The Arizona Cardinals return to work after their latest bye week in more than two decades. They have five games remaining after a 3-7-1 start to the season.
Now, with five games in December, the Cardinals are treating it like something new.
“We want to treat it like its own season,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters Monday. “Nothing that’s happened before this really matters.”
Their season has been streaky. They tied in Week 1, lost three in a row, won three in a row and now are on a four-game losing streak.
They are not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention but the postseason is not really in their sights. Winning all five of their remaining games would result in a 8-7-1 record, which still likely will not be enough for the playoffs in the NFC.
So what is the goal in this final “season?”
“Let’s execute at a high level and play our best football these last five,” Kingsbury said. “We have three at home in a row, which is a great opportunity to get some momentum going and try to finish strong.”
They seem to have their offense figured out. Even with issues on third down and in the red zone, they have scored at least 25 points in six of their last seven games. There is progress to be made on defense, though.
Finishing the first year of a new coaching staff strong is something that the Cardinals have done in the past, leading to the postseason in Year 2. In 2013, under Bruce Arians, they won three of their final four games and seven of their final nine games to finish 10-6. They made the postseason the next year after a 9-1 start.
In Ken Whisenhunt’s first year as coach in 2007, the Cardinals won their final two games and three of their last five to finish 8-8 after a 3-5 start. They went to the Super Bowl the next season.
Seeing progress and finishing strong isn’t about this year. It is about building for next year. When players see successful results of their work at the end of a season, buying in for the offseason and following year is easy.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
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