Arizona Cardinals start slow, can’t complete comeback in 30-20 loss to Carolina Panthers

This matchup was not what anyone expected coming into this game, and then the game started and the Carolina Panthers looked like the 2015 version, while the Arizona Cardinals looked like a team, well the team that we have seen this year too often as they fell 30-20 in Carolina.

The Cardinals day started off less than optimally, with a questionable at best fumble return for a touchdown, that certainly looked like a forward pass.

Never the less, it resulted in the Panthers getting out to an early 7-0 lead and really the Cardinals could never recover.

Carson Palmer lit up the stat sheet, throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns, but threw a back breaking interception after the Cardinals defense got the ball back with a little over three minutes in the game.

The Panthers completely shut down the Arizona Cardinals rushing attack, and David Johnson, who only had 24 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Defensively, it took the Cardinals almost the entire first half to figure out the Panthers, but they did a nice job in the second half.

More than anything with today’s game though, is that the Arizona Cardinals offensive line was awful, there is no way to mince words.

They came out and were beaten consistently, and did not find a way to respond, allowing Palmer to get sacked eight times in the game, and hit countless more. Add to that the complete ineffectiveness of the run game, and it should be no shock the Arizona Cardinals were yet again, pummeled in Carolina.

The loss puts the Arizona Cardinals at a paltry 3-4-1, but they somehow kept pace with the Seattle Seahawks who found a way to lose to the New Orleans Saints.

The Arizona Cardinals head into the bye where absolutely no one expected them to be, with a losing record, clinging to life in the playoff race.

What was supposed to be a dream season has turned into a nightmare that fans and I am sure even more, the players just want to wake up from.

Enjoy the bye week Cardinals fans, we’ll be doing some reviews, looking ahead, and even have our draft guy starting to look at specific positions for the up coming draft.

There is a whole lotta season left Arizona Cardinals fans, let’s not give up hope just yet.

Go Cardinals!