The record will say the Arizona Cardinals are 3-7 after their loss to the San Francisco 49ers, with this one counting the same as all the others.
If it were, instead, a fair reflection of reality, the Cardinals would have earned two losses on Sunday, Nov. 16, Nov. 1. One for the 41-22 smackdown inflicted by the 49ers, one for how the Cardinals beat themselves.
There were the 17 penalties, a new record in over a century of this franchise’s history. There were the two long kickoff returns allowed, including a 98-yarder that enabled San Francisco to find the end zone on its first play from scrimmage. There was one field goal missed, another one blocked before squeaking through the uprights. There was the first half interception, on which two receivers ran the same route.
And at the end of it, there was another ugly chapter in another lost season, with another rebuild sputtering toward failure.
Here are three key takeaways from Sunday’s game:
Cardinals played like a poorly coached team
Of the Cardinals’ 17 penalties, two stood out — one on each side of halftime.
As time expired in the first half, San Francisco’s Eddy Pineiro lined up for a 62-yard field goal attempt, three yards beyond his career long. Despite the improbable nature of the attempt, the Cardinals called for an aggressive field goal block. It worked — except that Calais Campbell illegally touched the long snapper as he went for the block.
With that unnecessary roughness penalty, a 62-yarder became a 47-yarder, which Pineiro made with ease, stretching the 49ers lead to 25-10.
Still, on the first drive after the break, the Cardinals had a chance to trim the deficit to one score. They took advantage, turning a fourth-and-1 near midfield into a 60-yard rushing touchdown. But, like Campbell’s field goal block, it was not to be. This time, it was practice squad tight end Pharaoh Brown being whistled for a holding penalty.
The Cardinals ultimately had to punt, allowed a field goal on the next drive and never looked competitive again.
Brown’s holding penalty — like many whistles that went against the Cardinals — was fairly weak and may have gone uncalled on another day. But when there are 17 penalties in a single game, the finger can only be pointed back at yourself.
The penalties weren’t the only area in which the Cardinals looked outcoached. It was also the pervasive sloppiness in all three phases. But the penalties were what prevented the Cardinals from having any chance of an upset win.
Injuries showed up in a big way
On the 49ers first touchdown of the game, linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither was matched up with star tight end George Kittle in one-on-one coverage. With Kittle running a slot fade, Davis-Gaither had no chance. He trailed five steps behind Kittle as he hauled in the touchdown reception.
On the 49ers second touchdown of the game, linebacker Cody Simon was matched up with star running back Christian McCaffrey in one-on-one coverage. McCaffrey was running a simple route into the flat, but like Davis-Gaither before him, Simon had no chance. He trailed five steps behind McCaffrey as he walked into the end zone.
On both plays, the Cardinals felt the full brunt of Mack Wilson’s absence. Wilson, the Cardinals’ best linebacker, was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week with a rib injury.
It wasn’t the only injury that impacted the Cardinals in this one.
Once again without their top two running backs, they ran for just 36 yards on 14 carries. With cornerback Will Johnson missing his second game due to a hip contusion, the secondary struggled — as it often has in Johnson’s absence. And at tight end, Brown committed a pair of penalties, with players above him on the depth chart out for the season.
Some of those struggles can be pinned on roster construction — the Cardinals only addressed their linebacker room this offseason with peripheral moves. But it’s difficult to overcome quite as many injuries as the Cardinals have faced, with 18 players now on various forms of injured lists.
Michael Wilson’s career day
There was one injury that did not seem to impact the Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr.’s absence due to appendix surgery.
In Harrison’s place, Michael Wilson stepped into the top wide receiver role for the first time in his career. He delivered in a massive way, hauling in 15 catches on 18 targets for 185 yards — the most receiving yards from a Cardinals player since John Brown had 196 in Week 6 of 2015.
It wasn’t just the stat line. Most of Wilson’s grabs came through serious contact, like a fade route to convert a third down in the first quarter or an impressive adjustment on a corner route thrown behind him in the third quarter.
It was the type of performance that will reassure the Cardinals that Wilson can be their No. 2 wide receiver going forward, and that they can focus their offseason resources elsewhere.
Wilson also helped Jacoby Brissett set an NFL record with 47 completions on 57 attempts, as he went for 452 passing yards.
But ultimately, those statistical outputs were empty calories in another loss, as another season goes to waste.