Calais Campbell’s heroics can’t make up for offensive woes in loss to 49ers
The Cardinals offense again lagged behind for a third straight week. Not even Calais Campbell's late-game heroics could make up for it.
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Three games into the regular season, the concerns regarding the Arizona Cardinals offense are still very much there after a 16-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
And that was before watching running back James Conner go down with a nasty ankle injury that has extended absence written all over it based on the optics.
Failing again to get much traction in the run game — even before Conner was carted off — the Cardinals struggled to find offensive consistency through four quarters of play.
And that’s before mentioning bad drops by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emari Demercado, or the multiple penalties shooting the offense in the foot.
Arizona got away with a lot of offensive slop against Carolina and New Orleans, two teams that should be at the bottom of the standings at years end.
Against San Francisco? Not even Calais Campbell’s late-game heroics could turn the tide.
Despite all the twists and turns throughout the game, the big man once again delivered in a critical situation.
Calais Campbell draws a hold in the end zone which results in a safety!
The @AZCardinals defense keeps making plays 😤
AZvsSF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/53qWELgiSH
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
With 3:25 left to play and the 49ers deep in their own territory, Campbell drew a holding call in the end zone resulting in a safety in a tie game.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Campbell averaged a 0.70-second get-off time against the 49ers. He had five pressures on 24 pass rushes.
It wasn’t just Campbell who had his fingerprints all over this game, either.
Pass rusher Josh Sweat set the tone from the jump with an early sack and plenty of pressures on 49ers quarterback Mac Jones.
Mack Wilson Sr. deserves his flowers, too, for his role in forcing a turnover on downs behind a massive fourth-down stop (and hit) on running back Christian McCaffrey.
The @AZCardinals defense said NO on 4th down 😤
AZvsSF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/LJZiRtzAJ5
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Dadrion “Rabbit” Taylor-Demerson was also huge late, coming down with an interception in the fourth quarter just when it looked like San Francisco might run away with it.
But at the end of the day, the loss again falls squarely on the offense after not being able to close things out late.
Heading into a short week of prep before taking on the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, things need to change in a hurry if this team hopes to live up to preseason expectations.
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Comments
29 Comments
It's an old criticism of K1 (you K1 defenders, get over it) but you cannot help but wonder how much his height prevents him from seeing his reads and then needing to run around like a scared squirrel looking for someone to throw to. Not to mention the pass attempts that get knocked back in his face by the pass rush.
I'm not one of these Murray apologists, he's not a top QB. But neither is he a bad QB, he's average and you can win with him. He did have a few bone head plays today, but nothing agregious and he made enough plays to win the game today. Drops and terrible play calling is what did them in, players need to make plays (Demarcado, MHJ and Zay).
In reference to your last point, they did try to pound the rock today, and honestly to their detriment. Petzig loves to just run right up the gut, as if Wolfley is in his ear the whole game.
Kyler Murray would be a star in flag football but is a weak NFL quarterback.
Kyler Murray can not step up into the pocket.
Instead of releasing the ball like a catcher or a tavern dart player he winds up like a starting baseball pitcher. His long release telegraphs the throw.
Murray really can't zip the ball.
He doesn't really throw good timing passes to the sidelines.
Let's be real. Lets tell it like it is. Murray's height prevents him from adequately scanning the whole field quickly and making a good pass.
His large contract clouds the Cardinals thinking. If he was making a $500k instead of millions we would bench him or cut him.
Sorry for this rant but like Bradley Beal, after this season the Cardinals should eat his contract and move on.