The Arizona Cardinals held the lead until the game’s final seconds. Then they managed to blow it on a two-point conversion in a 25-24 loss.
Following the inexcusable loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, it’s time to break up the Kliff-Bidwill-Keim fraternity unless owner Michael Bidwill is interested in seeing his stadium jampacked with fans of the opposing team. Seriously, the best thing fans of the Arizona Cardinals can do is to sell their season tickets to their buddies who wear the opposing team’s colors.
Maybe that will teach Bidwill a lesson he needs to learn. A message that states, Have yourself an ounce of logic, and get rid of Kliff.
As it stands, Kliff is hereby the absolute poorest playcaller in the NFL, and perhaps in professional football, since the USFL and XFL will both be providing us football in the spring and summer. But we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
If you tuned into the game, the Cardinals punted on their last three drives when they had a 24-17 lead. And to be fair, that’s a step in the right direction regarding Kliff Kingsbury standards, since he likes to go for it in the worst situations. So what’s a step in the wrong direction?
How does three straight three-and-outs sound with what may have been Kliff’s worst playcalling sequence all season? When you have the lead, you run the ball. That’s Coaching Football Successfully 101.
Kingsbury’s poor playcalling at the end doomed the Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals, 4-8, have been eliminated from playoff contention. And to be honest, Kliff has no one to blame but himself here.
Over those final three drives, he called five passing plays, and four running plays. Even more disturbing? With 2:16 to go in the contest, Murray dropped back for a pass, was hit, and sacked, putting the Cardinals in a third and long situation.
All Kliff needed to do was to keep giving James Conner the ball. The same James Conner who was enjoying his best game of the season, with 25 carries on 120 yards, good for 4.8 yards per carry.
While injury-prone, Conner is a physical runner capable of wearing down defenses. And yet Kingsbury ran the ball just four times in those final three drives. This is a game where Kliff can pin the blame on himself.
And to be honest, he should be out of chances. If Bidwill (and Keim) have an ounce of logic, they need to hand Kliff his walking papers tomorrow and start the coaching search early. Especially if they are interested in preserving the fanbase.
Want your voice heard? Join the Raising Zona team!