"The worst part about this league is injuries and it just struck a guy that meant a lot to this organization and to this team. It just hit him at the wrong time."
The Arizona Cardinals just finished a 4-13 season, which is exactly the same record they had in 2022. The Cardinals' first season under a new regime — coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort — ended on Sunday with a 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks after Cardinals kicker Matt Prater missed a 51-yard field goal on the final play. The game was a microcosm of Arizona's season: competitive and entertaining, but ultimately disappointing.
The Seahawks don't control their playoff destiny after last week's loss to the Steelers, but can make it with a win against the Cardinals and a loss by the Packers.
The Seattle Seahawks are in an eerily familiar position during the final week of this regular season, needing a win in the finale and some help from another team to squeeze into the postseason. Last year, it worked out for the Seahawks. Seattle isn't thrilled about having to roll the dice once more, but it doesn't have much of a choice.
The Arizona Cardinals were hobbling toward the end of a forgettable 2023, with fans more interested in the upcoming draft and free agency than anything that was happening on the field. No, the Cardinals' 35-31 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles doesn't change that this is among the worst teams in the NFL this season. In fact, if you squint really hard and imagine a couple of roster upgrades, the 2024 Cardinals could be markedly improved.