Hyped rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. could be a true difference maker for the Cardinals this season. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)
When the Arizona Cardinals were coming off of Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 31, victorious over the Philadelphia Eagles, it didn’t matter they were nearing the end of a 4-13 season.
What mattered in Jonathan Gannon’s first season as head coach was progress, and signs that his players were buying in. Their growth was validated in a tough comeback win against an Eagles team desperately trying to hold onto first place in the NFC East. The Cardinals trailed 21-6 in that game, due in part to a 99-yard pick-6 and another Eagles touchdown with 16 seconds left in the first half. Either of those plays could have crushed a team that was far out of the playoff race, but the Cardinals kept battling. Philadelphia took a lead with 2:33 left in the fourth quarter. And on the road against the reigning NFC champions, the Cardinals fought back. They scored with 32 seconds left for a win that felt huge for a team looking to take steps forward with a new coach.
“I feel good for the players. Not for me, man,” Gannon said after the win. “I feel good for the players.”
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While we can appreciate Gannon, the former Eagles defensive coordinator, not making the moment about himself, nobody should believe that. Everyone should have felt good about that win. Especially Gannon.
“I mean, we just played well enough today to win. You know what I mean?” Gannon said. “But our guys know if we play football the right way, we can play with anybody. And I know our record isn’t what we want it to be, and that falls on me. But they have confidence. They never waver.”
The Cardinals were the rare four-win team with some great wins. They beat the Dallas Cowboys early in the season. They won at the Steelers and Eagles, a couple of road victories against playoff teams. Arizona had four wins overall but more quality…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-offseason-power-rankings-no-25-arizona-cardinals-have-renewed-hope-with-jonathan-gannon-and-marvin-harrison-jr-121804154.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-06-27 12:18:04
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