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The Arizona Cardinals suffered their second loss of the season to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Arizona was missing Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, and so their offense struggled mightily. It was a bad outing from start to finish as they were defeated 34-10.
The offense was unable to get going while the defense couldn't get a stop. Arizona will need to play better moving forward to have a shot at the one seed in the NFC.
With that said, here are three Cardinals' takeaways after their big Week 10 loss to the Panthers.
Arizona Cardinals Week 10 Takeaways vs. Carolina Panthers
3. Cardinals' defense needs to create more pressure
While the offense wasn't generating points, the defense did not do their part either. The pass rush for the Cardinals was atrocious as they recorded zero sack and only three quarterback hits. This lack of pass rush could be the demise of Arizona in the postseason.
Although star pass rusher J.J. Watt is out for the season, it is still vital for the Cardinals to find a way to get pressure on the quarterback. They still have one of the premier pass rushers in the league in Chandler Jones, but he was unable to fulfill his role against the Panthers.
A better scheme and more blitzes could help jumpstart the pass rush for Kliff Kingsbury's defense.
2. They need to run the ball better
James Conner's 11th rushing TD of the season.@JamesConner_ x #RedSea pic.twitter.com/rJNpd0rbSt
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 14, 2021
With Kyler Murray out, the run game should have carried the load in the offense. That was not the case as the Cardinals only rushed for 65 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.
Murray will add a rushing threat from the quarterback when he returns, but James Connor needs to step up his game. It's hard to win in the playoffs with a lack of a rushing attack as the game slows down in the postseason.
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Arizona has the talent to make a deep playoff run, but it will start with their run game improving. Kingsbury needs to rely on the run game more as the season moves forward.
1. Cardinals need Kyler Murray back
The biggest takeaway from the Cardinals' big loss to the Panthers is that they need Kyler Murray back. Murray is their superstar quarterback that has been playing at an MVP level this season. With him out, the combination of Colt McCoy and Chris Streveler threw for 143 yards with no touchdown and one interception instead.
Murray will instantly elevate the offenses production when he returns due to his dynamic dual-threat ability. On the season, he has thrown for 2,276 yards along with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns.
As the Cardinals make their push for the playoffs, Murray's play will be vital. They currently sit at the second seed in the NFC behind the Green Bay Packers. It will be a tough road to the Super Bowl as the NFC is loaded with contending teams. The Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Cardinals all have a shot at representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Arizona now shifts its focus to their next opponent in the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks were shutout by the Packers 17-0 in Russell Wilson's return. It will be a tough test for the Cardinals and should be a good game if Murray is able to go.
There’s a reason Kliff Kingsbury & Kyler Murray are leading contenders for Coach of the Year & MVP.
They came to AZ after the 2018 season to revive the team’s offense.
Below is where Cards offense finished 2018 vs where it ranks in 2021 (thru 9 games): pic.twitter.com/y6qKsQ6jhF
— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) November 10, 2021
Look for the Cardinals to have a great rest of the season and have a bounce-back victory over Seattle.
