TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — It's been a season of missed opportunities for the Arizona Cardinals, who once again contributed heavily to their own demise in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Cardinals (3-9) have dropped four in a row and nine of 10 overall. They've lost seven times by four or fewer points and came up short against the NFC South-leading Bucs (7-5) despite finishing with 386 yards of total offense to outgain an opponent for a fifth time in their nine losses.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJacoby Brissett's first-quarter interception ruined an early scoring opportunity, Zonovan Knight's second-half fumble stopped a promising drive in Tampa Bay territory, and Chad Ryland missed a 43-yard field goal that would have cut into a 10-3 deficit later in the third quarter. The difference on the scoreboard at the end was the 57-yard field goal that Tampa Bay's Chase McLaughlin kicked after the Cardinals failed to convert a fourth-and-1 from their own 39 early in the fourth quarter.
“I know every time I get up here I sound like a broken record, but it’s just execution. In a of lot of those critical (situations), I’ve got to play better,” Brissett said.
“I think we left nine points on the board. And you lose by three,” Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon said. “And when I say nine points, like we're on their side of the field and don't even come away with a field goal where you'd like to come away with touchdowns.”
Brissett completed 29 of 40 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Trey McBride had eight receptions for 82 yards, including a 15-yard TD that enabled the Cardinals to pull within three points with five minutes left. Marvin Harrison Jr. returned to the lineup after recovering from surgery for appendicitis and had six catches for 69 yards before departing with a heel injury in the second half.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt wasn't enough.
“Game came down to the wire there, a lot of back and forth. We lost the turnover battle 2-0, and we know it's going to be tough sledding. They converted some (plays), we didn't,” Gannon said. “I love the fight by the group. I just told them in the locker room it comes down to a couple of plays in all three phases. ... It starts with us coaches, making sure that we're on the details and (we need to) start converting more of those plays so we can win a game.”
The Cardinals outgained the Bucs by 108 yards.
“Win, lose or draw, it's always going to be about the details. Even in wins you've got to find ways to clean up details,” Brissett said. “But the tough part about it is it's coming in losses. Like coach says, you know the margin's so slim that we can't afford to be off the details.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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