Rapid reactions: Cardinals’ comeback attempt falls short in TNF loss vs. Seahawks

Arizona’s comeback attempt against the Seattle Seahawks fell short as Seattle’s Jason Myers kicked a walk-off field goal to beat the Cardinals 23-20 in Glendale on Thursday.

The loss marked the second consecutive game Cardinals lost on a last-second field goal after losing to the 49ers on Sunday. The Cardinals also fell to 0-2 against NFC West opponents with the loss.

The Cardinals’ offense struggled for most of the game prior to the fourth quarter, highlighted by receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.‘s bobble in the second quarter that led to an interception. Harrison did bounce back in the second half to finish the game with six catches with 66 yards and a touchdown.

Arizona Sports hosts give their reactions to the Cardinals’ loss:

Rapid Reactions: Cardinals lose to Seahawks

Vince Marrotta, co-host of Bickley & Marrotta:

On Bickley & Marotta on Thursday, Sammy Cibulka said weird things always happen in Cardinals-Seahawks games in Glendale.

He was absolutely right. That was one weird football game.

I went from thinking that the Cardinals were going to get blown out, to feeling they had no business being in a tie game with under :30 to go, to feeling like they let one slip through their fingers because of a TERRIBLE special teams play in a crucial spot. It all spells a 23-20 Seahawks win as they continue their absolute domination of this rivalry.

The Seahawks came in with a lot of pub about their defense over the first three weeks of the season. It’s good. But the Cardinals’ offense was abominable for most of the game. Arizona’s first nine drives produced six points and 137 yards. Their last two covered 130 and both ended in touchdowns. After their second touchdown drive, which was capped by a Kyler Murray-to-Emari Demercado touchdown pass that tied the game, Chad Ryland inexplicably missed the landing zone on his kickoff, giving the Seahawks — who only needed a field goal to win — possession at the 40-yard line. Granted, this may be the dumbest part of the uber-dumb dynamic kickoff rules the NFL is so proud of, but missing the landing zone is absolutely unacceptable.

Seattle got 26 yards on four plays and Jason Myers ended it with a 52-yard field goal as time expired.

Credit to the Cardinals for staying in the game. Credit to the defense for keeping them in it while the offense floundered. And yeah, the two scoring drives were very encouraging, but this offense still looked broken for three quarters. For the fourth straight week, Arizona gained less than 300 yards of offense. The Cardinals haven’t endured a streak like that since the last four games of the 2018 season — you remember the one under head coach Steve Wilks that ended in three wins.

Marvin Harrison Jr. had one of the strangest single games you’ll ever see a receiver have. He cut off a route in the first half, leading to a Kyler Murray interception. He juggled another ball that should have been caught that led to another pick. Then in the second half, he made a beautiful high-point touchdown catch and had a key third-down reception on the game-tying touchdown drive.

One thing has been constant this season — even in the two wins: the Cardinals still struggle to close games. They proved that again Thursday night.

Dave Burns, co-host of Burns & Gambo:

An embarrassing display morphed into something that perhaps you can build off of. Which of those do you want to focus on tonight? They’re both relevant. They both matter. Which matters more? For me, it’s the start, not the finish.

This offense is in need of a revamp and a rebrand. Seattle has an all-everything defense to be certain, but the Cardinals didn’t cross the 200-yard threshold until their last drive of the game. The plays and the players heard about it from the home crowd and it was every bit earned. Jonathan Gannon and Drew Petzing need to use this mini-bye to devise a new plan, one that incorporates wide receivers and most importantly embraces a little risk. It was encouraging to hear Gannon suggest that the status quo can’t be the status moving forward.

And while hope is never a strategy, they have to hope that Marvin Harrison Jr. can be a part of it. As Kyler put it on Thursday night, he needs Harrison; they all do. If the fourth quarter was some sort of an awakening with just a splash of redemption, perhaps there is something useful you can take from this game after all.

Kellan Olson, co-host of Arizona Sports at Night:

Well, that was inventive. A matchup between two football teams that continuously defies belief met that expectation once more. Roller coasters are usually challenging to have too many takeaways in, but to repeat a theme from my observations in this space early in the season, Chad Ryland picking up that flag is something competent football teams do not do. The Cardinals keep failing that identity test.

What we can gleam from Marvin Harrison Jr.’s evening is that he reached his breaking point, one that looks all mental, the worst place for any young player with potential to be. How much his bounce-back efforts in the fourth quarter will get him out of that headspace becomes the No. 1 thing to watch next week. But the fact that he can reach that breaking point is notable.

The running game continues to be a non-factor, to the point where the Cardinals abandoned it almost entirely. They fielded far less jumbo personnel with two or three tight ends, attempting to space out the field more, only to persist in the latest dink-and-dunkathon. That did not do the trick.

Right guard Isaiah Adams, another recent draft pick with some level of hype, is having a rough, rough season. The best vertical passing threat this team has through four weeks is trying to bait pass interference penalties. And Trey Benson’s first start in place of the injured James Conner included him getting usurped late by Emari Demercado and Michael Carter, which happened after Benson initially held the third-down back job that in theory means he is trusted in the elements required on those drives.

The defense is what will keep those still with optimism hanging on, although those folks might as well be dangling from that cliff now.

Tyler Drake, Cardinals reporter:

A walk off loss to the Seattle Seahawks looks better in the box score, but the overall optics certainly don’t feel that way. This one felt over early.

Again, the Cardinals’ offense fell flat, flexing its liabilities in the run game and failing to see more consistency out of Marvin Harrison Jr. Now, he deserves some credit for bouncing back on the national stage after looking absolutely lost out there in the first half, but he’s clearly still leaving a lot on the field.

The offensive line, meanwhile, is doing the offense no favors. Is Will Hernandez’s return even enough? It’s tough to tell right now.

Quarterback Kyler Murray said it best postgame: It feels like “(Expletive’s) loading” when it comes to the offense through three quarters. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon spoke on adapting and evaluating the next step for the unit, too. That’s gotta be more than just lip service.

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