Takeaways: Cardinals Defense is Major Problem

The Arizona Cardinals lost their first game of 2024 on a plethora of late-game mistakes, despite playing tight with a tough opponent in the Buffalo Bills.

Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) gets sacked by a Buffalo Bills defender during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- If there was such a thing as a good loss, the Arizona Cardinals' 34-28 week one loss was anything but that.

With that in mind, there were certainly some positives, and the Cardinals certainly played very close to a Buffalo Bills team that's contended for the last several years, but ultimately this was a winnable game lost by poor decision-making and execution as the game progressed.

Here are the main takeaways from another week one Cardinals loss.

Cardinals Offense Will Be Diverse

Marvin Harrison Jr. recorded one reception for four yards. That doesn't seem likely to become a dangerous trend of yet, and it also speaks to a positive outlook, and the variety of ways for Kyler Murray to keep the offense moving.

Eight different players recorded a reception, led by Greg Dortch's six catches for 47 yards. That's not necessarily a bad sign, as it forced the Bills to stay on their toes for the majority of the first half. Quick, short, scripted throws from Murray to a variety of schemed-open targets, with the ever-present threat of James Conner's (and Murray's) legs is something opposing teams will have to take note of.

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing put together an excellent gameplan to open the contest, and it was anything but one-dimensional during the first half. That's the type of identity that can help this team refrain from being a force-feed approach.

Cardinals Defense Will be a Major Problem

Fans and media alike knew heading into the 2024 season that this defense would be a rough one. With little talent for head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis to work with, it's simply a fact that this team will give up plenty of yards and plenty of points.

They did manage two sacks, and had a third wiped away by an egregiously wrong personal foul on Zaven Collins. There were some spots of positivity, as they forced a late field goal and pulled off a third down stop to give the offense a chance to go win the game.

That said, the Bills gashed them with the run early in the game, and were able to find holes in the secondary consistently. Allowing Josh Allen to break contain can happen to even the best units, but it was a complete mismatch as the Bills erased a 17-3 deficit.

It will get a bit easier to defend from here, but it's hard to imagine the defense giving the offense enough margin for error to hold onto a lead for the duration of any game.

Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. Need Time to Develop a Rapport

Kyler Murray didn't play a snap in the preseason. Marvin Harrison Jr. played three snaps and wasn't targeted. No, that probably doesn't affect the outcome of the game, but the chemistry-developing period will have to extend into the early part of the regular season.

Harrison was only targeted three times, and caught just one pass for four yards. On the final drive he broke wide open, with a game winning touchdown calling his name. Murray (by his own admission) didn't see him in time, and the drive eventually stalled.

It's over-reactionary to take too much note of Harrison's raw numbers. The Bills defended him well all game, and the Cardinals are looking to spread the ball. But he and his quarterback will need more time to get on the same page. Mistakes like these can't continue to happen, and the only thing that will erase them is more time.

This isn't an indictment on the coaching staff for the way they handled the preseason snaps, but fans will need to be prepared for a development period before seeing Harrison and Murray light up the highlight reels.

Offensive Line Depth Could Haunt Cardinals

Right tackle Jonah Williams went down with a knee early in the first quarter and never returned. The Cardinals simply cannot afford that loss if he is out for extended time.

Kelvin Beachum struggled in relief of Williams, as Murray was pressured heavily throughout the second half of the game. The QB was strip-sacked in the third quarter, and the run game behind James Conner sputtered out as the contest continued.

Arizona tried running the ball to the outside on multiple occasions and simply couldn't gain momentum. While Beachum wasn't the sole culprit of some of the Cardinals' offensive failure, its a glaring example of how poorly things could go for the big men up front if there are any further injuries.

Situational Play Calling Needs Improvement

Petzing called a brilliant first half, while the Cardinals had a handle on the game and could run a variety of scripted and high-percentage plays. Coming from the Kyle Shanahan tree, that's a style of offense that has extremely high potential in today's NFL.

Kyler Murray was 21-for-31, a good, efficient percentage, but not enough to create fireworks. Petzing wants to run the ball, and that's a solid approach, but the overutilization of outside run schemes for a downhill back like Conner were a bit puzzling.

Conner - and Murray - can benefit grealty from under-center and play-action drives. On a critical third down late in the third, and deep in Bills territory, Petzing dialed up an outside run in the shotgun, which was swallowed up quickly. Settling for a field goal rather than going for the tie was a missed opportunity, as the Cardinals lowered the deficit to 24-20.

Murray threw for just 31 yards in the second half, but the final drive exemplified poor situational playcalling the most. With the game on the line, Arizona ran the ball for three yards on third and 10. While the intent to catch the Bills selling out for the run is noted, Petzing will have to allow his big playmakers to make big plays as the season continues.

Taking the ball out of Murray, McBride, Harrison, or even Dortch's hands on that play was a risk that didn't pay off.

Petzing will need to find a way to keep the playbook open and allow Murray to blend tempo with playmaking ability. There's plenty of time to get that worked out, and it's important to not get too nit-picky with criticizing individual play calls.

Ultimately, execution matters most, and the Cardinals failed to execute when it mattered. But there are ways to set up your unit's strengths throughout the game, and some adjustments need to be made if they want to win these types of close games.