The Arizona Cardinals lost their sixth game of the season Sunday, and have won just once in their last seven outings after starting the season 2-0. Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks was particularly tough because of the manner in which it unfolded.
However, coach Jonathan Gannon said they all hurt the same; a loss is a loss. But the Cardinals’ head coach was proud of how his team responded after being punched in the mouth.
How Did the Cardinals Respond In the Second Half?
The Seahawks scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives, and Seattle’s defense forced a scoop and score on two of Arizona’s first three drives.
The Cardinals found themselves down 35-0 with more than eight minutes remaining in the first half.
The Seahawks rank No. 5 in the NFL, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact, and No. 7 in the NFL, according to PFSN’s Offense Impact, which was evident early on.
Arizona scored a touchdown near the end of the first half, but the Seahawks responded with a field goal of their own. The Cardinals went into halftime trailing 38-7.
“When you spot a team 14 points on offense, and they score the first three drives, and you find yourself down 35-0, that’s a tough hole to come out of – games can get away pretty quickly from you when that happens,’ Gannon said. “What I do appreciate, though, they did battle, and we had a chance, honestly in my opinion, there at the end of the third to cut it to a two-score game.
“So, the effort was there, and they reset themselves. But no one feels good about how that game unfolded.”
The Cardinals outscored the Seahawks 14-6 in the second half, scoring a touchdown compared to the Seahawks’ field goal in each of the third and fourth quarters.
Arizona opened the third quarter with a 17-play, 78-yard drive that took five minutes but ended in a turnover on downs at the Seahawks’ 2-yard line.
However, the defense intercepted Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, and the Cardinals scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 24 points.
On the Seahawks’ very next possession, Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat forced a fumble, and the Cardinals recovered. Arizona drove into the red zone but stalled on a fourth and five.
The Cardinals had a chance to make it a 17-point game, or potentially a two-score game with a 2-point conversion, with more than six minutes left in the third quarter.
“I thought that they showed some mental and some resiliency to keep swinging and try to get back in the game,” Gannon said. “We had a fourth and five or fourth and six to cut it to two scores or at least 17 (points) – if you go for two and you don’t get it, and that game could look a little different.
“It didn’t happen for us, and then they ran it 12 straight times, and the game was basically over.”
Those are all what-ifs, but there are always those scenarios throughout each game. However, the Cardinals fell into a 35-point hole and could’ve folded, like they did in 2012.
That was the last time the Cardinals allowed as many as 38 points in a half, and it was against the Seahawks. However, that game ended 58-0. On Sunday, the Cardinals fought back but ultimately lost 44-22.
It’s still a loss at the end of the day, but Arizona had a chance to turn a 35-point game into a two-possession game with more than 20 minutes remaining.
Now, the Cardinals will need to regroup before they welcome a San Francisco 49ers team, also coming off a loss, to State Farm Stadium.