The game looked manageable, the Cardinals had a 14-10 lead with a chance to increase the lead to 17-10. Of course, that was until kicker Chad Ryland missed a relatively easy 33-yard field goal in the second quarter.
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The Jaguars pushed the envelope by establishing a 17-14 lead and moved the ball up and down the field with little resistance in the third quarter. The Cardinals’ 16-play vanity in the second quarter proved to be the most crucial of the game as the next four possessions ended in punts, allowing the Jaguars defense a clean break in the second half. This may particularly be why the Jaguars seemed to have more energy in the final minutes of the game, when the outcome was still in danger.
Enthusiasm is the Cardinals’ missing element, and indifference is written all over Gannon’s face, whether he’s trying to take a hopeful stance or not. After back-to-back losses, Week 12 was Gannon’s chance to defend his home field against a Jags team missing its top two wide receivers. Still, there is a tendency toward mediocrity that demands a change of command, and that implication becomes even more exclamatory when we evaluate the way Lawrence and the opposition fought. Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis did his best to keep the team within striking distance in the third quarter, but the ultimate fate tells a story of disappointment, one that has been recurring for the Cardinals franchise in 2025.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Trevor Lawrence was ultra jive, but the Cardinals let the Jags survive