they’d be sitting at 4–6 and we’d be wondering if they’d be cleaning house this offseason. (And that’s before touching on their obscenely good fortune in the red zone this season.) Considering the current standings, and considering the investments they’ve made on the offensive side of the ball, the postseason is a must for this team. | ||
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NFL power rankings: Who rates as best and worst teams in lowly NFC East? |
First-rounder Isaiah Simmons is slowly starting to establish himself, recording his first sack Thursday as his playing time finally trends upward. | ||
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NFL Power Rankings: Ravens’ playoff hopes are precarious as they face Steelers on Thanksgiving |
Everyone loves Larry Fitzgerald and he’s heading to the Hall of Fame. But he is averaging a career-low 7.8 yards per target, yet led Arizona with 10 targets last week in a loss at Seattle. He had 62 yards on those targets. He hasn’t scored or had a catch longer than 18 yards this season, yet he’s playing 80.3 percent of Arizona’s offensive snaps. There comes a time when a team has to make hard decisions about a legend within the franchise. | ||
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NFL Week 12 Power Rankings: Struggling Ravens plummet, Colts soar to No. 4, top three unchanged |
They come off their loss to the Seahawks with a long, tough trip to play the Patriots. The offense needs to get back on track after a subpar showing against Seattle. | ||
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PFT’s Week 12 2020 power rankings |
The margin for error is shrinking, and they still have three games in the division. | ||
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NFL Power Rankings: B/R’s Expert Consensus Rank for Every Team Entering Week 12 |
Week 11 was an opportunity for the Arizona Cardinals to make a true statement. One week after the team’s thrilling “Hail Murray” win over the Buffalo Bills, Kyler Murray and the Cardinals were presented with a chance to open up a lead on the Seattle Seahawks by sweeping the season series. That didn’t happen—the Cardinals fell by seven Thursday night. | ||
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NFL power rankings: Seahawks, Browns, Colts look playoff-ready; Patriots, Vikings back to reality for Week 12 |
The Cardinals’ defense has been an issue all season and it can catch up to them when facing more explosive offenses. Kyler Murray will keep passing and running around well with a favorable schedule, but they will need to keep winning high-scoring games. | ||
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NFL Power Rankings: The Saints Are Great No Matter Who Plays Quarterback |
The Contenders; 7. Buffalo Bills (7-3), 8. Green Bay Packers (7-3), 9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4), 10. Seattle Seahawks (7-3), 11. Arizona Cardinals (6-4), 12. Miami Dolphins (6-4), 13. Baltimore Ravens (6-4), 14. Cleveland Browns (7-3), 15. Las Vegas Raiders (6-4). | ||
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Arizona Sports NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Steelers reign, Cards drop |
Another missed opportunity to make a statement following an improbable win. They’re a Hail Murray away from being on a three-game losing streak. |
