Why are the Cardinals out of the playoffs? Exploring 3 turning points in Arizona's 2024 season

After losing to the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, the Arizona Cardinals were mathematically eliminated from the postseason, and it's still unclear what exactly happened with this team following their bye week.

The Cardinals led the NFC West standings before their Week 11 bye. They have dropped to third place in their division and out of the NFC playoff race after losing five of their last six games.

Here, we will take a look at the main reasons the Cardinals won't be playing in the postseason this season.

Why are the Arizona Cardinals out of the playoffs?

1) Post-bye collapse

After struggling to a 1-3 start to the season, the Arizona Cardinals recovered and won four straight games from late October to early November, going into their Week 11 bye with a 6-4 record.

However, the Cardinals have only won once, against the New England Patriots in Week 15, and are just 1-5 in their last six games since the bye.

It wasn't expected to be shocking when Arizona was officially removed from postseason contention since, objectively, they weren't anticipated to be a serious candidate before the season began. Nonetheless, it's reasonable to describe the team's performance following the bye as disappointing, given that they were only a few weeks below.

Now, the best record the Cardinals can finish with is 8-9, which would be an improvement on their 4-13 finish in 2023. The team will still feel let down because they know the season could have gone far better.

2) Lack of offensive consistency

This season, the Arizona Cardinals have lost a lot of games due to their inconsistent offensive performances. The team's offensive problem has persisted, and you wouldn't be mistaken to think that the Cardinals would still have been in the running for the playoffs if they had been even marginally more consistent in their offensive play.

QB Kyler Murray has thrown eight interceptions and only five touchdowns since the bye week. These have been costly for the team and have resulted in defeats, such as the one against the Seattle Seahawks in November and the one against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17.

This is a significant issue that requires urgent attention. The Cardinals' season has ended, but it will be harder for them to finish the campaign on a positive note, given their offensive inconsistency.

3) Lack of discipline

When it comes to avoiding fouls this season, it's safe to say the Arizona Cardinals have become much less focused.

It's debatable whether or not some penalties should have been called against them, but it's obvious that the team has put itself in a bad position when it comes to penalties, especially since returning from the bye.

To lessen the penalties and prevent additional self-created issues for the Cardinals in the future, it would be very beneficial to reestablish the discipline that coach Jonathan Gannon has consistently emphasized.