Cardinals Coach Takes Blame For Late Season Collapse

The Arizona Cardinals know this can't happen again.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon watches from the sideline as his team plays the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium on Dec. 15, 2024. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are officially out of the postseason hunt, and the search continues for exactly what went wrong after the team's bye week.

The Cardinals were once 6-4 and leading the NFC West before losing what's now their last four-of-five games to sink out of the playoff picture.

Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon isn't pointing the finger to anybody but himself.

"I'm not satisfied with the performance of the team, and that starts with me," Gannon told reporters earlier in the week. "So, what I'm really saying, that's an indictment on myself. I'm not satisfied with myself."

The Cardinals' nail in the coffin came on the road against the three-win Carolina Panthers last Sunday, where the team dug themselves into a 20-3 hole before eventually falling in overtime.

"I think a lot of that was self-inflicted, which is disappointing on my end because that starts with me," Gannon said.

When asked what's changed since the bye week, Gannon highlighted two areas:

“Yeah. I think before the BYE (in) the two stats that matter, we were doing a better job than the other teams, which after the BYE we haven't. Takeaways and explosive plays.”

However you slice it, reality has set in: The Cardinals' season ends in two weeks.

"I know they're down. I know that's real. Ultimately when you reflect on it, we haven't done enough, you know what I mean? And it starts with me," said Gannon.

"We win together, we lose together, everyone had their hand in how this season went and why we are where we are and it starts with me."