Cardinals fall short of playoffs for 3rd straight season with loss to lowly Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — For the better part of the season, the Arizona Cardinals looked like a playoff team.

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard runs over Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

The Cardinals led the NFC West in early November with a 6-4 record before their postseason hopes quickly faded with four losses in five games, culminating in an injury-riddled, mistake-filled 36-30 overtime defeat at Carolina on Sunday.

The loss eliminated the Cardinals (7-8) from playoff contention for the third straight season.

Everything seemed to come crashing down at once, beginning with losing left tackle Paris Johnson to a knee injury this past week.

On Sunday, right tackle Jonah Williams went down in the first half and star running back James Conner — after racking up 166 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in 2 1/2 quarters — left the game with a knee injury in the third. Linebacker Baron Browning (neck) and safety Joey Blunt (ribs) exited early, too.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

And then there were the mistakes.

The Cardinals turned the ball over twice — an aborted snap and a fourth-quarter interception on a ball that Kyler Murray had no business throwing — and had 11 penalties for 82 yards, all of which contributed to a 17-point deficit in the first half and a 10-point hole in the fourth quarter.

Three of those penalties kept Carolina touchdown drives alive, and two others killed possessions on offense.

“We just didn’t play very good,” tight end Trey McBride said. “What sticks out to me is a lot of penalties. We didn’t play clean. We didn’t play good football. We really beat ourselves today. That’s what’s most frustrating. That’s a good team and down 17, it’s hard to win games like that.”

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray runs against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

The Cardinals still fought back and forced overtime behind a 20-yard touchdown run by Murray, two big defensive stops and a 58-yard field goal by Chad Ryland at the end of regulation.

Arizona couldn't sustain that momentum, though — and faded hard at the end.

The Cardinals' lone overtime possession netted minus-6 yards and concluded with a punt out of the end zone — two, actually, after, of course, a penalty for an illegal man downfield. That gave the Panthers the ball near midfield. Carolina didn't overthink it, going with the same rushing play twice in a row and picking up 49 yards, including a game-winning 21-yard touchdown jaunt by Chuba Hubbard in which he broke two tackles.

"The emotion will be that we have to put our big-boy pads on Tuesday and rebound and do enough to try to win a game next week," Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “I know they’re down and that’s real. Ultimately, when you reflect on it, we haven’t done enough. And that starts with me.”

Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas celebrates after scoring against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Gannon then added: “Everybody had a hand in how this season went and why we are where we are.”

This wasn't a sudden end for the Cardinals — it was more like a slow, methodical decline.

Arizona's offensive shortcomings started to surface in a 16-6 loss at Seattle on Nov. 26. The following week, the Cardinals surrendered a late lead and lost 23-22 to the Minnesota Vikings when Sam Darnold found Aaron Jones for the go-ahead touchdown with about a minute remaining. Arizona couldn't recover and lost to the Seahawks again the following week in yet another lackluster performance in a divisional game.

A win over New England last Sunday wasn't enough to salvage a playoff run, and the hole might have been too deep to climb out of even if the Cardinals had pulled out a win over lowly Carolina (4-11).

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner runs past Carolina Panthers cornerback Michael Jackson during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

“It’s tough. We felt like we were close and felt like we had an opportunity to get it done," linebacker Kyzir White said. “We came out here and didn’t get it done. It’s definitely frustrating and hurts.”

Defensive lineman L.J Collier said it's hard knowing the work players put in this season.

“It’s just one of those things where it’s just not a good feeling in your stomach,” Collier said. “We came so close after all the adversity that we came through this year, man. It’s not a good feeling especially when you love the guys that you work with and you fall short.”

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Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter fumbles against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

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