Arizona Cardinals see all of their ghosts in loss to Buffalo

It’s just one game. But in 60 minutes of compelling yet losing football, the Cardinals saw all of their ghosts. They witnessed the sum of their fears.

During a 34-28 loss to the Bills on Sunday, the Cardinals learned:

Their defense might be underfunded and short on playmakers for the second consecutive season. They allowed 31 points in the final 33 minutes. They could not pressure the quarterback without blitzing. They allowed four touchdowns in the span of five possessions.

The Cardinals appear to have very good linebackers and excellent safeties. But General Manager Monti Ossenfort went bargain hunting for cornerbacks and pass rushers, even though the team still has a reported $26.1 million of salary cap space available. If he’s on a strict budget, shame on the owner. But if Ossenfort left his team incapable of holding 14-point leads, he must wear the failure.

The Cardinals learned their franchise quarterback can be an unstoppable force, especially at the helm of a ball-control offense. But on Sunday, there was no late-game heroics from Kyler Murray. There was no connection to Marvin Harrison Jr., who was targeted only three times.

It was a curious debut for the prized rookie, deemed so valuable that he played one token series in the preseason. A wide-open Harrison Jr. dropped his first real attempt at catching a football. Then he disappeared from the game plan. And when he broke free from coverage on the final drive, waving to Murray on his way to the end zone, a scrambling quarterback never saw him. Never looked in his direction.

Lack of cohesion or rhythm didn’t seem to be an issue in the first half. After putting most of their players in bubble wrap during the preseason, the Cardinals were crisp and dominant in the first 27 minutes. They scored on the first three possessions of a game for the first time since 2006.

Meanwhile, the home team struggled with key mistakes, false start penalties and clock management issues. The notorious Bills Mafia grew restless and angry. The difference between the discipline and readiness of the two teams couldn’t have been more profound, and the game was shaping up to be another stunning triumph for Jonathan Gannon’s crew.

But when the stakes were raised and the Cardinals’ defense sagged, the offense couldn’t meet the challenge. An injury to Jonah Williams exposed the team’s lack of depth on the offensive line, and Murray felt a dramatic increase in pressure. Drew Petzing’s play calling ranged from curious to inexplicable for most of the second half.

Finally, the Cardinals learned there are no moral victories left in the well. In 2023, Valley sports fans would’ve slow-clapped this performance – a narrow loss and a slugfest on the road against a quality team and a great quarterback.

Today, this is just another bad loss. Today, there is more anger than pride. And while the journey is just getting started, it’s very clear the honeymoon is over. As it should be.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta mornings from 6–10 a.m. on Arizona Sports.

Follow @danbickley