Cardinals didn’t play or coach to win in loss to Vikings

The Cardinals return from Minnesota with suitcases and emotional baggage. The overhead bins must’ve been loaded with regret.

They lost to the Vikings, 23-22, in a game that could’ve catapulted their playoff hopes. It was a game they deserved to win.

But they didn’t play to win. They didn’t coach to win, at least not on offense. And the latter gambit failed spectacularly.

Slim are the margins for error in the NFL. If the Cardinals defense could’ve come up with one fourth-down stop … if they could’ve prevented a touchdown on the Vikings’ final possession … we would be raving about their heart and their grit and their audacity.

For sure, when head coach Jonathan Gannon opted for a field goal on fourth down from the Vikings’ 4-yard line with just over three minutes remaining in the game, he made the safe bet. The Cardinals defense had been spectacular for most of the afternoon. They might be one of the best defenses at manufacturing a pass rush and scheming sacks in recent memory. Mack Wilson Sr. seems to be invisible when blitzing the quarterback.

Except Gannon also chose to give the ball to the home team in a hostile environment, which certainly influences late-game officiating. And he gave the ball to a team with a reputation for winning games late, and an offense with a superstar performer in Justin Jefferson.

I will not criticize Gannon for eschewing a two-point conversion following a third-quarter touchdown, even though that single point also looks enormous in retrospect. But there was still 19:37 left in the game at the point. Unless one is truly desperate, I do not believe in coaches scrambling to make up for lost points before the fourth quarter arrives.

But Gannon should’ve gone for the touchdown with 3:23 left in the game. It was his chance to put the game away, to put his faith in the offense and stuff the Vikings in the locker. Even if it failed, Minnesota would have to travel 90-plus yards to win the game. The other consideration:

If the Vikings entered their last possession only needing a field goal to tie, maybe they play more conservatively. Maybe the game comes down to the foot of Minnesota’s rookie kicker, for a franchise with a history of missing huge field goal attempts. I’d take that risk.

Instead, it all combusted in our faces, ruining what could’ve been a football weekend for the ages in the Valley. Coupled with Seattle’s fourth-quarter rally to beat the Jets on Sunday, and the turn of events may prove very costly come January. It certainly makes the next game (home vs. Seattle) a must-win proposition for the Cardinals.

What a shame. For most of the afternoon, Kyler Murray did wonderful things and made wonderful throws. Trey McBride posted his second consecutive game with 12 receptions and is now a legitimate NFL star. The Cardinals outrushed the Vikings 154-68. Marvin Harrison Jr. shook off some early struggles to post five catches and a touchdown reception. Meanwhile, the defense forced two early fumbles from Vikings’ running back Aaron Jones, which led to his early benching. And they did something rarely accomplished in Minnesota.

They made one of the loudest fan bases in the NFL go mute.

Alas, by the end of the game, Arizona’s defense was also running on fumes. The Vikings’ final three drives accumulated 70 yards in six plays; 55 yards in nine plays; and 70 yards in eight plays. And when Murray and the offense got the ball back with a chance to win, they were overwhelmed and swallowed up by the opponent, the crowd and the magnitude of moment.

That’s why you go for the throat when the other team is down. And in the end, you hope this is just a lesson learned and not a season squandered.

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

Follow @danbickley