THE STORY: SEATTLE – The Cardinals never had a chance on Sunday at Lumen Field, or at least they didn't give themselves a chance, and that was easy to see on the scoreboard.
Not in the 44-22 final score in the loss to the Seahawks, although that wasn't great, but the 35-0 first-half deficit they had – especially coming off an impressive win the week before in Dallas – was painful.
And that's how it sounded when Jonathan Gannon spoke about the game afterward.
"When that happens, and the score looks like that, it falls on the head coach," Gannon said. "And it sucks for me to say that, but that's where my mind goes. I didn't do enough that I needed to do throughout the week to get them ready to go. It stings."
As a reporter tried to find the nuance in the issues, Gannon quickly responded. "It's the truth."
The Cardinals (3-6) had their season defined by close games. Even the game against the Cowboys, a 10-point win that was the Cards' lone game to that point decided by more than seven points, felt close.
Sunday's trip to the Pacific Northwest was not.
The Seahawks (7-2) jumped out to a 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the game. They somehow ended up with not one but two strip-sacks by linebacker Tyrice Knight and both were returned for touchdowns by fellow linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence.
Nothing at that point seemed like it was going to go right.
"Human emotion, naturally, you want to think that," wide receiver Michael Wilson said. "You have to fight that urge and continue to play the play."
The Cardinals scored on a direct snap run by Greg Dortch with 2:50 left in the first half to break through.
"When you see stuff like that start to happen, you're trying not to let one mistake turn into two, two to three," left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. said. "You're focused on, 'Let's win this drive.' You get a sack-fumble go into the end zone twice, that's something no one during the week that you mentally prepare for. It's something that came up, and you can't allow that to let you mope around."
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was under duress all day, not unexpected given how much the Cardinals were going to have to throw with the big deficit. The Seahawks recorded 23 pressures, although Brissett wouldn't say he felt more pressure this game than previous starts.
"It's football," he said. "You're going to get hit."
Brissett was only able to complete 50 percent of his passes (22 of 44), underscored with the inability to line up with wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (12 targets but only three catches, although one was a touchdown.)
The Cardinals, chasing the deficit, failed to get points on three different trips inside the 10 because they couldn't kick field goals.
But Harrison nearly made a fantastic diving fourth-down TD grab with five minutes to go in the third quarter, a score that would've put the Cardinals within two touchdowns with a lot of time left. But Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett made an even better play, somehow knocking the ball loose.
"(Not quitting) is a prerequisite," Wilson said. "It's the NFL. Win, lose however the game looks, your job is on the line all the time."
The Cardinals return home to face the 49ers with a host of injuries, some that will likely sideline players. They also have to find a way to bounce back from what was their worst performance of the season.
"Not a lot of good came out of that," Gannon said. "I am proud that they battled. I have been in games like that where they just want to get home. That was not the case."
TURNING POINT: It was the first of the Knight-Lawrence defensive touchdowns that ultimately undercut any Cardinals hopes, coming a couple of plays after a 43-yard touchdown bomb to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. In a game where the Cardinals wanted to at least mitigate momentum and the home crowd, a 14-0 deficit barely five minutes into the game was too much to overcome.
Garrett Williams was in tight coverage on Smith-Njigba, but fell. He said he stepped on JSN's foot.
THE STANDOUTS: Tight end Trey McBride was spectacular, scoring another touchdown and hauling in nine receptions with 127 yards and showing off why he should be considered for All-Pro. Defensive lineman Calais Campbell kept showing up on multiple plays.
INJURY UPDATE: There were a lot. Wide receiver Zay Jones left in the first half with a left Achilles injury, which will be one to watch. Safety Rabbit Taylor-Demerson left the game with an ankle injury in the first half. Right tackle Jonah Williams left with a shoulder injury. Defensive lineman Darius Robinson left with a groin injury and defensive lineman Walter Nolen III had to be helped off in the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Semi Fehoko (wrist) and running back Bam Knight (ankle) also came out of the game in the second half.
