TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals are playing so poorly at home, it would be understandable if they were seeing red.
On Sunday, they just saw orange.
That's because Denver fans and their orange shirts dominated the crowd at State Farm Stadium, making it feel like a home game for Broncos quarterback Bo Nix as he dismantled the Cardinals' defense in a 30-16 victory.
“It was great," Nix said. “It felt really comfortable.”
Obviously, that's not an
ideal statement to hear from an opposing player.
The Cardinals have now lost 10 straight home games in a streak that's up to 407 days and the fan base is alternating between livid and apathetic. It's not just that the team is bad — it's that there's no long-term answer at quarterback, very few standouts on defense and the front office seems to have a reverse Midas touch, cursed by injuries and bad evaluations.
The mood is so sour in the desert that a billboard campaign was launched in the Phoenix area asking owner Michael Bidwill to sell the team, though there's no indication that's going to happen.
First-year coach Mike LaFleur came to the desert after three seasons as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams — one of the more successful franchises over the past decade — so he knows what well-run organization looks like.
He doesn't feel the Cardinals are far away, even if the results on the field tell a different story. The Cardinals have not advanced to the playoffs since 2021 and haven't won a postseason game since 2015.
“I like the humans and I like the men in that locker room,” LaFleur said. “But we need to get better.”
The Cardinals continue to get huge production from their group of tight ends, particularly All-Pro Trey McBride. The 26-year-old caught 10 passes for 111 yards, including a seven-yard TD that cut the deficit to 20-13 on Sunday. He's on pace for his third straight 1,000-yard season. Elijah Higgins also had three catches for 17 yards.
The Cardinals are moving the ball in the middle of the field, but are struggling to score touchdowns. They scored a TD on just one of five trips to the red zone against the Broncos and on one drive couldn't punch the ball into the end zone despite five opportunities from the 1-yard line.
This is after settling for six field goals in an 18-16 win over the Rams last week.
“It wasn’t an issue until seven days ago and now it’s an issue," LaFleur said. “We can clean that up.”
Bam Knight has run the ball well in the absence of star rookie Jeremiyah Love, who has missed the last two games with a sore ankle. Knight ran for 80 yards on 15 carries against the Rams and was good once again against the Broncos, gaining 48 yards on just seven carries. He might need more of a workload in the coming weeks, even when Love is ready to play.
The defense had some good moments, particularly early, but there were a handful of breakdowns that led to huge plays for the Broncos. Nix scored on a 62-yard touchdown run, RJ Harvey turned a short screen pass into a 52-yard touchdown and Marvin Mims Jr. caught a 47-yard pass to set up another TD.
Arizona is giving up 29.7 points per game, which is the most in the NFL.
Wide receiver Jalen Brooks is out for the season with a broken wrist. LaFleur said Love would return to practice Wednesday and could play this weekend against the Cowboys.
14 — That's the longest home losing streak in NFL history, set by the St. Louis Rams from 2008 to 2010 and the Dallas Cowboys in 1988 and 1989. The Cardinals need to beat either the Rams, Commanders, Eagles or Jets over the next four games at State Farm Stadium to avoid joining that group.
The Cardinals are on the road against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
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