Cardinals React to Missing Playoffs

The Arizona Cardinals can no longer claim a postseason spot.

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks to pass in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals are now officially eliminated from postseason play following their 36-30 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 16.

The loss dropped the Cardinals to 7-8 on the year, and with the Los Angeles Rams defeating the New York Jets, Arizona was mathmatically eliminated from the NFC playoff picture with two weeks remaining.

Being eliminated wasn't immediately on the mind of head coach Jonathan Gannon, though he did offer this when asked about it:

"That's an external factor to me. The emotion will be: we got to make sure we put our big boy pads on Tuesday and rebound and do enough to try to win the game next week. I know they're down, I know that's real. Ultimately, when you reflect on it, we haven't done enough and it starts with me. We win together. We lose together. Everyone had their hand in how this season has went and why we are where we are - and it starts with me," said Gannon after the game.

"That's hard. It's a learning process. We got to take good, hard looks in the mirror and improve and get better."

The Cardinals were once 6-4 sitting atop the NFC West, though they've won just one game since their bye week rolled around.

After a promising start, reality has set in: The Cardinals aren't quite the team they or much of the fan base hoped they'd be come this time of year.

"Going forward we got to control what we can control, and that's coming to work every day, playing the game of football, playing the game that we love, and going out there and trying to win," Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said.

Offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum reverted to an old school coach to summarize the loss to Carolina:

"Bill Parcells says this: You are what your record says you are. Right now, our record is what it says it is. I'm not going to try and sugarcoat it, We are what our record says we are at the moment," he said.

Arizona will have an opportunity to improve on their 7-8 record with two remaining games against the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

Yet no matter how you slice it - the Cardinals again will be bystanders to the playoff party.