Cardinals tumble in new power rankings after 2nd straight loss

They dropped nine spots in USA TODAY’s power rankings after a blowout loss to Washington.

After what were three weeks of positive vibes for the Arizona Cardinals, their Week 4 loss to the Washington Commanders ruined that. They look bad again.

They were competitive against the Buffalo Bills. They destroyed the Los Angeles Rams. They were able to hang tough with the Detroit Lions. But the 42-14 loss to Washington on Sunday threw all that out the window.

It shows in the latest NFL power rankings in Week 5 from USA TODAY’s Nate Davis.

They tumbled nine spots from No. 14 to No. 23.

Three of their next four outings will be on the road against 2023 playoff teams – so the Cards better find a way to stop surrendering an NFC-worst 22.3 first downs per game.

Arizona does have a tough stretch coming up. Most believed they would be 1-3 after four games, but losing to Washington in that fashion was concerning.

If they bounce back against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5 on the road, then things will shift again, as opinions and perspectives tend to go.

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