GLENDALE, Ariz. – On their first possession of the second half, the Arizona Cardinals lined up at their 30-yard line and tried to get back into a game that was already in the making.

What happened next increased their misery. The Cardinals were accused of holding out through their first two games. Receiver Michael Wilson was unable to catch an under-thrown pass in the third period. Quarterback Kyler Murray was sacked in the fourth.

One play later, Murray and the offense jogged to the sideline as the punt team took the field. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing was waiting for Murray. The home fans at State Farm Stadium booed, an appropriate response to Sunday’s dismal 42-14 loss to the Washington Commanders.

In four seasons, two as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator and two as the Cardinals’ head coach, Jonathan Gannon had never experienced a more lopsided defeat. “This league is very humbling,” he said. “We have humbled ourselves today.”

Left tackle Paris Johnson, Jr. added, “A home loss like this is unacceptable.”

There was no shortage of storylines in this match. Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury returned to State Farm Stadium, where he coached the Cardinals from 2019 to 2022. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels returned to Arizona, where he played for Arizona State for three seasons before transferring to LSU.

But the biggest snack bar on site was something completely different. That an Arizona team was picked to surprise many doesn’t seem particularly close. On September 15, the Cardinals defeated a struggling Los Angeles Rams team in a manner that suggested they might be ready. Two weeks later, they were hitless against the Commanders, playing aimlessly and falling to 1-3 with trips to San Francisco and Green Bay looming.

“We didn’t give ourselves a chance to win the game,” Gannon said.

It’s too early to suggest a season is in jeopardy, but after Detroit suffered a tough home loss in Week 3, Sunday was a huge step backwards for an organization that can’t afford it. The Cardinals don’t need to win every Sunday, but they need to continue to build, stay competitive and give themselves a chance. It was nothing like that. For the second consecutive year they scored in their opening game. They failed for the second week in a row.

Aside from running back James Conner, who managed 104 yards and a touchdown, the offense did little. Against one of the worst pass defenses in the league, Murray completed 16 of 22 for 142 yards and a touchdown. The addition of Marvin Harrison Jr., the fourth pick in April’s NFL Draft, should provide offensive options and give Arizona a deep threat. With the exception of one quarter against the Rams, that wasn’t the case.

In Sunday’s loss, the Cardinals targeted Harrison four times in the first quarter and then again in the second half, which has been a theme of the season. The rookie receiver finished the game with five catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. For the second straight week, the Cardinals, playing without injured tight end Trey McBride, struggled on third down, failing to find a rhythm and converting 4 of 11.

“There’s really no excuse,” Wilson said. “(We) just don’t execute enough as an overall offense. Receiver, quarterback, run game, offensive line, just not executing enough.”

Kyler Murray threw for a season-low 142 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Commanders, the Cardinals’ third loss in four games to start the season. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Murray said: “We have to be able to stay on the field. This will take a lot of pressure off the defense. We all work together. If you can’t stay on the field on third down, the defense is always on the field, it gets exhausted.”

That was already clear at the beginning of the fourth quarter. With a 27-14 lead, Washington moved into Arizona territory but then faltered. The Commanders (3-1) committed three penalties in the next eight games – taunts, holding and illegal substitutions. And it didn’t matter. Daniels still hit Terry McLaurin for a 10-yard touchdown and then found tight end Zach Ertz for the two-point conversion. The Commanders scored on seven of nine possessions.

After the game, Kingsbury, who was often criticized for his playing ability in Arizona, walked to midfield and greeted Murray, the quarterback he drafted in 2019. He spoke briefly with right tackle Kelvin Beachum and hugged outside linebacker Zaven Collins. Given his release in 2023, it had to feel good to beat his former team, rushing for 449 yards and 42 points.

On the other hand, the cardinals talked about accountability. Gannon said they need to be better at stopping the run. He said they had to master details like setting edges, getting over blocks and finding the right place. Although they won’t change their weekly routine, he said they will have to learn to adapt. Gannon sees this as a boxing match. The Cardinals were thrown to the mat in Round 4, he said. The most important part is how they react on Monday.

“I’m the head coach,” Gannon said. “Everything that happens out there is my responsibility. “When you get beaten by what we hit today, it doesn’t really feel good, so I’m going to look in the mirror and adjust and adapt and do a better job.”

The Cardinals have no choice.

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(Top photo by Kyler Murray: Norm Hall / Getty Images)