The Arizona Cardinals lost their Week 11 matchup to the Seattle Seahawks 28-21 on Thursday night. It was a game in which they made far too many mistakes. They were penalized 10 times for 115 yards.
There were false starts in an empty stadium. There were pass interference calls.
However, two egregious penalties cost the Cardinals the game.
The biggest mistake of the night was by cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. The Cardinals had just gotten a third-down stop to force what would have been a field goal. But Kirkpatrick and Seattle receiver DK Metcalf got in a scuffle. Kirkpatrick was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which gave the Seahawks a first down. Two plays later, Carlos Hyde scores a touchdown.
That was at least a four-point penalty by Kirkpatrick.
That play alone was enough to keep the Cardinals from forcing overtime. If nothing changes after that, when the Cardinals are on their final drive, they would have been able to kick a field goal to tie the game and force overtime instead of getting sacked on fourth down.
The Cardinals would have been kicking for a win at the end of the game, though, if guard J.R. Sweezy does not hold in the end zone, which gave Seattle a safety. Sweezy was beat by L.J. Collier from the snap. He was holding Collier immediately. While one might say perhaps Murray gets sacked in the end zone for a safety anyway, Sweezy can’t get beaten that badly that quickly.
Two penalties directly gave the Seahawks six points. The Cardinals lost by seven and were on the 27-yard line at the end of the game.
Take away Kirkpatrick’s penalty alone, Zane Gonzalez comes on for a 45-yard field goal to tie the game 24-24. Take away Kirkpatrick’s infraction and Sweezy’s mistake, and the Cardinals trail 22-21 on the final drive and Gonzalez could come in for a game-winning 45-yard field goal.
The Cardinals made too many mistakes, but those two were the back-breakers. They never should have happened.
The Cardinals should be 7-3 right now and in first place in the division. Now Seattle is 7-3 and appears to have fixed the issues they have had.
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