The Cardinals’ Real Opponent Is the Red Zone
A 30–16 loss to Denver, Arizona’s tenth straight at home, turned finishing drives and preventing explosive plays into the questions that define the season.
By: By Dorian Delta | Family First Sports Desk | Analysis
The Arizona Cardinals have two problems that can undo an otherwise competitive afternoon: drives that stall short of the end zone and defensive breakdowns that become touchdowns on the spot. Their 30–16 loss to Denver at State Farm Stadium on October 25, the Cardinals’ tenth straight home defeat, put both in plain view.
Arizona’s next chance to respond came Sunday at Dallas, where the Cardinals won 33–30.
Two plays broke the game open. Bo Nix ran 62 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter, and RJ Harvey turned a short screen pass into a 52-yard score early in the third. Arizona, meanwhile, went 1-for-5 inside the red zone against Denver and is 1-for-10 across its last two games. Those numbers explain why moving the ball and controlling stretches of a game can still leave a team chasing the scoreboard.
The first priority should be finishing possessions. Near the goal line, the field compresses and hesitation becomes expensive. Arizona needs a reliable sequence of calls that gives the quarterback clear answers, creates space for receivers and preserves the threat of a run. A successful drive cannot depend on an exceptional individual play every time.
The defensive response is equally practical. Against a mobile quarterback, containment requires discipline from the entire front. Against a screen, recognition must be followed by pursuit and secure tackling. One defender arriving quickly does little good if the next angle opens a route to the end zone.
The right evaluation over the coming weeks is therefore specific: fewer preventable explosives, more touchdowns inside the 20 and fewer possessions wasted by avoidable mistakes. Those measures will reveal more than a broad promise to play harder.
For young athletes watching in Arizona, this is a useful lesson in accountability. Improvement begins when a team names the detail that failed and then demonstrates a correction under pressure. The Cardinals’ next step is to turn that standard into repeatable football.
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