Rapid Reactions: Cardinals’ offense struggles in loss to Lions

After an inspiring win over the Green Bay Packers last week, the Arizona Cardinals returned to their old ways on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

The offense could only manage three points against a Lions defense that had allowed 30 points or more in two of its past four games.

Steve Wilks’ hot seat may have even gotten even hotter with the loss, the sixth in seven home games this season.

The Cardinals fell to 3-10 while the Lions improved to 5-8.

Here are the rapid reactions from the 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station hosts.

Dave Burns, co-host of Burns & Gambo

Uninspiring is probably the word. But the word that is stuck in my head right at this moment is boring. That was one of the most boring football games I’ve ever watched.

It was so disappointing to see the Cardinals lacking that competitive juice that surprised us all from a week ago.

The win over Green Bay led some to think that not only were back to back wins on the horizon but that this team could actually be capable of breaking through to the five-win threshold. Hardly inspiring territory but consider where this team has been most of the year.

What we got was more in line with what we’ve seen most of the year. David Johnson did nothing to make you believe he’s turned a corner. Same for Josh Rosen. Though it doesn’t help when he has to hold a weekly “get to know you” session with his offensive line. A receiver room thinning by the day isn’t helping either. But he failed to generate any kind of a consistent offensive attack at home against a Lions team that was wearing out their blue injury tent on the sideline.

Detroit has a decent defense, but they’re not that good and it’s fair to demand the Cards be a little more competitive against a team like that. Particularly at home.

They weren’t. And now all the things that were seemingly off the table – the top pick, the future of Wilks – is back on.

John Gambadoro, co-host of Burns & Gambo

What a finish. The Dolphins stunned the Patriots on a 69-yard pass and double lateral that culminated in Kenyan Drake going the final 52 yards past a diving Rob Gronkowski near the goal line on the final play of the game in one of the most dramatic endings to a game you will ever see. They are calling in the Miracle in Miami.

And here in Arizona the Cardinals put up a whopping three points at home vs the Lions. Their punter, Andy Lee, unloaded for 299 yards on six punts.

All I could think about on the way out of the building was that I just witnessed the SF at the SF: The Snooze Fest at State Farm.

No, seriously, I almost nodded off like six times in the press box. I thought I heard Dan Bickley snoring next to me once or twice. This game was just flat out boring.

You want positives? Joe Barksdale played well at right tackle. I was very impressed by what he did. Trent Sherfield had 5 catches for 77 yards and it will be nice to see him get some more targets in these final three games.

Other than that there is not much to say.

Rosen didn’t get hurt but the more I watch him, the more I wonder if he is going to be late for his own wedding. He is late on almost every pass.

The Cardinals held the opposing quarterback to 101 yards receiving and lost. They held the Lions’ top rusher to 54 yards and lost — although almost all of them were on the back-breaking touchdown drive to put the game away in the fourth quarter.

Plain and simple, it was painful to watch. 2018 has not been kind to the Cardinals — can’t wait to get a new calendar.

Kevin Zimmerman, ArizonaSports.com editor and reporter

For the first time in three games coming off a victory, the Cardinals had a home game against a struggling team. They looked like they had reasonably high odds to build on a road win against the Packers.

Instead, they followed it with another performance that erased any good feelings. Arizona fell at home to a Detroit team that came in banged up and left with six players out for the game. The Cardinals were the ones looking like they were playing a 6 a.m. game after a flight to England with backups taking snaps across the board.

Arizona’s defense actually held up well for most of the night before a game-sealing drive by the Lions put them away in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the offense sputtered anytime it got a whiff of enemy territory.

Detroit zeroed in on David Johnson and the screen game. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was left with no choice but to repeatedly call for runs up the gut to no avail. And a makeshift offensive line couldn’t do much in any phase.

The Cardinals didn’t have any excuses. The Lions — or what’s left of them — outplayed and outcoached them.

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