The Consensus Week 12: Cardinals almost unanimously last
Nov 21, 2018, 6:55 AM | Updated: 8:01 am
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
So much for positive growth.
After the Arizona Cardinals rallied for a fourth-quarter comeback win over San Francisco and gave Kansas City a game, many thought Steve Wilks’ team was ready to take a step forward in their development.
As Lee Corso would say, “not so fast, my friend.”
The Cardinals lost at home to the inept Oakland Raiders 23-21 Sunday at State Farm Stadium, convincing almost everyone that they’re the worst team in the NFL.
Here’s a grim look at the Cardinals’ spot in various NFL Power Rankings we track from around the internet.
Low Ranking: #32 – Everyone else
Average Ranking: 31.9
| Outlet | Rankings | Cardinals’ Rank | Movement | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Arizona Sports NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Cardinals hit bottom | The worst Cardinals team since they’ve been in the desert. | ||
 |
NFL Week 11 Power Rankings: Season-defining stats for every defense | Thankful for: David Johnson. There’ll be a lot of coal in the Cardinals’ stocking this holiday season after a 2-8 start, but their one bright spot — like star on top of the tree bright — is their star running back, especially during the past few games under the direction of interim offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Johnson has been much better in the three games since Leftwich took over. On Sunday, he had 137 rushing yards. That came a week after he had 183 yards from scrimmage. Johnson is playing as close to his 2016 All-Pro level as he has all season, and that’s thanks largely to Leftwich. | ||
 |
NFL Power Rankings, Week 11: Packers rise; Patriots, Eagles fall | Would love to type that the Cardinals wouldn’t have lost if David Johnson’s would-be home run in the fourth quarter had stood. But that was one egregious hold by tight end Ricky Seals-Jones, nullifying D.J.’s 57-yard scamper. (Johnson also sprinted for 53 yards earlier in the quarter.) While that penalty definitely hurt, and while the passing game was anemic, the culprit Sunday was the defense deflating on the Raiders’ final possession. Arizona keeps tallying up sacks, with 33 on the season (third in the NFL), including four on Sunday and two more from Chandler Jones. Sacks are sexy. Coverage wins games. | ||
 |
NFL Power Rankings Poll: Saints Still No. 1, Bears Leap to No. 6 | That loss to Oakland may prove to be beneficial this spring. Could have moved up in the power rankings, in my opinion. | ||
 |
NFL power rankings: Rams, Chiefs switch spots after Monday night classic | If they can’t beat Oakland, you can pencil them in for 2-14. Aside from Detroit at home, Cards will be massive underdogs rest of way. | ||
 |
NFL Power Rankings: Chiefs and Rams put on a show, but the Saints take the top spot | Losing like that stinks but the loss to the Raiders might end up landing Arizona the first pick of the draft. That eases some of the pain. | ||
 |
NFL Week 12 Power Rankings: Cowboys are the team to beat in the NFC East after two impressive road wins | Josh Rosen makes some big-time plays, but also some big mistakes. It’s all about 2019 now. | ||
 |
Week 12 power rankings | It’s going to take a lot of work to get this team out of the basement of the NFC West. | ||
 |
NFL Power Rankings: B/R’s Expert Consensus Rank for Every Team Entering Week 12 | Just when you think the Arizona Cardinals might finally be building something. Just when you think rookie quarterback Josh Rosen might be getting a head of steam. Just when you think that maybe the Cardinals aren’t as bad as their record. The team goes and loses at home to the Oakland Raiders. This game was a stark reminder that outside of receiver Larry Fitzgerald and running back David Johnson, the Arizona offense is putrid. Rosen had an awful game Sunday against a bad defense, completing just 45 percent of his passes with a pair of interceptions. Arizona was outplayed in just about every statistical category and again came up short of 300 total yards. | ||
 |
NFL power rankings Week 12: How the Rams’ win over the Chiefs shakes things up | The Cardinals lost to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, which has them hitting rock bottom in this week’s rankings. |
