Takeaways: Cardinals, Kyler Murray Take Step Back

The Arizona Cardinals played one of their worst games of the Kyler Murray era, with very little positivity to take away from a poorly-executed contest.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) walks to the sidelines after a three and out against the Commanders during a game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ARIZONA--The Arizona Cardinals lost a horrific 42-14 affair against their former head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the Washington Commanders. Although the Commanders have been a surprise of late, there are no excuses for a game this poor from Arizona.

With that, here are the main takeaways of a game I was begging to be over from the second drive.

Kyler Murray Took a Step Back

Kyler Murray appeared ready to emerge as an elite quarterback ahead of the season, and even through week two and three. He certainly hasn't been perfect, but he's also had one of the best games of his career.

On Sunday, Murray appeared indecisive. It wasn't so much inaccurate throws or turnovers, as he kept control of the football and was just as efficient as he has been. He was 16-for-22 for 142 yards, with a 104.7 passer rating, a touchdown, and no turnovers.

He generally made the throws he needed to, and threw mostly catchable passes, including a pair of beautiful 4th-down balls to Marvin Harrison Jr, one of which was a touchdown.

But, the very thing I praised him for a little over a week ago was his undoing, and a large part of the Cardinals' offensive struggles. He simply held onto the football too long, and seemed too timid to try and make plays with his legs.

Murray only attempted one carry for three yards, he took four sacks for 27 yards, including a back-breaking 4th-down play.

It's a good thing that he's maturing and progressing through his reads. It's also not his fault that his offensive line struggled all contest, or that his receivers struggled to separate. But those plays have to turn into positive ones, and that's only true because he's proven time and time again that he can turn broken plays into first downs.

It wasn't all on Murray, no doubt, but he looked uncomfortable all game, and failed to utilize his legs when needed.

The Cardinals Cannot Compete with Current Defense

Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis has done some good work with what little talent he's been given. Obviously, the Cardinals were banged up on defense, but this type of performance dispels any delusion that any more than a handful of games can be winnable.

They couldn't stop the run, and couldn't stop the pass. An interception on an errant throw from Jayden Daniels was flukier than their 41-10 win against the Rams.

The Commanders rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Between their two backs and Daniels, they averagdd 5.8 yards per carry. That is a number that needs to be significantly lower to compete in the NFL. It all starts with stopping the run, and Arizona looked off-balance and low-intensity all game.

Of course, the pass defense was no better.

Daniels has played exceptionally well for a rookie, that much is for sure. But the Cardinals' secondary was unable to prevent yards' worth of separation on every down. No matter the time, situation or yardage, a Washington receiver was wide open over the middle of the field while Daniels stood tall and untouched.

And when Daniels did miss by a wide margin, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting bailed him out with an unnecessary pass interference, setting the Commanders up for an immediate 17-point lead in the third quarter.

Daniels finished 26/30, for 233 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals have allowed an 83% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks over the past two weeks. That is entirely unacceptable, noncompetitive and disrespectful to the fans, most of whom were gone before the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals have allowed opposing QBs to complete 83% of their passes over the past two weeks

— Theo Mackie (@theo_mackie) September 29, 2024

And this isn't even the best offense they'll face in the next several weeks, with San Francisco looming in the distance. Nick Rallis and Jonathan Gannon will have to work some miracles, but the lack of defensive talent remains an insurmountable crutch.

It's not all on the pass rush anymore, either. Pressure is a premium, but the secondary's complete inability to even stay in the same general vicinity of their receivers was a dire indictment on this team's discipline and overall talent.

The Good: RB James Conner

Yes, there was a silver lining. It's small and insignificant in the face of an embarrassment of this scale, but James Conner certainly isn't small or insignificant.

The Cardinals' "bell cow" running back was powerful and consistent once again, carrying the ball 18 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and bulldozed his way through the Commanders' defense.

The offensive line blocked well in the run game, as they often do, and Conner once again showed why the offense should run through him.

The issue, of course, is that a big early hole doesn't allow for offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's gameplan to develop fully. Establishing the run is admirable, but three-and-outs and abysmal defensive play make it quite difficult to control the game with the run game.

If the Cardinals were built on a defensive foundation, running the ball and controlling time of possession would be the key to draining opponents down to the end, but when your defense is allowing almost 450 yards and 42 points with ease, punding the rock down multiple scores late in the game is only a recipe for empty stats.

The Cardinals are 1-3, and looking at the 49ers and Packers on the road in their next two contests. If something doesn't change - and fast - Arizona will be out of the realm of contention before they return to State Farm Stadium.