The Arizona Cardinals seal their fate for the 2017 with a loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday
For awhile it looked like Arizona Cardinals quarterback Blaine Gabbert was going to lead his team to victory on the road on Sunday. Unfortunately too many mistakes cost the Cardinals the chance to go to .500.
Their 31-31 loss to the Houston Texans leaves the Cardinals at 4-6 and now looking to finish out the season and prepare for 2018. There is going to need to be some evaluation as to who moves on with the Cardinals not only in 2018 but for the rest of this season.
Gabbert played admirably under the conditions he was under. He had an offensive line that couldn’t block, therefore the run was abandoned, again, and left Gabbert throwing a lot.
Gabbert had two fourth quarter interceptions but did manage to throw a career-high three touchdown passes. Two of them went to tight end Ricky Seals-Jones.
The turnovers were costly but so were the penalties. The Cardinals had 10 penalties for 90 yards. You won’t win many games in the NFL like that.
After Bruce Arians decided to go for it on fourth and one in the fourth quarter and failed, the next play was predictable. As has been the case this season, after one negative play happens, then it snowballs.
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Texans quarterback D’Onta Foreman scampered 34-yards for a touchdown after the defensive stop and that sealed the game at 31-21. Foreman was hurt on the play and had to be carted off.
As for the Cardinals running game, there was hardly one. Adrian Peterson had 14 carries for 26-yards. It doesn’t help the Cardinals offensive line was bullied once again.
Where this leaves the Cardinals after Sunday as far as personnel? It would appear Gabbert played well enough to get the start next week at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Texans meanwhile, led by quarterback Tom Savage, are still in the hunt in a pretty bad AFC South division. The Cardinals need to start looking for who they will carry from this roster into 2018.
Receiver Larry Fitzgerald had a nice day with nine receptions for 91-yards and a touchdown. However too many dropped passes once again by receivers John Brown and J.J. Nelson. It is time to realize they aren’t cutting it.
They have great speed but speed only kills if you can catch the football. Right now, neither one of them can consistently enough to rely on them moving forward.
It should be a very interesting week for the Cardinals. Let’s see what personnel moves they make heading into a three consecutive home game stretch.