Takeaways: Cardinals Aren't Ready to Compete

The Arizona Cardinals somehow put forth an even worse effort than their showing against Washington.

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (33) runs for a first down against Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) in the third quarter during their football game Sunday, October 13, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ARIZONA--The Cardinals suffered a humiliating defeat at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, losing to an explosive Packers squad by a score of 34-13.

After an impressive, disciplined upset over the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, the Cardinals responded in the way they often do--looking completely unprepared for a relatively beatable opponent.

That's not to say Jordan Love and company didn't perform well - they executed on all possible levels. But the Cardinals gave them an unacceptably wide margin for error, and got away from disciplined, smart play from the start.

Here are the biggest takeaways from a day that proves the Cardinals simply aren't prepared for contention yet.

Discipline is Still an Issue

Penalties

The Cardinals came into week six as the NFL's least-penalized team. That has been a contributing factor to their ability to compete and execute on both sides of the ball. Today, the Cardinals were flagged 13 times, for 100 yards worth of penalty yards.

It was likely there would be a reversion to the mean - playing clean football is hard to sustain, especially when both units are beset by injuries. A few of the penalties were poor calls, including an egregious 15-yard personal foul on Krys Barnes, who made no forcible contact with Love.

That is to be expected when playing the Packers in Lambeau - but as a whole, the Cardinals were completely undisciplined, and committed unnecessary penalties in big moments.

Turnovers

Earlier this week, I wrote that the Cardinals had to win the turnover battle in order to stay in this game. They did not do that.

Quarterback Kyler Murray did his part. He kept the ball out of the hands of safety Xavier McKinney. In fact, he's the first starting quarterback the Packers have faced in 2024 to not throw one to McKinney. But the Cardinals couldn't hold onto the football, and that's what ultimately kept them from sticking around.

Arizona fumbled three times, losing all three. One by Jame Conner, one by Greg Dortch, and one charged to Murray - though it was confusion by Trey Benson that caused Murray's. Two of them came deep in Green Bay territory.

That's not normal for Arizona. To look at it optimistically, that probably won't happen too many more times this season, if at all. If you supplanted a scoring drive for each turnover, it's not unlikely the Cardinals come away with a win - if not a razor-thin loss.

But what-ifs aren't wins. The offense needs to execute at a consistent level as a whole. If touchdowns - or even first downs - are more reliably achieved, Arizona can overcome uncharacteristic mistakes. But when the margin for error is close to zero, missed opportunities turn close game into blowouts.

James Conner Needs to Stay Involved

No disrespect to Kyler Murray, Trey McBride, or the fact that Marvin Harrison Jr. exited Sunday's game early with a concussion. But when Conner isn't running the ball, Arizona's offense isn't operating close to full capacity.

Conner rushed the ball just seven times for 24 yards, and caught four passes for 22 yards, but had an uncharacteristic fumble. He appeared to not be 100%, and played only a few snaps in the second half. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said post-game it was due to script, not health.

If the goal is to lose, then that script is a brilliant strategy. Conner needs to continue to be the driving engine of this offense. Rookie Trey Benson struggled greatly in his role, and the Cardinals could not find a way to capitalize even on positive drives.

Conner came into Sunday's game averaging almost five yards per carry. Unless he is injured, he needs to play the vast majority of snaps, and continue to get a heavy volume of carries.

The Defense

Arizona's defense is not up to the task of competing with NFL teams, especially offenses as good as the Packers. They once again provided a near-zero path of resistance for Jordan Love, as the Packers racked up 437 yards of offense.

That was expected, but outside of an interception on which Love's receiver slipped and fell, the Cardinals' defense couldn't make the plays they needed to.

Love completed 22 of his 32 passes, for 258 yards and four touchdowns. Arizona's pass rush could barely get to him, and when they did, the downfield coverage was as undisciplined as could be.

It's repeated every week - they need help on the D-line and in the secondary. That help likely won't come this season, depending on how much of an impact Darius Robinson will make on his return. For now, the Cardinals' offense will need to be nearly perfect - they can't rely on second-half incompetence on the part of their opponents' offense.

The Good: Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray did all he could for Arizona.

He was 22-for-32, throwing for 214 yards and a touchdown. He ran the ball seven times, but Green Bay's run defense stayed disciplined and kept him contained--more of a testament to them than an issue from Murray or the play calling.

Murray was accurate, but was under constant pressure, and penalties brought back a handful of positive plays. His offensive line - down Will Hernandez and Jonah Williams - struggled to protect. Despite this, Murray avoided throwing an interception, and didn't take a sack.

Outside of a missed throw to an open Xavier Weaver in the red zone, he was generally accurate. It was too little too late, but it was certainly encouraging to see the 27-year-old quarterback stay poised and locked in.

He didn't panic, made the right reads for the most part, and was accurate as a whole. It's not his fault his offense fumbled three scoring drives, that his defense couldn't get a stop, or that each positive play saw a penalty flag.

The Cardinals are running out of time on their leeway. Results will need to become consistent soon. Yes, the rebuild is still in progress - it's going to take a while, and it will be frustrating at times.

But what the Cardinals have shown, two weeks ago against Washington and this Sunday against Green Bay is an unacceptable, noncompetitive result, and they're past the point where this type of game should be happening.