3 contributing factors to the Cardinals collapse in 2021
By Sion Fawkes
Classic Kliff Kingsbury
Since taking over as Cardinals head coach, Kliff Kingsbury is 9-16 over the final eight (nine in 2021) games of the season. In both 2020 and 2021, he also lost his eighth contest in back-to-back years, making him 9-18 over the final nine games in all three seasons.
But Kingsbury’s second-half struggles run deeper than his three-year stint in the NFL. There’s a reason Kingsbury’s alma-mater, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, fired him following the 2018 season. And odds are, it had to do with his inability to win in the second half of his six seasons there. Sure, his laughable 19-35 record in the Big 12 also had something to do with it, but how bad was Kingsbury in the second half of each season at TTU?
- In 2013, he finished the season 1-5 following a 7-0 start. Sound familiar?
- In 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, he finished 2-4.
- In 2018, he finished 1-5 and the Red Raiders had seen enough.
Do the math, and Kingsbury finished 10-26 during his time at Texas Tech. Add his three seasons with the Cardinals, and he has a 19-43 record during the second half of each season. 19-45 if you add Game 8 in 2019 and 2020 to the mix.
Oh, and in case you haven’t heard it yet. Michael Bidwill awarded his epic collapses with a contract extension.