Republic analyzes what went wrong in Cardinals’ loss to Seahawks
Arizona Republic writers Theo Mackie and Greg Moore discuss the Cardinals’ Week 10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and the team’s long-term future.
Cardinals wide receiver Zay Jones will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles.Several other Cardinals players are also dealing with injuries following their loss to Seattle.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Zay Jones is headed to injured reserve with a season-ending torn Achilles, head coach Jonathan Gannon said on Monday, Nov. 10, at team headquarters.
Jones was injured on a pass play in the second quarter of the Cardinals’ 44-22 loss at Seattle a day earlier. He has 12 catches for 183 yards this season, and Gannon said he assumes Jones will need surgery.
Wide receiver/special teams contributor Simi Fehoko suffered an arm injury and will miss some time, Gannon said. All of the other players who were inactive or hurt during the Seattle game will have their statuses updated on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Those include cornerbacks Will Johnson and Max Melton, and linebacker Mack Wilson Jr., all of whom were inactive against the Seahawks. Edge rusher Darius Robinson, offensive lineman Jonah Williams, defensive lineman Walter Nolen and running back Bam Knight were injured during the game.
Gannon: ‘You learn and move on’
Gannon was asked whether this is the most frustrated he’s been as head coach after his team’s most lopsided loss of the season in Seattle. Arizona started 2-0 and is now 3-6.
At first, Gannon shook his head. Then he elaborated.
“Frustrated, I don’t know, is the right word,” Gannon said. “You learn and move on. … no one in that team meeting (Monday), no one’s looking around like, ‘How did that happen?’ We collectively allowed that to happen, all of us in there. So you take that on the chin and you move on. Frustration is just a waste of time.”
Asked if the losing takes any kind of toll, Gannon said, “Gotta be psychologically trained and move on.”
Burke plays all but one defensive snap
Rookie cornerback Denzel Burke got the most playing time he’s had all season, on the field for 61 of 62 defensive snaps with Melton and Johnson out.
The Phoenix area native who played in college at Ohio State had mixed results. He got off to a rough start trying to cover rising Seahawks star — and former Buckeyes teammate — Jaxon Smith-Njigba downfield, but intercepted a Sam Darnold pass for Smith-Njigba in the third quarter.
Darnold attempted only one pass the rest of the game, a completion to Smith-Njigba against Burke.
“It was all business, we talked one time throughout the game, but that was about it,” Burke said of going against his former teammate.
Burke, a fifth-round draft pick this past offseason, said the big difference between college and the pros is going against the best every week. Losing has been difficult, Burke admitted, but he’s enjoyed having the opportunity for more playing time and is working on how to better deal with losses.
“We’ve just got to hold each other accountable, do our job,” Burke said.
“It’s the league. It’s the best of the best, week in and week out.”
José M. Romero can be reached at jose.romero@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @RomeroJoseM or Instagram at @romerojosem.