What We Learned from the Season Finale

Nothing.

It was over not long after the game had begun, with Kyler Murray exiting the game. They limped to an 8-8 finish after a promising start, and if you had any questions about this team before, you probably still have them now. Maybe more.

There’s a lot of work to be done on the personnel front, more than one might like two years into a “rebuild”. You have your quarterback, your wide receiver #1, and hopefully both your offensive tackles... and not much else.

Defensively, there are a distressing amount of questions. Though the unit held up better than it should have as the offense continued to flounder - both in the second half of this season and this game - there is enough there to wonder.

The two most important position groups - cornerback and edge rusher - could be the weakest links on the team. The middle of the defense, despite a large over-investment by Steve Keim into that aspect, also leaves much to be desired.

You’ll get another year of this coaching staff, like it or not. Vance Joseph made the most of a very hobbled defensive unit, and Kliff Kingsbury’s offense made huge leaps in most aspects. The questions will be can they keep improving, and can they iron out the inconsistencies that plagued them this season? If you’re not sold on the potential ceiling of this coaching staff, I can’t say I’d blame you. But it’s too early to call for anyone’s job here.

I’ve said my piece on the matter of the front office. It’s been given a very large amount of leeway to correct course, but still it continues to strike out. I don’t know how one can make the most of what little elite talent this team has if nothing changes. Especially in a draft season that will likely leave far less room for error than any ever has.

What have you learned from this season?