What We Learned From Cardinals' Loss to Ravens

The Arizona Cardinals will review the film from another loss in Week 8 - here's what we learned.

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals now fall to 1-7 on the season thanks to a 31-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8. 

It was a game where Baltimore felt in control of for most of the afternoon before a late surge from Arizona flattered the score line. 

Without big names such as Zach Ertz, James Conner or Kyler Murray, players throughout the roster are still finding their footing. 

That's where we'll start:

What We Learned From Cardinals' Loss to Ravens

Trey McBride's Time is Now

Trey McBride is here to stay as the team's TE1.  / Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Trey McBride was already eclipsing Ertz as Arizona's TE1 when the latter was healthy, and with Ertz on injured reserve, McBride walked into a golden opportunity to establish himself as a prominent option moving forward.

He did just that. 

McBride caught ten of 14 targets for 95 yards and one receiving touchdown, leading Arizona in receiving. His touchdown was a direct result of an impressive effort that was worthy of consideration for Good Morning Football's angry run award.

Whole team made sure he got into the end zone 😂

📺: #BALvsAZ on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Quwvdzpx7G pic.twitter.com/knkD5gcq4I

— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2023

“We’re in every game, we’re so close to winning and I think with the fight, the toughness, and the resilience that our team is showing we’re not that far off. It’s very encouraging to see the fight that we have, it’s not like we’re getting blown out or giving up, we’re fighting until the very end. It’s very encouraging to see that as a player," said McBride after the game. 

McBride took time to grow, but the early returns on his second season are strong as the Cardinals quite possibly have found their tight end of the present and future, regardless of Ertz's presence. 

What is Wrong With Kei'Trel Clark?

Kei'Trel Clark was a healthy scratch for the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8 / Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The omission of CB Kei'Trel Clark from yesterday's active roster was indeed a surprise considering Clark's early season form. Clark - a Day 3 pick for Arizona - had impressed all summer but slowly saw his role diminish over the last few weeks. He registered no snaps vs Seattle and was a healthy scratch in Week 8. 

When asked why Clark was inactive, Jonathan Gannon responded with:

“I like the other guys, what they’re doing right now. They all had a good week of practice, and he’ll be back in the mix. There’s only so many guys that get a jersey on gameday, you have to have a role to be up like the other guys this week.”

It's not as if Clark has played awful, though the rookie certainly was exposed from time to time for his inexperience. That's life at the position, especially in your first season. 

It's also not as if guys such as Marco Wilson, Antonio Hamilton or Starling Thomas have played superb through the season. Fellow rookie Garrett Williams has played two games but has mostly handled slot duties. 

Clark has to be in Gannon or defensive coordinator Nick Rallis' dog house. There's no other good reason for Clark to be a healthy inactive considering the overall play/talent from the cornerback room. 

Defensive Flashes Potential

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wasn't too impressive at State Farm Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Understandably so, praising a defense after allowing 30 points seems a bit odd. That's a fair gripe until you evaluate the overall performance:

• The Cardinals gained more first downs than the Ravens, 22-21. 
• Baltimore was just 4-11 (36%) on third down. 
• Only two Ravens pass-catchers hit 40 yards of receiving.
• Lamar Jackson's 157 passing yards and 5.8 yards per attempt was the lowest of the season. 
• Jackson's 17 rushing yards was also the lowest of his season thus far. 
• Arizona sacked Jackson four times, tying Baltimore's season high. 

Gannon on his team's defensive effort:

“Yeah, it’s a good offense. I thought they defended them well. They executed the game plan. I’ve got to watch the tape, but I gave them some short fields. We had the two fourth downs that we didn’t get, those are kind of short fields. You wish you could’ve held them to a field goal after one of those takeaways, but I thought the run game looked pretty good there until the very end. We contained (Ravens QB) Lamar (Jackson), I thought they played pretty well.”

The Cardinals did what most fail to do: Truly contain Jackson. Though Arizona didn't walk away with a win, it's exciting to see the pieces of the puzzle come together.