Winner and Losers from Cardinals - Redskins

In a hard fought game on the road, the Cardinals fought but lost on a fitting note... dropped passes. Gabbert was under pressure all night, made some bad throws, missed some throws and was the recipient of some big hits. The run game was working, but not enough to give the Birds the edge.

Winners

Cardinals ground game - They weren’t the difference in the game, but without aging star Adrian Peterson the Cardinals were able to amass over 141 yards on the ground on 33 carries, a nice 4.1 yards per carry. Kerwynn Williams was the main contributor but Elijhaa Penny was the more effective back.

Run defense - absolutely stymied the Redskins. The Skins gained a meager 31 yards on 21 carries.

Larry Fitzgerald - his march to his umpteenth 1000 yard season is less than 40 yards away.

Kickers - Phil Dawson was 5/5 on the day and was the only reason the Cards had a chance in the game.

Losers

Playoff hope - Well the Cardinals already had a slim chance of making the playoffs, this loss puts the nail in the coffin.

Passing offense - Blaine Gabbert was miserably inaccurate, but he didn’t get much help. The line gave up four sacks and too much pressure. Dropped passes (thanks Niklas) hurt but Gabbert missed a lot of throws as well. 16/41 isn’t pretty. 3 fumbles hurt. It all hurt.

Pass rush - Chandler Jones continues to add to his sack numbers. Too bad he’s the only one. Wish Robert Nkemdiche would show up. Isn’t this what we drafted him for?

Well Cardinals fans, it’s been a tough season. Injuries on injuries, special teams gaffs and bad breaks. The future is still bright, the defense has stars and a healthy offense next year could still be a threat.

On to draft season!