There are long, hard days in football. Cruelty is part of the game.
On Sunday, the Cardinals had to learn a hard lesson.
They lost to the team they aspire to be. They were outclassed and out-run by the Lions in a stadium full of blue non-believers. They were mowed down and destroyed in a 20-13 loss that proved how far they have come and how far they still have to go.
This is no cause for alarm. When the schedule was released, even diehard fans expected a loss to Detroit in Week 3. In terms of culture and personnel, the Lions are way ahead of the Cardinals.
But this game hurt. It was frighteningly physical. Pads banged and helmets crashed. Many paid a high price. And in the end, Detroit was clearly better at big-dog football, dominating in rushing yards (188-77), rushing plays (43-18) and time of possession (36:49 to 23:11).
It felt like battling with a big brother. The Cardinals weren’t afraid. They never backed down. But they just weren’t good enough.
There were moments of great frustration. A controversial decision in the second quarter invalidated a pick six by Mack Wilson Sr. and triggered a 14-point lead on the scoreboard. Unreviewable decisions hurt every team in the NFL time and time again. Few have proven to be so punishing.
But football is full of adversity. The Cardinals had many opportunities to return to the dominant form they showed against the Rams. They failed.
Kyler Murray threw a bad interception and forced a long pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. into double coverage. He was late bringing the ball in a couple of times. He seemed to have trouble knowing when to make the layup and when to go after a big play.
Understandable. Many fans have been clamoring for Murray to take more risks with his talented rookie. Harrison had a stunning performance in the first quarter against the Rams. It was only natural to take more shots with the highly valued rookie. And it would be hypocritical to now accuse Murray of trying to force-feed a generational talent.
But the two still didn’t get any hits, especially on over-the-shoulder throws. The struggle for points and traction in the second half resulted in no rushing attempts at all in the fourth quarter. The leather-lunged Lions fans in attendance made communication with the home team difficult. And this loss proves that the Cardinals offense needs to find a better Plan B when their snowplow sputters and James Conner can’t carry the load.
Football is always violent and cruel. Sometimes it just feels unfair. And sometimes fans’ outrage is directed at the referees because the clearest truth is the hardest to digest.
The Cardinals are improving, are compelling and entertaining, but they are not talented enough to compete with the true heavyweights of the NFL, including the Detroit team that just beat them at their own game.
Reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6-10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
