Cardinals losing the plot, fanbase with consecutive blowout losses to divisional foes
Nov 16, 2025, 6:52 PM
GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals are losing more than football games. They’ve lost the plot, their roadmap and the civic trust that once fueled their rebuilding efforts.
Their identity is missing. Their fight is waning. Their mistakes are piling up.
A 41-22 loss to the 49ers on Sunday confirmed growing suspicions in the Valley: our NFL franchise is again on the decline, poorly coached and badly outmatched in the NFC West.
“We’re beating ourselves right now,” said Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. “That falls on me.”
Asked about his oft-repeated postgame message, Gannon said the following:
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“I’m the head coach and obviously not doing a good enough job right now.”
Possibly looking for fresh energy at home, the Cardinals opened the roof at State Farm Stadium. While it improved the aesthetics, it did not help the collective performance.
The Cardinals committed special teams blunders, including a 98-yard kickoff return straight up the gut to start the game. Six minutes later, they were staring at a double-digit deficit, just like they did in the previous week’s shellacking at Seattle.
Their identity as a disciplined, intelligent and violent team no longer exists. The Cardinals produced more penalties (11) than points (10) in the first half. They have gone from one of the least penalized teams in 2024 to one of the worst in 2025. They surely lead the league in near interceptions.
Then it got really ugly.
On the opening possession of the second half, the Cardinals were flagged for an illegal shift for not having all 11 players set at the time of the snap. That’s an unforced mental error typically assigned to teams that have checked out. And on fourth-and-1, a 60-yard touchdown run from Bam Knight was eclipsed by a holding penalty, the team’s 13th violation in the first 32 minutes. They finished with 17 penalties, a new franchise record, for a total of 130 yards.
Meanwhile, quarterback Jacoby Brissett completed an NFL-record 47 passes for 452 yards. Michael Wilson had 15 receptions and shined as WR1, and the Cardinals actually outgained the 49ers by 207 yards. And they still lost convincingly. Disgusting.
Even worse: After losing their first five games by 14 combined points, the Cardinals are a minus-41 in the past two weeks, outscored by a margin of 85-44.
“You want to go out and play well at home and get back into the mix,” Gannon said. “And we didn’t do that.”
The game marked the second time the teams played in Glendale in 2025. The first meeting came in Week 18 of the previous season, a rollicking 47-24 victory for the Cardinals that put a temporary band-aid on another late-season collapse.
Now, the mood is much darker. After a second consecutive blowout loss to a division rival, the Cardinals are stacking embarrassments and alienating their fan base, many of whom streamed out of the stadium with 12 minutes left in the game. Given the impending divorce with Kyler Murray, they already need a new franchise quarterback for the future.
It appears they need a lot more than that. Maybe even a new direction and a new set of leaders.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
