LAR 13 ARI 9: ROTB Questions

Here are 8 questions for our ROTB members

As Kyle “L’il Rock” Ledbetter and I prepare for today’s Red Rain Podcast, we would like to pose to you some of the questions we are asking ourselves after the Cardinals’ frustrating 13-9 loss to the Rams last night.

1. Why did the Cardinals play so much better and harder against the Rams than they did versus the Seahawks (twice) and Panthers? Was it a matter of a young team and coaching staff trying to cope with the pressure of meaningful playoff-implication games down the stretch?
2. How is it that the Cardinals far outperformed the Rams in these key stats and yet still managed to score only 9 points which cost them the game?

• Total Plays: ARI – 74 LAR – 54
• 1s Downs: ARI – 24 LAR – 12
• Total Yards: ARI – 396 LAR – 257
• Passing Yds: ARI – 283 LAR – 189
• Rushing Yds: ARI – 113 LAR – 68
• Time of Poss: ARI – 36:55 LAR – 23:05

3. What do you attribute to the Cardinals’ consistent inability to finish drives? (hint: you may want to look at some other team stats that did not work in the Cardinals’ favor —- but also we’d like to know what you think in an overall sense?)

4. Kyler Murray said once again to the TV crew (in this case Rick Eisen and Kurt Warner of NFL Network) that he feels for the first time in his career that everything has slowed down for him to where it is easier for him to take command of the offense and make plays. In light of how Kyler has played after the bye week, do you think the game has slowed down for him?

5. Trey McBride blamed himself for the helmet earhole shot turned volleyball lob that ended the game. Do you agree with him? Or do you agree with Steve Smith’s take?

6. How would you answer Andy Kwong’s post-game questions?

Andy Kwong @akwong31

Some #AZCardinals offseason questions a week early:

1. New OC incoming? Will Drew Petzing get ?
2. Can AZ count on DL Justin Jones & Bilal Nichols considering how bad they looked prior to injury?
3. Isaiah Adams or re-sign Will Hernandez?
4. Chad Ryland or re-sign Matt Prater?

Here are my answers:

7. Why has the Cardinals’ defense played so wildly inconsistently —- giving up 5 consecutive TDs to the 3-13 Patriots (2 at end of game) and 4-11 Panthers (3 at the beginning of the game) —- and yet giving up only 1 TD and a mere 13 points to the 10-6 Rams?

8. Jonathan Gannon reiterated after the game that “we’re close —- we’re right there —- but we’re not there yet.” Considering the fact that Monti Ossenfort and Jonathan Gannon not only hitched their wagon to Kyler Murray from day one without any assessment period whatsoever —- and that they manipulated both of the drafts to what looks like a Kyler Murray wish list, at the expense of passing on superstars —- if the 2025 team is still “not there yet” and it continues to falter in meaningful games, should the Cardinals seek stronger organizational leadership and move on from Ossenfort, Gannon and Murray?