The Cardinals head out to Tampa this week, with Michael Wilson on a heater and the Cardinals potentially getting Marvin Harrison Jr. back. First, the mailbag. Don't forget to send a question for a future mailbag with at least a first name and last initial.

From Jonny Counts:

"I was looking into projections for the upcoming draft last week, when I realized that the draft is about six months away. I figured as long as I'm that far ahead of schedule, I might as well look into the 2027 and 2028 draft classes. Then I realized there was no limiting principle to this line of thinking. That being said, are there any prospects on your radar? What are the odds we end up getting Devin Fitzgerald?"

Goodness Jonny. One, you needed to "realize" the draft was that far away when we are in the middle of the NFL season? Second, I barely pay attention to draft stuff for the upcoming draft until later so certainly I am not looking at future years. Third, can we let Devin graduate high school first? He won't be even eligible for the draft until 2029. Let him fight for the Irish for a bit.

From Andrew Miller:

"Hello, Darren. Can you help us understand a few things?

1. On the last drive in regulation, is there a reason after Michael Wilson spun the ball following his catch and why did the Cardinals not rush to the line an spike the ball with around 20 seconds to stop the clock and give them an opportunity for one (possibly two) additional plays?
2. Why did the Cardinals insist on kicking deep throughout the game, especially in overtime and giving up likely extra yards that made getting into field-goal position easier?
3. Why would the Cardinals on third- and fourth-down in overtime with the game on the line, not take a timeout to collect themselves for a higher percentage play than they attempted?"

I will try and help with the understanding, with what I know and what I would think.

1. Wilson admitted he made a mistake and Jonathan Gannon said the decision not to spike was to hopefully catch the Jaguars out of sorts after the deep pass and get a quick TD.
2. The Cardinals had six kickoffs. They booted deep for five touchbacks. The one time they didn't, they allowed a 39-yard return to the Jacksonville 43. Hope that answers your question.
3. On the fourth down play, they liked the playcall. (I know fans didn't, but that's not the point here.) They didn't feel the need to "collect" themselves. They weren't up against the clock.

From Harrison Carbajala:

"Hi Darren!

1. When Marvin comes back do you think Michael retains WR1 duties? I think it would be GOOD for Marvin to be WR2. Let him ease his way back in, clear his head. I heard Fitz talk about how Q was WR1 when he first came in, and how thankful he was that Q absorbed much of the production pressure so Fitz could learn.
2. Do you expect Jalen Thompson back next year?
3. Similar to Rabbit, Max Melton's snap counts have been plummeting. Why?
4. Did you ever ask Calais if he was interested in setting the all-time record for a DL?"

Some answers here.

1. I don't know how they will handle it. There are arguments both ways. I will say Wilson has played excellent of late. You may have a point about taking pressure off MHJ. They talk often about the "hot hand" at running back. You can't get much hotter than Wilson. (And Harrison actually has to be healthy enough to return first.)
2. I don't know about JT. I'm not sure what his market might be or what he is thinking about. But I think the Cardinals will be prepared either way.
3. He's not playing well enough. That's the simple answer. He's not hurt and other guys are getting more snaps. Gannon said Melton needs to be more consistent.
4. I have not had that chance. To be honest, I'd guess next season is the last thing on Calais' mind right now.

From Julie Call:

"We get a new holder, Chad Ryland misses a 33-yard field goal. Coincidence?"

I am willing to bet Ryland would not blame the holder. Matt Haack held just fine on the extra point (which is 33 yards) before the missed field goal. Special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said the operation on all the kicks were fine. The miss was a simple push to the right.

From Chad D:

"That call for it on 4th and 12 was the right call. We punted there multiple times early in the season in similar situations to trust the defense late in the fourth and failed, Gannon had to try something different in the fourth quarter. What was not good was the PLAYCALL."

I guess I'd like to know what you were thinking the playcall should've been. The Jags brought the house. I suppose there should've been an alert and a receiver would've understood the middle of the field was open at the sticks with all the blitzers. But Brissett had no time to breathe. It's something you lose when you have Brissett and not Kyler in the lineup.

From Adam Moyer:

"Let's talk right tackle. With Jonah Williams' injury and Kelvin Beachum's age, we need to think about the future. Where is Christian Jones? I know he went on IR at the start of the season, but he's been eligible to come back for awhile now. I am a big fan. For those who don't know, he was the long time right tackle for UT. Assuming we sign someone else this offseason, do you expect it to be a big free agent or draft pick? FYI this is a pretty good RT draft. I've never understood why people discount the RT position. Take a right tackle top 10 and have elite bookends for a decade."

I don't think there is any question right tackle will be a position of focus this offseason. Williams and Beachum will be free agents. You are right, Jones could return this season, but it's hard to know how serious his knee injury was; he was designated to return right away in part because the Cardinals had two spots they could use, not necessarily that they knew Jones (or Hayden Conner) were going to return quickly. To be honest, Jones struggled in the brief playing time he has gotten in the league. We are way too far from the draft to talk about what could happen with the first-round pick. But would I be surprised it was an offensive lineman -- and yes, perhaps a right tackle? Not at all. Depending what happens particularly with Beachum in free agency, I could see that being a spot to look too, although again, the best tackles don't reach free agency.

From Al Bayley:

"Health is a small but growing issue with Will Johnson. It would be one thing if he were missing games due to the same injury (such as his rumored problematic knee). But this year we've seen him miss time with a variety of different injuries. Is that just bad luck, or is injury prone-ness a reality for some players? At the same time, whenever I start worrying about a players ability to stay healthy, I always think back to is Tyrann Mathieu. Tyrann was often nicked up while playing for AZ. However did you know that after he left AZ, he was resoundingly healthy the rest of his career."

I get it. Johnson has missed some games, and that is made more frustrating because he has played well when he is on the field. But this latest issue was because a really big dude drove him into the ground, and frankly, that's not being injury prone at all. In fact, I would argue that missed time with the same injury is much worse, because it means it never gets better. I'm chalking this up to bad luck.

From Michael Cleary:

"It's bizarre to me when people claim Kyler would be great in 'this offense' (meaning the one Jacoby is playing in), because this IS the offense Kyler played in. We didn't change the playbook or scheme when Jacoby took over. Jacoby is just executing the offense better than Kyler did, and as a result it looks different."

I will say some of the playcalls are going to be a little different at times, because Kyler can roll out and can be a part of read-options and the like. Kyler and Jacoby are going to like different plays, and coaches try and use plays the QB is most comfortable with within a given game week. But yes, this is still the same playbook. A team isn't going to be able to change its scheme midseason.

From Matthew C:

"I love this new punter, Matt Haack! Was not happy with our initial replacement for Blake Gillikin, whom I also love, but this game was a delight to watch on the least-fun down. I also loved this announcer who gets hyped and is calling all the interceptions, who is that?"

The play-by-play man for CBS was Spiro Dedes. I assume that's to whom you are referring. As for Haack, he had an excellent debut and it sure looks like the Cardinals made a smart move there, given that Gillikin seems to be out for the season.

From Don Geisler:

"Hi Darren. First off, I hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving this week. Thanks for all you do. Amidst the most disappointing season of my 35-year fandom, I do have a few questions.

1. With this latest loss to the Jaguars that looked exactly like most of the other losses, how do you think that the army of internet warriors and talking heads will find a way to blame Kyler Murray?
2. Will this staff scapegoat Kyler even though the offensive woes fall squarely on the shoulders of the coaches?
3. Will the OC continue with a more aggressive style when Kyler is (thankfully) back? Can we really see what the man can do?

Thanks for your time. Happy holidays!"

I appreciate the kind wishes and I hope you and your family also has a great holiday. That said, it's pretty clear where you land on the Kyler Murray debate. I do not know what the offense will look like when/if Murray returns behind center. He is eligible to return as soon as next week; we have not gotten any true clarity of what will happen. I think it's a mistake to blame all the issues on Kyler and have never understood why you would, but I also think it's a mistake to say "the offensive woes fall squarely on the shoulders of the coaches." There is a ton to unpack when it comes to what the offense has done well and not done well, both when Kyler was at QB and now when Kyler is on IR.

From Cole L:

"Darren, given Gannon's preference to stay in a CEO-style role and not take over playcalling, how does the front office evaluate whether Drew Petzing's current offensive structure is truly maximizing the roster? Nick Rallis has shown growth even with late-game lapses, but the offense has struggled to establish a consistent identity. Is there internal discussion about whether a new offensive coordinator or offensive philosophy might be needed to raise the unit's ceiling without requiring Gannon to shift from the leadership approach he prefers. I love your opinions. Another one: What are your thoughts on Jacoby performance lately?"

I am a little confused, because Gannon's background as a defensive playcaller I guess could create a conversation if it came to Rallis and playcalling, but Gannon would never call offensive plays so I am not sure how that would be a factor in this evaluation. When the offense isn't doing well, that's a daily conversation. Heck, it's a daily conversation regardless of how things are going. Everything is being evaluated constantly. And it'll be evaluated in a conversation between Gannon and Monti Ossenfort after the season, I'm sure.

As for Brissett, I think he has played better than I expected, and I expected him to be solid. He has limitations. He can't move all that well, so he has to commit to being a pocket passer, which he has and done it well. He absorbs hits for the good of the play. He has helped reinvigorate the downfield passing game. He has missed some throws for sure, plays that were open, and a couple have ended up as interceptions. But I have been impressed.

From Matt W:

"Hi Darren. Always love your commentary, thank you for taking the time to manage and answer our random inquiries. Sorry in advance for my long-winded comment/question. FWIW, I still have complete confidence in Jonathan Gannon and his staff, I think they've made legitimate/positive changes, and I feel like I see them tangibly on the field every week; I genuinely hope to see them next season. On that note -- my biggest question is regarding the gross disparity of flags in the 49ers game. In a sport where it's common knowledge that you can find something flag-worthy on almost any/every play but generally referees give leniency to allow the players and game to move along. It seems wildly blatant that that crew would call 17 flags - many of which even the commentators mentioned were ticky-tacky or non-existent. at the same time only throw 1 against the 49ers. Can't someone watching the game, like replay, where they would note in-game this disparity?"

Could they? I guess. Should they? Absolutely not. Maybe I am naive, but I do not believe officials are thinking about flag comparison as the game goes. Did the 49ers commit more than two penalties (one was declined)? Maybe. Did the Cardinals commit way too many penalties? Yes. I don't like the slippery slope of officials either doing make-up calls or calling fewer flags because the ratio is off. That used to be the Patriots deal especially against the Peyton Manning-Colts, before the illegal contact crackdown on DBs. Mug the Colts receivers all the time, and they can't possibly call them all. Don't love that.

From Jay Zimner:

"Hello again Darren. Us fans don't get to go to practice or hang around the facility to appreciate this so-called culture. Our access to this 'culture' comes in the form of journalistic efforts to provide us fans insights or interviews over the airwaves or in the written form. Why is it that we get coach-speak when it comes to the most frustrating elements of the sport/team, i.e, coaching blunders, player mental lapses, playcalling etc. How about a culture built on honesty? How about Gannon in a postgame presser showing some anger or emotion about a blown play or play call? How about benching a player who commits a penalty after a play is dead or negates a positive play?"

OK, there is a lot here, Jay. I can't speak to the benching thing; that is a purely coaching philosophy that is going to be different for each coach (and shouldn't be based on how things look to the fanbase.) Gannon showing emotion in a presser? He doesn't believe in that. I know fans want to see the players and coaches feeling the same way they do after a loss, but just like you shouldn't be acting that way at whatever your job is (tell me you don't go off on the daily at your job, Jay), Gannon doesn't want to do it at his job.

Now, for the coach-speak. Gannon isn't the only guy who does this. Ken Whisenhunt did a ton of coach-speak. Kliff Kingsbury to a certain extent. Many, many coaches do not believe in a) throwing players or assistants under the bus publicly and b) giving too much away publicly. I do think this regime plays it closer to the vest than most, but that is the philosophy they feel is needed for them to succeed. I'm sure you want more. I wouldn't mind more. But surely you understand why they do it (even if you disagree.)