GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals aren’t going to start talking about must-win games in mid-October.…
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals aren’t going to start talking about must-win games in mid-October.
Even so, the prospect of a third straight losing season makes Monday night’s game against the improving Los Angeles Chargers particularly important.
The Cardinals (2-4) showed promise in coach Jonathan Gannon’s second season, but have yet to win consecutive games since 2021. Arizona is back to square one in this pursuit, outgoing a 34-13 loss to Green Bay a week later beat the defending NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers.
“We have to stay positive because we know what we have here,” Murray said. “It’s not like we’re at rock bottom. No one has given up on what we can accomplish. I have full confidence in all the guys in the locker room.
The Cardinals have had a busy schedule and it continues Monday with the Chargers (3-2), who have one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Gannon said the Cardinals need to focus primarily on themselves.
“We have to do more collectively to win more games, so that’s where all of our energy and focus right now is on what we control (and) how that impacts winning over the Chargers on Monday night,” said Gannon. “That’s where our headspace is.”
Chargers just came off a 23-16 win over the Broncos it was a step in the right direction for their offense. They will now face a Cardinals defense that has been one of the worst in the league.
Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert took nothing for granted.
“They’re doing a lot of great things,” Herbert said. “They’ll play a bunch of different covers and they find a way to make them all work. When you turn on the tape, you see a great disguise plan and a whole bunch of cover art that shows they’re pretty tough.
Defensive Line Blues
The Cardinals are banged up on the defensive line with veteran starters Justin Jones (triceps) and Bilal Nichols (stinger) out for the season. This is one of the reasons why Arizona has had difficulty putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Injuries have put more pressure on others like Roy Lopez and Dante Stills. A sixth-round pick last year out of West Virginia, Stills has developed into a solid player.
“We just continue to look for consistency from him,” Gannon said. “When he does it well, he’s really, really good and that’s all our guys. He will have a good week and play well.
Offensive dynamics
Now that Herbert’s sprained ankle is behind him and the offensive line is mostly healthy, the Chargers are starting to show signs of reaching their offensive potential.
Herbert threw for a record 237 yards last week in Denver, but the offense remained balanced (38 passes, 37 points). Herbert has completed passes to nine players and he could have another new target this week. DJ Chark has started practicing after being on injured reserve since the start of the season.
The Chargers have the third-highest scoring rate in the league at 52.4% and will face the fourth-worst scoring defense in the NFL. JK Dobbins is second in the AFC with 438 rushing yards and had a career-high 25 carries last week.
Monday evening harbs
Jim Harbaugh was 6-0 as a coach on “Monday Night Football” during his four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
After briefly leaving the field last week due to an irregular heartbeat, Harbaugh said Wednesday that his stress test came back normal and his heart was back in rhythm.
Before last Sunday in Denver, the last time Harbaugh felt an irregular heartbeat on the sideline was during a Monday night game in 2012, when the 49ers played the Chicago Bears.
Conner on the big stage
Cardinals running back James Conner was productive Monday night, scoring six touchdowns in six games. That includes three games with the Cardinals in which he threw for 293 yards and four touchdowns.
Conner, 29, leads the Cardinals with 403 rushing yards this season.
Keep an eye on…
Murray struggles. He is third among quarterbacks in rushing yards (150) on 16 points.
The Chargers have already faced prolific jammers like Justin Fields (Pittsburgh), Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City) and Bo Nix (Denver). Nix had six carries for 61 yards last week, including several in the fourth quarter after the Chargers took a 23-0 lead.
“You have to treat these types of quarterbacks like running backs. Go fight them,” Harbaugh said. “Kyler is good or better than a lot of running backs. This is something we can improve on, especially when there are free riders.
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AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in El Segundo, Calif., contributed to this report.
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