Cardinals to face 5 of 8 new head coaches hired in 2024

Six of the Cardinals’ 17 games in 2024 will be against teams who hired new head coaches this offseason.

The NFL has wrapped up its new head coaching cycle. All eight teams who needed to hire a head coach has done so. The last to do so were the Washington Commanders, who are hiring Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

The eight new head coaches in the NFL in 2024 are as follows:

  • Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
  • Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
  • Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
  • Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers
  • Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
  • Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
  • Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders
  • Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots

Of those new head coaches, the Arizona Cardinals will face five of them in 2024 in six games.

PODCAST: Optimism abounds for Cardinals entering offseason

Reactions to the Cardinals’ Week 18 loss, the play of Kyler Murray and all the optimism there is for the offseason and future.

The Arizona Cardinals wrapped up their season with a 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18.

In this edition of the podcast, Seth Cox and I react to the loss, which felt oddly not like a loss.

We also talk about the play of quarterback Kyler Murray over the final three games of the season and then about the insane amount of optimism there is for the team moving forward.

Why is a four-win so optimistic?

Enjoy the show!


Enjoy the show with the embedded player above or by subscribing to the show on Apple PodcastsSpotify or your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss a show. Make sure as well to give it a five-star rating!


Times and topics:

(1:00) Reactions to the Cardinals’ play against and loss to Seahawks

(24:20) Kyler Murray’s play to end the season

(38:19) The future is bright!

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=663413582]

Cardinals’ Week 18 defensive snap counts and observations vs. Seahawks

We take a look at how the Cardinals’ 55 defensive snaps were split up on Sunday in their loss to the Seahawks.

In the Arizona Cardinals’ 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18, the defense was on the field for 55 snaps. Five players were on the field for every single one of the snaps.

How was the playing time split up?

Below are the individual snap counts for each player who entered the game on defense, grouped by position.

Cardinals’ Week 18 offensive snap counts and observations vs. Seahawks

Check out how the Cardinals’ 70 offensive snaps were split up on Sunday.

In the Arizona Cardinals’ 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 to close out the season, the offense was on the field for 70 snaps. Four players played every single one of them.

How was the playing time divided up?

Below are the individual snap counts for everyone who got into the game on offense, grouped by positions.

 

Matt Prater takes blame for loss even when others won’t give it

“I understand it’s a team game, but at the end of the day I have a job to do and my job is to make field goals.”

Kick Matt Prater missed two field goals in the final three minutes of the Arizona Cardinals’ 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

His head coach and his teammates refused to pin the loss on his missed kicks but he firmly placed the blame on his shoulders.

The 43-yard attempt he missed wide right with 2:56 to go in the game would have given the Cardinals a 10-point lead, which would have basically locked up the win. Seattle would have needed to score once, recover an onside kick and score again to win.

After Seattle scored on the ensuing drive and made the two-point conversion to take a one-point lead, the Cardinals got in position for a game-winning 51-yard attempt with one second left. Prater missed that one wide right as well.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon said after the game, “it’s not about Matt.”

Gannon preaches team. No loss is on a player. No loss comes down to one play. They win together and lose together.

Prater appreciated the sentiment but took the blame himself.

“It was 100% on me,” he said after the game. “I understand it’s a team game, but at the end of the day I have a job to do and my job is to make field goals, especially if I have two opportunities at the end of the game. I’ve got to come through for the team on those kicks. I appreciate what JG said, but the way I look at it, it’s on me.”

What happened on the kicks?

On the first time, he said he “hit it a little fat (and) pushed it right.”

“I thought it was a fluke on the first one, didn’t make the adjustment and did the same kick (on the 51-yarder). I’ll learn from it and hopefully it doesn’t happen again, ever.”

It was a disappointing way to end a fantastic season for Prater, but he will be back next year (he is under contract for 2024) and can make up for it.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]

WATCH: Full highlights of Cardinals’ 21-20 loss to Seahawks

The Cardinals and Seahawks had many highlight-worthy plays in the 21-20 Seattle win in Week 18.

The Arizona Cardinals finished their 2023 season with a 21-20 Week 18 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks. They had a 20-13 lead, missed a field goal to go up 10 with three minutes left, allowed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to give Seattle the lead and then, after setting themselves up for a game-winning 51-yard field goal, Matt Prater missed it.

Quarterback Kyler Murray had a great game. Running back James Conner had a monster game with over 200 yards from scrimmage. Rookie receiver Michael Wilson nearly had 100 receiving yards.

It wasn’t enough, though.

There were plenty of highlights and you can catch them all in the below video.

[stnvideo key=”clR0buyuai-3297859-7497″ type=”float”]

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1940]

WATCH: RB James Conner’s biggest plays in monster game vs. Seahawks

Conner rushed for 150 yards and had 204 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in the Cardinals’ 21-20 loss to the Seahawks.

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner had a huge game on Sunday in a losing effort. The Cardinals lost 21-20 to the Seattle Seahawks but Conner had a career game.

He rushed for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. He also caught five passes for 54 yards. He had four plays that went at least 20 yards from scrimmage.

It was his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season, and he reached 1,000 yards for the season for the first time in his career. He did so in only 13 games.

You can catch all of his best plays in the video below.

[stnvideo key=”9J75pbRIy1-3297855-7497″ type=”float”]

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=663413559]

James Conner has huge game, reaches 1,000 yards for 1st time

Conner needed 110 yards to reach 1,000 on the season. He finished with 150 against the Seahawks in a 21-20 loss.

Running back James Conner has been the Arizona Cardinals’ best player all season. In the season finale, a 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, he had his finest performance and reached an important milestone.

He reached 1,000 rushing yards on the season, the first time he has done so in his seven-year career. It was the first 1,000-yard rusher the Cardinals have had since 2016.

Needing 110 rushing yards entering the game to reach 1,000 on the season, he finished with a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, giving him 1,040 for the season in only 13 games, as he spent four games on injured reserve.

He also added four receptions for 54 yards, giving him 204 yards from scrimmage for the game.

It is only the 16th 1,000-yard season in Cardinals history.

In just three seasons with the team, he has 2,574 rushing yards, which ranks him 14th in team history.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1940]

Seahawks 21, Cardinals 20: Matt Prater’s 2 missed FGs give Seattle win

James Conner had over 200 yards from scrimmage and the offense played well again, but late missed field goals kept the Cardinals from a win.

The Arizona Cardinals closed the season playing well but ultimately losing. They gave up a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the last two minutes of the game and Matt Prater missed two field goals, one that would have put the game away and then what would have been the game-winner as time expired.

They lost 21-20, wasting James Conner’s big game, surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the season and gaining over 200 yards from scrimmage.

The Cardinals finished the season 4-13 but feeling good for what is to come.

Seattle, even with the win, had their playoff hopes spoiled when the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears.

Below is what happened in the game.

TE Trey McBride should hit multiple milestones vs. Seahawks

McBride entered Week 18 with 79 catches and 791 receiving yards.

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has had a great season. He already holds the single-season franchise record for receptions by a tight end and increases that with every catch.

He should hit two notable milestones against the Seattle Seahawks.

He enters the game with 78 catches for 791 yards.

Two catches will get him to 80 on the season, something no Cardinals tight end has ever done. Reaching 800 yards would be something only Hall of Famer Jackie Smith has done. With 21 receiving yards, reaching 811, he will have the second-highest single-season yardage total by a tight end.

If he catches 10 passes against the Seahawks, he would have three 10-catch games on the season. Only Zach Ertz with five such games in 2018 has had more in NFL history.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1940]