It was an inevitability but it has finally happened. With their 45-29 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Arizona Cardinals were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. The 49ers clinched the NFC West title with the win.
The Cardinals sit at 3-11 on the season. They are winless in five division games. They are 2-7 against the NFC.
For draft purposes, they are the third-worst team in the league. The Carolina Panthers are 2-12 and the New England Patriots are 3-11 like the Cardinals but have a weaker strength of schedule.
No one expected the Cardinals to compete for the playoffs this season. They entered without quarterback Kyler Murray as he recovered from a torn ACL, had a rookie head coach and general manager, lost some of their most talented players in the offseason and didn’t add top-end talent.
Now mathematically eliminated, the coaching staff and leadership will need to find ways to maintain the focus of the players on the roster.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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