A year of missed opportunities for Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals can trace all the way back to week 1 for missed opportunities in 2019

It all started with that ridiculous tie the Arizona Cardinals suffered along with the Detroit Lions in week 1.  A game the Cardinals came back to tie late in the game after being down 24-6.

The Cardinals got it to overtime tied at 24.  Both teams kicked field goals in overtime.  The Cardinals had a last chance to pull it off though.

However cornerback Tramaine Brock dropped an easy interception along the sidelines in the final seconds of overtime.  The interception would have set up a game-winning field goal attempt.

Then in week 2, the Cardinals played toe to to with this year’s best team in the Baltimore Ravens.  They were within 20-17 in the fourth quarter.  They had a chance to stop Baltimore on defense and get another shot to take the lead.

Even after the Ravens kicked a field goal to put them up 23-17, the Cardinals offense still had a shot.  It wasn’t to be.

Against the Carolina Panthers the Cardinals held a 17-14 third quarter lead before the defense completely collapsed and lost 38-20.  Even in a game they were seemingly out of in week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks, they got the game to 20-10 but then the defense allowed an 8 minute drive in the fourth quarter to finish off the job.

The 2 games against the San Francisco 49ers could be the biggest missed opportunities of the season.  Down 28-25 after coming back on Halloween, the Cardinals had ample opportunity to get the ball back but they just couldn’t make a third-down stop to save their lives.

In the second matchup a couple of weeks later, the Cardinals held a 16-0 lead and a 26-23 lead.  However the defense again was a huge letdown.  A terribly called blitz allowed the 49ers to score a touchdown instead of a game-tying field goal to go to overtime.

The game in between the 49ers matchups against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cardinals were up 27-23 late.  Guess who let them down again?  Yep, the defense.  They lost 30-27.

The nail in the coffin was the “home” game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 14.  The Cardinals were down 20-17 after a David Johnson fourth quarter touchdown.  However, once again, the defense could not make the stop it needed and the Steelers won 23-17.

The Cardinals could have had 6 more wins if they were a team that knew how to close games out.  Maybe those missed opportunities turn into victories in 2020 and beyond?